By Jed Lanyon
Warburton community members and organisations are banding together to promote respectful relationships and the prevention of family violence, while supporting the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
New group Yes to Respect will hold a twilight march on Friday 6 December to help spread awareness to a positive cause.
Group founder Nicole Bechard told the Mail, “I’ve had a dream to have a march to rally people to find ways to contribute to a movement to prevent family violence.”
Ms Bechard said she hopes the event will help break down gender stereotypes in the community.
“We want to promote respectful relationships, the way we treat each other, the way we treat ourselves.”
Ms Bechard said that she has been liaising with Yarra Ranges Council, local police, Eastern Health, Warburton and Yarra Junction Community Bank as well as local community groups such as the Warburton Advancement League and Healthy Mates Upper Yarra and more.
She said the response from the community has been strong.
“A lot of services are keen, because we know there is a high incidence of domestic and family violence here in the area… We’re looking at an Upper Yarra approach.
“We want to get individuals and families working together. None of us can do it alone… What we want to make clear is that this is for men and women. It’s about uniting everybody.”
Ms Bechard hopes that the Yes to Respect twilight march will become an annual tradition for the Warburton community.
“I’m hoping a lot of people can come and join the march and that we can be more united and cohesive as a community and provide support to those who may be living in violence.”
The twilight march will take place on Friday 6 December from the Warburton Golf Club at 5.30pm and will finish at the Redwood Community Centre with a sausage sizzle.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicked off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
For more information, contact yestorespect@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/yestorespect/.
