The Victorian Government is rolling out new funding to support diverse communities to stop family violence.

The government’s strategy is to work with multicultural and faith communities to promote equal, respectful relationships while also funding measures to stop family violence before it starts.

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams has announced 33 organisations would share in nearly $7 million to deliver family violence prevention programs under the ‘Supporting Multicultural and Faith Communities to Prevent Family Violence: 2021 grants’.

At least 27 cultural and five faith groups will be supported to address the gendered drivers of violence by challenging stereotypes and strengthening positive, equal and respectful relationships in culturally relevant settings.

The grants are designed to build the capacity of community, faith and cultural organisations to deliver prevention programs and support organisations with existing experience to continue and expand successful work.

The investment will support Geelong-based community organisation Diversitat to deliver its Safer and Stronger Families project, which engages recently arrived young people and new parents in the Barwon South West region on respectful relationships, parenting in a new culture, gender equality, human rights and Australian law.

The grants will also support Jewish Care’s Equal for All: Supporting Primary Prevention in the Victorian Jewish Community – including peer-led active bystander training, healthy masculinity programs for men and boys, and respectful relationships training.

While the Buddhist Council of Victoria will receive funds to scale-up a successful project that builds the capacity of Buddhist leaders to be outreach workers to deliver family violence education sessions at temples across Victoria and facilitate ‘meet and greet’ sessions with family violence services.

Other grant recipients include AMES Australia, Wellsprings for Women, the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, the Board of Imams and the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council.

These programs are part of a broader effort to deliver prevention initiatives in the spaces where Victorians live, work and learn to maximise access and relevance to communities.

Last month, the government announced an additional $1.5 million to expand five innovative prevention programs including a respectful relationships play group and a support program for new parents in rural Victoria.

Victoria is leading the country in its work to combat family violence with $3 billion — more than every other state combined, and more than the commonwealth– invested in prevention and response initiatives to date.

Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams said community organisations and trusted multicultural and multifaith leaders know best how to lead the family violence prevention work in our diverse Victorian communities that can change and save lives. 

“We’re backing community organisations to deliver tailored family violence prevention initiatives because everyone should be free to live a life free from violence – regardless of their culture or faith,” Minister Williams said.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence said: “Family violence can occur in any community, which is why all communities should be able to access the support they need to prevent it.”