Every week in Australia, one woman is killed by her current or former partner. That’s a pretty serious statistic to look at, and an even harder one to do something about. But a new $30 million awareness campaign is trying to change the dangerously embedded attitudes about violence against women.
The campaign is being rolled out across the country as of this weekend, in a series of TV, radio, print and online ads that will target so-called ‘influencers’. So mums, dads, friends, teachers and other people who are involved in young people’s lives and have the ability to step in when they see disrespectful behaviour.
The ad aims to tell people that you’re all part of the problem when we use phrases like ‘boys will be boys’ or ‘he did it because he likes you’, or worse, ‘don’t worry, it wasn’t that bad’.
The campaign, which builds on work being done by organisations including Our Watch and White Ribbon, is being paid for by federal, state and territory governments.
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Social Services Minister Christian Porter said the campaign depicted a new tactic in putting a stop to violence towards women, putting the onus on everyone.
“What you’ll see with these ads, which all Australians will see very shortly, is that we’re highlighting the type of attitudinal problems that we can’t let persist,” he told the ABC.
“They’re sometimes attitudes that parents just let go through to the keeper when they should be addressed to try and get young boys and young men thinking in a way that’s respectful towards women in their lives.”
“And those type of almost ingrained reflex attitudes and responses that do seem to exist all across Australian society are clearly very unhelpful in terms of establishing the type of thinking, behaviour and attitude that we want and need.”
