The Building Respectful Community (BRC) Strategy was originally developed 11 years ago by the Building a Respectful Community Partnership, an alliance of 28 organisations, led by WHIN with the shared goal guiding and supporting organisations in the northern metropolitan region (NMR) of Melbourne to prevent gender-based violence.
The Building Respectful Community Strategy implements an evidence-based, primary prevention approach that is tailored to the local context.
Vision
A gender equitable, safe and respectful community.
Mission
To work together across the northern metropolitan region (NMR) of Melbourne to prevent gender-based violence.
Principles
Our work is…
- Human rights-based: We recognise violence against women and gender diverse people as a human rights abuse and we apply an approach that places human rights, including rights to physical integrity, agency and autonomy, at the centre of prevention efforts.
- Feminist: We use a women-centred and women-led approach to advocacy and action, underpinned by a feminist understanding which identifies gender-based violence as an issue grounded in structural gender inequity.
- Gender transformative: Our work examines, challenges and ultimately transforms structures, norms and practices that reinforce gender inequality and strengthens those that support gender equality.
- Intersectional: We recognise that intersecting forms of discrimination and inequality can increase the prevalence and/or severity of violence. We use an inclusive lens that complements population-wide approaches with tailored and targeted strategies.
- Accountable: We are accountable to, and informed by, women and gender diverse people’s experiences. We take a ‘do no harm’ approach which prioritises the safety of participants in any work we do.
- Informed by local context: Our strategies are informed by, and tailored to, the community, group or population involved. We are informed by the response sector and their understanding of women and gender diverse people’s experiences.
- Engaging men: Our work recognises that preventing violence against women is everyone’s responsibility and engages men and boys as allies in addressing the gendered drivers of gender-based violence.
- Evidence-based: Our strategies and actions are based on current evidence, research and consultation, and focus on long term change. Evaluation is built in from the start, applied for continuous improvement, and builds the evidence base.
Goals:
GOAL 1: Our workplaces are gender equitable, safe and inclusive.
GOAL 2: Our services and facilities are gender equitable, safe and inclusive.
GOAL 3: Our communities and neighbourhoods are gender equitable, safe and inclusive.
GOAL 4: The Partnership works collaboratively across a range of settings in the NMR of Melbourne to design, implement, monitor and evaluate primary prevention of gender-based violence.
Learn more about the Strategy’s third iteration, the Building a Respectful Community Strategy 2022-2026 here or read the Building a Respectful Community Action Plan 2022 – 2024 here.
