Partnership to end gendered violence
Charles Darwin University (CDU) has joined forces with the national violence prevention organisation, Our Watch, to take action in preventing gendered violence.
CDU, a dual-sector university, and the Northern Territory’s largest trainer, formalised their commitment in a ceremony on International Women’s Day this year at its Alice Springs campus.
Our Watch’s groundbreaking Respect and Equality framework is a whole-of-institute approach to preventing violence by championing change at leadership-level, making necessary changes to curriculum content and training policies, and engaging with industries and communities.
CDU’s commitment means that the university will implement the Respect and Equality within the TAFE curriculum in the first instance to break down the cultural norms that lead to gendered violence and create a training environment that is safe and equitable for staff, students and the wider community.
This agreement has particular significance in the Northern Territory, where 74 out of 79 women killed by a current or former partner between 2004 and 2023 were Aboriginal.
Research, including from Our Watch’s Changing the picture, shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience disproportionate rates of violence, and that violence is often more severe compared with non-Indigenous women.
This violence is perpetrated by men of all cultural backgrounds and is driven by the ongoing impacts of colonisation, racism and sexism.
CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman AO said the partnership was designed to foster a safe and respectful environment on campus and within the communities CDU works in with a goal to challenge harmful norms and promote inclusivity.
“By partnering with Our Watch, CDU can ensure we are supported to achieve a whole of university approach to the prevention of harm on our campuses,” Professor Bowman said.
“Our Watch is a national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women and CDU will benefit from their expertise, training and resources.”
Acting Our Watch CEO Cara Gleeson welcomed the new partnership and the commitment from the institute.
“We look forward to supporting CDU to take strides towards equality and play their part in creating a society where everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, ability or cultural background, can live free from violence.”
To learn more about the Respect and Equality in TAFE framework, visit the Our Watch website or contact Katie Yates Burgess from Our Watch katie.yates@ourwatch.org.au.
If you need support or know someone who does you can call the national hotline 1800 Respect.
