PODCAST TO ADDRESS GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 
Shellharbour City Council launches podcast with White Ribbon Australia

Shellharbour City Council will tomorrow launch a podcast that explores and addresses the underlying causes of violence against women.

In 2022, Shellharbour City Council was announced as the first organisation nationally to be identified by White Ribbon Australia to receive support for the establishment of a community action group to help address gender-based violence.

The Shellharbour Council Community Action Group project forms part of the Fourth National Action Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22 and was funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS). 

Since its creation, the Shellharbour Council Community Action Group has been working to develop a community podcast series to explore and address the underlying causes of violence against women in an effort to prevent it before it begins. 

The podcast series, titled Agents for Change, will be released on Saturday 25 November 2023, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This day also marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. 

Agents for Change discusses the four main drivers of domestic violence. Developed in a panel-style format with the help of 50 community members, the podcast explores the science and research behind gender stereotypes, unconscious bias, social experiments, and how they contribute to the prevalence of gender-based violence. 

Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) shows that between July 2022 and July 2023, the rate of reported domestic violence incidents in the Shellharbour local government area (LGA) was 344 per 100,000 people (74th across NSW).
 
While the rate of domestic violence in the Shellharbour LGA was lower than the state average, Lake Illawarra Police confirmed domestic violence was the third most prevalent violent crime and was often under-reported.
 
Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer said Council was proud to be involved with the podcast, which he described as a valuable resource for the prevention of violence against women.

“Unfortunately, gendered violence continues to be problematic in Shellharbour City. The Shellharbour Community Action Group has worked hard to bring this project together, which will have significant benefits for the community,” Mayor Homer said.

“We hope that by raising awareness and educating the community on what drives gendered-based violence, we can influence change,” he said.

White Ribbon Australia CEO Melissa Perry said violence prevention was a complex issue that required evidence-based solutions to address the specific needs of individual communities.

“The Shellharbour Council Community Action Group has done just that, developing a four-episode podcast that invites community members to participate in guided conversations on the drivers of men’s violence against women,” Ms Perry said.

“They focus on the different drivers of gendered violence and seek to unpack and dismantle outdated attitudes and behaviours around power, privilege and entitlement that allows men’s violence to flourish.

“We congratulate Shellharbour City Council, and everyone involved in bringing this innovative podcast series to fruition, which will now act as a highly impactful teaching resource to drive change among men, boys and the wider community,” she said.

The Agents for Change’ podcast series can be accessed here: Agents for Change (*please note - this link is not for distribution until 12pm Saturday 25 November 2023)

Women who are experiencing violence or abuse can call 1800RESPECT for confidential information, counselling and support. Men who are concerned that they may use violence are urged to call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.