Celebrating 10 years of Ochre Ribbon Week with Southern Aboriginal Corporation workshops

To mark the 10th anniversary of Ochre Ribbon Week, Southern Aboriginal Corporation are hosting community events across Albany, Katanning and Narrogin.

SAC will run events in Albany, Narrogin and Katanning between February 12 and 19 to bring the community together to talk about preventing domestic violence and supporting victims.

This year’s theme “don’t silence the violence” encourages survivors and community members to speak up about domestic violence in their community.

Southern Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Asha Bhat OAM said the campaign was important for raising awareness and building trust.

“Obviously it’s a very complicated issue and there’s many different sides to it, but the more awareness we can raise, the more we are able to do to combat it and help those who have been affected,” she said.

“We are trying to pave the way for the next generation to learn about the lasting impacts of domestic violence, and to find proactive solutions so we can make these communities safer.”

Ms Bhat said the Ochre Ribbon campaign was a great start to raising awareness of the resources that regional organisations need to make lasting change.

She also noted that supporting women is “only one side of the equation” with behavioural change programs and support for men on the other side.

AFLS chief executive officer Corina Martin said the prevalence of domestic violence in Aboriginal communities was “devastating”, and addressing it would require a “serious commitment” to community organisations.

Ms Martin said it is “time to get real” about how the community can drive change for an issue that is not just a statistic — but a “reality for so many”.

The Ochre Ribbon Campaign was started in 2015 after a Meekatharra woman died from family violence-related injuries and her family and community created ochre ribbons for her funeral.

OCHRE RIBBON WORKSHOPS

• Albany, 27 Chester Pass Road, February 12, 9.30am
• Narrogin, 119 Federal Street, February 13, 9.30am
• Katanning, 42 Clive Street, February 14, 9.30am