Preparations are well under way for the return of Mildura Rural City Council's annual Community Walk Against Family Violence, which is now less than a month away.
Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner Dr Niki Vincent will lead this year's community walk, which will start in the Langtree Mall on Friday 18 November, coinciding with White Ribbon Day.
Councillor for Gender Equity Helen Healy welcomed the return of the community walk, which she said is a powerful way to raise awareness about gendered violence.
"In the absence of our community walk due to COVID restrictions over the past few years, we've continued to do what we could to keep gendered violence in the spotlight each November, but nothing raises awareness like hundreds of people taking to the streets in our CBD," Cr Healy said.
"It was fantastic to see the amazing support our community walk attracted year after year, and I would encourage as many people as possible to spread the word that it's on again, mark it in your calendars, and come along and support the return of this year's event.
"Having such a prominent person leading this year's walk in Dr Nikki Vincent is also a great way to mark its return."
Dr Vincent was appointed Victoria's first Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner in September 2020. She is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Gender Equality Act 2020 and plays a key leadership role in promoting gender equality in the Victorian community and workplaces.
Dr Vincent has a wealth of experience in gender equality and organisational leadership. This includes serving as the South Australian Commissioner for Equal Opportunity from 2016-2020.
Cr Healy said having Victoria's Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner lead this year's community walk was timely given Council recently prepared its first Gender Equality Action Plan.
"We're building great momentum at the moment, fresh from releasing our first Gender Equality Action Plan to the public, which highlighted the role gender stereotypes play in gendered violence," she said.
"Our Community Walk Against Family Violence will help keep these important issues fresh in our residents' minds, reaching as many people in our community as we can in a bid to prevent family violence."
Dr Vincent will speak at the start of the walk in the mall before leading it off along Langtree Avenue to Seventh Street and down the Langtree Avenue connection.
Plans at this stage are for the walk to then make its way to the Mildura riverfront lawns where there will be information stalls and displays from key local service providers involved in dealing with and preventing family and gendered violence. The event will conclude with a free community barbecue.
Council will continue to monitor Murray River levels in the lead up to the walk and notify the community of any changes to the route if needed.
