Thank you to everyone who joined the Community Walk Against Family Violence in Wodonga.

Part of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the walk started at St Stephen’s Uniting Church, headed down High St to Junction Square and finished with a free barbecue.

Speakers included City of Wodonga Councillor Kat Bennett, Detective Senior Sergeant Damien Peppler and the Australian Childhood Foundation’s Nicole Balfour.

Cr Bennett acknowledged the 51 women who had so far this year lost lives to family and domestic violence.

She said the City of Wodonga was proud to support local activities as part of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

“Council takes this seriously and it is a key issue that the community wanted us to tackle,” Cr Bennett said.

“Family violence is such a huge issue that everyone needs to be hands on deck, every person, every politician, every sporting club, every workplace and every school needs to play a part in addressing those harmful beliefs and attitudes that facilitate family violence .”

The Community Walk Against Family Violence was organised by Junction Support Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Salvation Army, Wodonga Police and St Stephen’s Uniting Church.

The walk was funded through a community grant from the Rotary Club of Albury.

Thank you to the members of the local community who attended and the following organisations which took part:

–          North East Water
–          City of Wodonga staff and Councillors Kat Bennett and Libby Hall
–          Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation
–          Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
–          Albury’s Step Out Against Violence
–          Upper Hume Primary Care
–          Department of Justice
–          Albury Wodonga Health’s Community Health team
–          Gateway Health, specifically the Cradle to Kinder program
–          Beyond Housing
–          Hume Riverina Community Legal Service team
–          North East Border Trades and Labour Council’s Women’s Committee
–          Business Wodonga
–          Centre Against Violence
–          Albury-Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council

The City of Wodonga’s 16 Days of Activism Calendar continues until 10 December.

To find out more and see the remaining events, click here