Baw Baw Shire Council is raising awareness of men’s violence against women and encouraging gender equity.
Baw Baw Shire Council was the first Council in the Gippsland region to undertake Paving the Way, a project run in partnership with Gippsland Women’s Health, as part of a larger regional Preventing Men’s Violence Against Women Strategy.
Since implementation in October 2013, Council has raised awareness and knowledge of prevention of men’s violence against women issues, both internally and with the wider community.
Through various activities and training including active bystander workshops and community conversations participants have come away educated, equipped and empowered to make a difference in
violence prevention.
Paving the Way will conclude in December 2015, but a lasting outcome of the project has been the development of a strategic Equity Action Plan, aimed at promoting gender respectful relationships and equitable outcomes for all employees at Baw Baw Shire Council.
A gender equity audit was conducted within the organisation in 2015, with the results informing the development of a biennial gender action plan, which will lead the way for increased gender equity within the workplace.
The audit focused on gender representation within Council, equitable remuneration, access to employment opportunities and staff perceptions around gender equity.
The audit findings were aligned with the seven quality standards of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 to allow Council to benchmark its performance against employers across Australia.
The resulting Equity Action Plan will sit within Council’s internal functions to be overseen and delivered on by Council employees. This will help to ensure that equity and the prevention of gender-based violence is an enduring feature of workplace culture at Baw Baw Shire Council.
Council was recently recognised for its work towards gender equity, receiving the National 50/50 Vision – Councils for Gender Equity, Bronze Accreditation and Award.
