Prevention of Violence and Gender Equality

City of Ballarat has zero tolerance for violence in our community. 

Violence in families, violence against women, and violence in minority groups is unacceptable.  

Discrimination based on race, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, and sexual orientation, leads to violence.  

City of Ballarat promotes equality in our community through raising awareness and supporting the social change needed to prevent discrimination and to advocate for gender equality.  

City of Ballarat endorses the Prevention of Violence and Gender Equality Leadership Statement, supported by the Gender Equality Action Plan 2021. 

The City of Ballarat works with local and state organisations to stop violence and to create a safe and fair community for all. 

In 2021, the City of Ballarat recommitted to being a member of the Grampians CoRE (Communities of Respect and Equality) Alliance, with a shared vision for ‘a safe, equal and respectful society for everyone - where women and their children live free from gender-based violence and every person is valued, heard, respected and empowered’. 

We are committed to: 

• Actions that promote gender equality as the means by which gender-based violence will be prevented over time 
• Think deeply about the impacts of gender and seek new, innovative solutions to achieving gender equality 
• Applying an intersectional approach to promoting gender equality and to tailored and responsive strategies for specific groups of people who may be at greater risk of discrimination 
• Creating and supporting environments and practices that are spiritually, socially and emotionally safe 
• Collaborate, share knowledge and resources, find solutions together and ensure our work is informed by evidence, expert opinion and by the views of diverse women with lived-experiences of discrimination and violence 
• Build knowledge and capacity, challenge attitudes and norms and support systems change 
• Monitor and evaluate our work, share the results and use our findings to improve our effectiveness 

We are committed to and believe in a safe, equal and respectful society for everyone where women and their children live free from gender‐based violence and every person is valued, heard, respected and empowered. We believe we can take meaningful action together to promote gender equality and prevent gender‐based violence. 

Please call 000 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, please contact the below support services. 

State: 

• 1800 RESPECT: call 1800 737 732 
• Safe Steps: call 1800 015 188 (for female identifying only) 
• Men’s Referral Service: call 1300 766 491 (for male identifying only) 
• Kids Help Line: call 1800 55 1800 (for children and youth) 
• Rainbow Door – for LGBTIQA+ support services call 1800 729 367 or text 0480 017 246

Local: 

• Orange Door Central Highlands: call1800 219 819 
• Berry St Western Region: call 5330 5000
• WRISC Family Violence Support: call 5333 3666 (for victim survivors including children) 
• Child and Family Services (CAFS): call 1800 692 237