A GENDER equity strategy years in the making will come before Bendigo councillors next week for endorsement.
The proposed Greater Bendigo Gender Equity Strategy 2020-25 has been developed by a coalition of some of the city’s most influential organisations.
Should it be endorsed by councillors during Wednesday’s meeting, the strategy would have the backing of experts including the region’s specialist domestic and family violence response service, its centre against sexual assault, and its women’s health agency.
The Centre for Non-Violence, CASA Central Victoria, and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee are all eager to see the strategy progress, building on efforts to create positive change in the community.
The importance of a gender equity strategy was highlighted by the discourse surrounding the use of “ring card girls” at a high-profile boxing match in Bendigo last year.
Yvonne Wrigglesworth resigned from council citing a difference in values after raising concerns about the portrayal of women at the “Battle of Bendigo”.
One of her fellow councillors raised the lack of endorsement of a gender equity strategy – and leadership statement – as reasons why Ms Wrigglesworth might have felt “so let down by her fellow councillors”.
Ms Wrigglesworth was one of two councillors working to develop the gender equity strategy, at the time. Mayor Margaret O’Rourke has since joined Cr Jennifer Alden on the City of Greater Bendigo’s gender equity working group.
The development of a gender equity strategy was triggered by a motion passed by the council in 2017.
The Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity was born of an International Women’s Day forum staged the following year.
The Centre for Non-Violence, Centre Against Sexual Assault Central Victoria, and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee are among 30 organisations in the coalition.
Each of the three organisations that responded to the Bendigo Advertiser’srequests for comment provided some form of feedback to the draft strategy, which was launched at an International Women’s Day breakfast in Bendigo this year.
All three organisations said they would endorse the strategy, if Bendigo’s councillors supported the document on Wednesday.
“We acknowledge this is an ongoing journey and we will continue to build on current strengths and capacity,” Centre for Non-Violence chief executive Margaret Augerinos said.
“There are some areas we will continue to advocate for, including a stronger vision around gender inequity, its impacts on women and other gender diverse community members and a stronger sense of how the community can be engaged more broadly in the change that is needed – including young people and community members from diverse backgrounds.”
She said the plan required the City of Greater Bendigo to provide ongoing resourcing to help implement the strategy, as well as a centralised coordination role.
“As much as possible community experts in gender equity and preventing violence against women need to have a prominent role in advising and leading responses in the community,” Ms Augerinos said.
Centre Against Sexual Assault Central Victoria chief executive Kate Wright said the strategy required a whole-of-council commitment.
“[The strategy’s] aim to achieve gender equity requires a long-term commitment, but it will have benefits for everyone in the community,” Ms Wright said.
Women’s Health Loddon Mallee chief executive Tricia Currie said the strength of the strategy would be in the resulting actions.
The organisation plans to provide specialised support towards the six action groups proposed in the document the council will consider.
One group would focus on workplaces, another on education, a third on community, a fourth on health, a fifth on sport and recreation, and a sixth on emergency management.
Membership would be open to any groups or individuals.
Each action group would be responsible for developing a plan to affect structural change, relational change and attitudinal change within their focus areas.
“It’s about community using the words that make sense in their everyday lives and settings,” Ms Currie said of the strategy.
The City of Greater Bendigo received 29 submissions in response to the draft, which shaped the proposed final document.
It is not known how many of those submissions were from coalition members.
A gender equity survey, intended to assess community attitudes on gender equity and violence against women, received 532 responses.
The City of Greater Bendigo was not able to share the 29 submissions, but provided a summary of feedback in Wednesday’s meeting agenda.
Summarised feedback included painting a more inviting, aspirational picture of gender equity and why it is good for everyone, and detailing the impacts of gender roles on men’s health and wellbeing.
Suggestions also included incorporating a business case for gender equity, as well as statistics for women and gender diverse people.
Ongoing support for the Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity and the council’s contribution towards implementing the proposed strategy were considerations as the city developed its next budget.
The draft budget is also scheduled to come before council at Wednesday’s meeting.
Source: Bendigo Advertiser