EFFORTS to highlight the need to stop violence towards women will be in the spotlight late this month.
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Members of the Nowra Domestic Committee are busy preparing for White Ribbon Day which is one of their main events.
The group is preparing to put up anti-domestic violence banners all over the Shoalhaven and will be also distributing stickers throughout the area.
White Ribbon Day, held on November 24 each year, is a campaign to stop men’s violence towards women.
Accommodation and Homelessness Services Shoalhaven Illawarra (SAHSSI) local area manager Lesley Labka, a committee member, said they hope more people now know about the White Ribbon Day cause and its message.
“It’s an important message focussing on the role men can play in changing other men’s attitudes towards using control and fear in relationships and in keeping women safe,” she said.
Women and children are the main victims of domestic violence and they often have to flee for their safety.
“Domestic violence continues to be the main cause of homelessness for women and children,” Ms Labka said.
“The Shoalhaven only has one women’s refuge and yes it is always full.”
Domestic violence is still a problem in the Shoalhaven and can be a hidden issue.
“The domestic violence rates in the Shoalhaven are steady, according to the crime statistics, but we know this to be only those incidents of domestic violence that are reported and many are not,” she said.
The Nowra DV committee is doing what it can to stop domestic violence.
“The Nowra DV Committee is made up of representatives from government, non-government, charities, business and community members who are passionate about ending domestic violence in the Shoalhaven,” she said.
Go to www.whiteribbon.org.au for more information on White Ribbon Day.
The Nowra DV committee also has representatives speaking at the Shoalhaven City Council’s White Ribbon morning tea on Friday November 24.
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