Council Calls on Community to Take a Stand During 16 Days of Activism

Published on 14 November 2025

November 25 marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign calling for the elimination of violence against women.

During this time, communities, organisations and individuals around the world come together to recognise women’s rights, promote gender equality, and raise awareness of the devastating impacts of domestic and family violence.

Southern Grampians Shire Council is again joining with Rotary Hamilton’s Walk Against Domestic and Family Violence on Saturday 29 November 2025. 

Rotary Hamilton’s Walk will start at 10:00am from the Hamilton Botanic Gardens (Thompson Street Gates) and will finish at the Hamilton Performing Arts Centre. Residents are encouraged to wear purple to support the end to gender-based violence or orange in recognition of the 16 Days of Activism. Guest speakers will feature from Victoria Police, WDHS and Council and will be followed by a free sausage sizzle.  

Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor Dennis Heslin said the campaign is a timely reminder that violence against women and children happens in our Shire, and that together we can take steps to prevent it.

“16 Days of Activism is an important time to have honest conversations about the impact of gender-based violence within our community. Statistics show it remains alarmingly high in the Southern Grampians, so we have a lot of work to do to change this.

“These conversations should happen all year, but the 16 Days campaign puts a spotlight on what we are willing to accept as a community. It challenges us to defend the basic human right to equality. This is our time to say no.

“I encourage everyone to get involved, join the walk against domestic violence, wear purple and orange, and show there is no excuse for gender-based violence in our region.”

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology / Australian Bureau of Statistics data for 2023-24 (released July 2025) nationally there were 90 domestic homicide (homicide by intimate partner or family member) victims in 2023-24, representing around 37% of all homicide victims. Of these, 57 were female victims and 33 were male.

Across Australia, we know that nearly one in four women have experienced emotional abuse since the age of 15, and around one in six have at some point experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner.

“While we recognise domestic violence is committed against both men and women, locally Southern Grampians Shire Year to March 2025 recorded 378 family violence incidents - a 13.5% increase on the same period last year.

“This is a stark reminder that we cannot treat violence against women as someone else’s issue. Over the 16 Days of Activism and beyond, our community are encouraged come together to promote respect, safe relationships, support survivors and hold perpetrators to account,” concluded Cr Heslin.

The annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign begins on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November and ends on International Human Rights Day, 10 December.  

For more information visit www.respectvictoria.vic.gov.au or follow Council’s social media pages.  

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