Listen to community discussing what is gender equity
Community participatory theatre Natak Vihar was further worked upon and collectively analyzed by the community to understand the deeper social driver of family violence.
ACHRH anti-dowry abuse and extortion campaign commenced in 2013, Turned into Recommendation #156 by Victorian Royal Commision into Family Violence 2016 and became law in Victoria on 29 March 2019.
2017-2018 Sustainability of Natak Vihar was assured through the funding provided by the Victorian Government Community Participatory Project grants.
The next step is titled UNITED WE STAND. UWS is a Primary Prevention of Family Violence Program. This is a video resource created with the help of Australian South Asian community. Interactive discussions with community members centre. The discussion is centred around the meaning of Patriarchy, wealth control and decision making power; arranged marriage and dowry The discussions were videotaped and the resource is available by contacting info@achrh.org
United We Stand was funded by the Victorian Government’s Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC)
2019-2020
In the next phase of Victorian Government’s campaign to find solutions to family violence called Capacity Building and Participation program United We Stand Phase 2 is funded. It is called HOPE and consists of Workbooks preparation for Facilitators.
They will use the United We Stand video resource to lead discussion on gender equality and respectful relations in order to strengthen the family and eliminate family violence. This will build towards Government’s aim of capacity building and community participation towards Primary Prevention of family violence. For further information please contact info@achrh.org
Video – A Happy Couple ?
The discussion definitely made me think how we take decisions based on unconscious biases and treat it as norms of the society. Learned behaviour was challenged in the workshop and initiated thoughts to not accept things as they are.
ISKCON has been privileged to partner with the Australasian Centre for Human Rights and Health in work against family and domestic violence in South Asian Hindu communities since 2012. The Hare Krishna Movement here in Melbourne has taken a major role in areas of Family Violence by providing support, training and education to many Hindu families as well as our own congregation in general which is now some 6,000 strong. We were proud to partner with your previous community participatory theatre project Natak Vihar. We hosted one performance at the Albert Park Temple theatre and it was a powerful medium to raised awareness around the nature of domestic violence in Hindu community of our temple and the ideas for solutions that came from the audience were very useful. This educational opportunity will continue to builds on our previous relationship We wish you success with the project Regards, Rev. Bhakta A. Lange