Nicholson Street Mall in Bairnsdale was a hive of colour and activity on Saturday as hundreds of locals turned out to support the Walk to Change the Story violence prevention march.
Hosted by Gippsland Lakes Complete Health (GLCH) in partnership with 10 other community organisations and Respect Victoria, the walk is the first in-person event since 2019, participants starting and ending their walk around Bairnsdale’s CBD in Nicholson Street.
The packed community event in the Nicholson Street Mall brought together individuals, violence prevention advocates and organisations from across East Gippsland to promote the safety of women and children and increase awareness of the unacceptably high rates of family and gendered violence in the region.
GLCH chief executive Anne-Maree Kaser told the audience violence against women and children is preventable, not inevitable.
“According to the Australian Femicide Watch, this year, in the course of just 46 weeks, 60 women and 11 children were murdered,” Ms Kaser said.
IMAGE: More than 300 people joined the Walk to Change the Story march along Bairnsdale’s Main Street last Saturday before returning to Nicholson Street. The walk, organised by Gippsland Lakes Complete Health and with the support of 10 other community organisations, is in aid of violence prevention. (PS)