This Report Card provides a summary of key achievements of Brimbank City Council’s Fairness,

Equality and Respect Strategy 2019-2023 over the past financial year. The strategy aims to

promote gender equality and respectful relationships, and prevent family violence and violence

against women. Council is working internally, and with its partners and the broader community,

to advance gender equity and prevent gender-based violence.

Fairness, Equality and

Respect Strategy 2019–23

In December 2021, Council was successful in

receiving a ‘Change Our Game’ Scholarship Grant to

deliver a Women Leaders in Sport and Recreation

Facilities program. In March and May 2022, Council

ran two sessions with 24 leisure centre staff. The

sessions were focused on actions in the workplace

that promote women in leadership and what Council

can do to better support this.

Council, in partnership with the Western Bulldogs

Community Foundation, supported the Daughters

of the West and Sons of the West programs. These

programs aim to educate participants on ways to

improve their health and wellbeing. A total of 60

women and 25 men participated in the programs.

Council delivered free group fitness classes providing

a safe and inclusive space for participants to get

back to being active as part of its In2Active program.

In2Active works to break down body image concerns,

low confidence levels and feeling safe and included.

The program has 275 members and an average of 43

weekly attendees.

Council implemented the priority registration of girls

for In2Sport Brimbank to encourage girl’s greater

participation in sport. In2Sport Brimbank is a subsidy

program to help children living in Brimbank take part

in community sport and aims to fund 75 percent

towards club membership fees. A total of 30 girls

received funding for the winter program and 29 girls

for the summer program.

A session on gender equality in community

organisations was delivered as part of the

Community Governance Training Program. Nine

community organisations participated in this training.

Library services developed gender equity guidelines to

ensure that gender equality is a key consideration in the

design and delivery of all programs and events at libraries.

In April 2022, Council was successful in obtaining a

grant of $212,500 through the Free from Violence

Local Government Grant Program 2022-25. The

funding is to support the implementation of The

Local Government Guide for Preventing Family

Violence and All Forms of Violence Against Women.

The funding will support Council staff to understand

how to embed primary prevention of family violence

and all forms of violence against women at Council

and via the services Council offers.

In May 2022, Council assisted a successful grant

application, led by community service provider

MiCare, receiving $20,000 through the White Ribbon

Foundation. The funding is to pilot two multicultural

dad’s and kids groups in Brimbank to support gender

equity and the prevention of violence against women

outcomes.

Library services held programs and events that

challenged gender stereotypes including STEAM

programs for girls focused on robotics and coding

and sessions in the Learning for Earning Festival

that challenge male-stereotyped roles in different

industries.

In collaboration with VICSEG, a pilot Baby Makes

3 program was delivered to the Vietnamese

community. Twelve people participated in the

session which was delivered in language using the

modified Baby Makes 3 curriculum aimed at cultural

diverse communities.

In March 2022, Council hosted an International

Women’s Day live panel discussion with local women

leaders and music from a local performing artist. The

event included a keynote presentation on ‘Gender

based biases and how to break them’ from Louise

Falconer of GenWest and a panel discussion with CEO

Fiona Blair, Mayor Cr Nguyen, Brimbank Young Citizen

of the Year Devika Chaudhary and CEO of CommUnity

Tracey Gaudry.

Council participated in the Respectful Relationship

Forum. The aim of the forum was to support primary

and secondary schools across Brimbank and Melton

in understanding respectful relations curriculum from

a whole school approach and connecting schools to

community support services.

In 2022 there have been 21 young people, including

two women, attending Council’s ‘Empowering

Moves’ program, a weekly boxing program for young

people aged 14-25. The program aims to facilitate

recreational sessions and personal development

discussions on important issues such as gender

stereotypes, positive choices and support services to

prevent violence in the community.

Council collaborated with Relationships Australia

Victoria and young people to co-design and deliver

a three-part podcast series called ‘Introductory

Conversations about Family Violence’. The

podcast series starts to unpack the complexity

and magnitude of family violence, its prevalence

across cultures and communities, education,

intervention and support services that are available

for community.

For the 16 Days of Activism that kicked off on 25

November 2021, Council delivered a social media

campaign including promoting a local project from

the Papua New Guinea Women’s Association

of Victoria.

Through the Action for Equity partnership, Council

participated in a Sexual Health Week social media

campaign in September 2021. Youth Services shared

six posts on different aspects of sexual health and

reached over 8000 followers.

For the International Day Against Homophobia,

Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on 17 May

2022, Council conduct a ceremony raising the

Pride Flag at the front of the Civic Centre for a week.

Council also held an internal event which featured two

LGBTQIA+ identifying young people and a performer

Quartz Pistol. The event was held in person and live

streamed as an opportunity for staff and councillors

to celebrate and acknowledge the day.

Council have supported four secondary schools in

the creation and support of their ‘Stand Out’ groups.

‘Stand Out’ is a social action group made up of

students and staff working to make a more inclusive

and safer environment for members of the LGBTQIA+

community. The support from Council included

delivery of information sessions to students and

teachers in the groups, connecting to services and

advice on planning for LGBTQIA+ awareness days.

Council delivered a range of shows as part of the

Midsumma Festival 2022 to celebrate LGBTQIA+

communities and challenge hetero- and cis

normativity

Sunshine Leisure Centre hosted an IDAHOBIT Day

Morning Tea to celebrate and acknowledge the day.

It was an opportunity for Council staff and the centre

patrons to get together, network and learn about the

day through resources provided at the event.

Sunshine Leisure Centre collaborated with Bulldog

Pride to host an LGBTIQA+ inclusive pride pool party

to celebrate the Midsumma Festival. Approximately

80 people participated.

Council’s Family Violence Practitioner conducted 90

family violence assessments to support community

members exposed to or experiencing family violence

Council continued to support staff experiencing

family violence by providing access to support

services, special leave and developing safety plans.

Council continues to be represented on a range of

networks, including the Municipal Association of

Victoria Gender Equality and Preventing Violence

Against Women and all forms of Gender-Based

Violence Network, the Western Integrated Family

Violence Committee, the Preventing Violence

Together Partnership, the Action for Equity

Partnership, and the Partners in Prevention

state-wide network.

Council is a co-chair of the newly established

‘Engaging Men Working Group’, which includes

representatives from service providers, community

organisations and councils in Melbourne’s west

through the Preventing Violence Together

Partnership.

• understanding gender inequality, family

violence and violence against women.

• applying a “gender lens” to our work.

• identifying and responding to family

violence and violence against women.

Council undertook a workplace gender audit and

developed a four-year workplace gender Equality

Action Plan. Through the Plan Council will strengthen

and support an organisational culture that values and

promotes gender equality, diversity and inclusion and

where people of all genders can develop to their full

potential.

Council developed a Gender Impact Assessment

Policy and procedure, as well as a staff training

program, to support Council to undertake Gender

Impact Assessments when reviewing or developing

any policies, programs and services that have a

significant impact on the public.

364 - 1022

9249 4000

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