A call for one NATIONAL DV month
The Australian Divorce Blog calls on all of our Governments, Federal, State and Territory to have one month, the same month, set aside each year as a national DV awareness month.
Despite the faults with “Domestic Violence: Australia Says No”, including that the advertising seemed to peak before the election, the campaign was useful in focussing attention on an Australia wide basis. There is no focus of holding a national month or even a national day or week to focus media attention on the good work that is being done in the community to prevent domestic violence and make people aware of the extent of domestic violence, and especially important, to ensure that those who are subject to domestic violence can have an escape.
In 2008, the features are:
WA has a Stop Domestic Violence Day on 26 April
Qld has a DV Prevention Month for all of May
There is the national Child Protection Week from 7-13 September
25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence to Women and White Ribbon Day, and there is then the 16 days of activism against gender violence
NSW has Stop Domestic Violence Day on 5 December
and that’s it!
No special day in the Northern Territory, nor South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria or the ACT.
If only there could be one day. If it saved one life, it would be worth it.