Safe and Equal

Places are still available for Fast Track Leadership Foundations! Don’t miss out on this unique leadership development opportunity. This program is designed for specialist family violence response leaders who are in a people or team management role. Leading the work to end family and gender-based violence needs courageous practitioners like you, and we want to help you excel.   Join our Leadership Foundations program to reflect on the values and strengths you bring to leadership, develop your management skills through a feminist lens, and explore strategies to increase your impact. You’ll have the opportunity to test your thinking and apply tools to a range of scenarios, all while drawing on the expertise of sector experts, facilitators, mentors and your peers.  Workshops will run online on Thursdays from 13 August to 10 September 2026.   Applications will remain open until places are filled. As applications will be assessed as they are received, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. While places are valued at $2,500 per person, we are pleased to offer this program at the subsidised cost of $350 +GST. Free places are available on a case-by-case basis. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dH-MEjsc

Building organisational commitment and engagement for social change is transformative, complex and relational work. Resistance can manifest in a range of ways and is more likely to magnify when primary prevention efforts address multiple forms of discrimination. It is critical that practitioners can effectively draw on a range of strategies and levers that bring people and decision makers along the change process and build ongoing commitment to creating cultures of respect, care and safety for everyone. Our Organisational Resistance: Advancing Practice training provides opportunity to build knowledge and skills to support transformative organisational change. The training focuses on stakeholder engagement, monitoring resistance to specific change initiatives and developing partnerships to drive sustainable and inclusive change. Join us for Organisational Resistance: Advancing Practice training on Thursday 6 August. Register today to secure your spot: https://ow.ly/N0qL50ZktAC  View our 2026 Prevention Training calendar here: https://ow.ly/YxOK50ZktAB

We are deeply concerned to hear that another life has been taken in an act of gender-based violence in Victoria. Police found the body of 13-year-old Layla Jeffery in Donald, Victoria last Thursday after she went missing days earlier. A 16-year-old boy known to Layla has been charged with her murder. Layla had a right to a safe future – one entirely free from violence. We extend our deepest condolences to Layla’s family, friends and the wider Donald community during this heartbreaking time. This harrowing news follows the death of Lavanya Chappa who was murdered in her Vermont home on 7 July. Police have arrested a 39-year-old man known to her. Last week Jana Armstrong, a mother of a four-month-old baby, was killed in Toowoomba, Queensland. Her former partner has been charged with her murder. And on 6 July, a 17-year-old unnamed girl was killed in the Northern Territory. A 34-year-old man, believed to be in a domestic relationship with the teenager, has been charged with her murder. In less than one week, four lives have ended far too soon at the hands of men’s violence*. In each case, the accused killers were known to the victims. Each violent act senseless, preventable and devastating to entire communities. Violence against women and children is not inevitable. Family and gender-based violence in Australia will continue to rise unless we see urgent and bold action from our leaders. How many lives need to be taken before this national crisis is taken seriously? Today and every day we remember the women and girls killed by male violence in Victoria in 2026: Layla Jeffery, 13 years old Lavanaya Chappa, 39 years old Unnamed woman, 29 years old Eva Lasrini, 53 years old Chamindika ‘Chami’ Jayawardena, 47 years old Melonie McKay, 53 years old Unnamed woman, age unknown Unnamed woman, 49 years old Unnamed woman, 77 years old *There is still no complete and official list of every Australian woman and child murdered in acts of family and gender-based violence, but there are several key resources we use. At the time of publishing this post, Destroy the Joint has recorded 27 women killed in 2026, and Australian Femicide Watch has recorded 37 women. However, it is important to remember that the true number of women and children killed is likely higher, as many deaths go unreported and unrecognised as family and gender-based violence.

Primary prevention of family and gender-based violence is led by a highly skilled, dedicated and diverse workforce, operating across a range of locations, settings and communities. These workers bring deep expertise and a commitment to driving meaningful change. We are excited to see these skills recognised in the Victorian Government's Primary Prevention of Family Violence and Gender Based Violence Capability Framework. Last year, in consultation with the sector and Government, Safe and Equal led the development of this important work. The framework outlines the skills and knowledge that professionals need to work in Victoria's family and gender-based violence primary prevention sector. It also draws on findings from Safe and Equal's 2024 report, Foundations for Action: Understanding the primary prevention workforce in Victoria. Learn more about the framework below. You can also read more about the practitioners who are delivering this work through our Portraits of Prevention resource here: https://lnkd.in/ghwf3kik

Devastatingly, another Victorian woman has lost her life at the hands of a man known to her. Police have arrested a 39-year-old man in relation to the death of a 39-year-old woman who was found at a property in Vermont last night. Victoria Police have stated they are known to each other. We extend our deepest condolences to this woman’s loved ones and community. So many of us feel incredibly sad, frustrated and angry that despite the rising death toll due to family and gender-based violence in Australia*, we’re not seeing swift and bold action from our leaders to address this crisis. The recent Federal Budget contained very little new funding to prevent and respond to family and gender-based violence. The 2026-27 Victorian Budget reinstated crucial funding that was due to lapse, but fell short of providing the long-term, increased investment required to address the rising rates of family violence in our state. Let us be clear: unless family and gender-based violence is treated as a national crisis of the utmost urgency – with increased and long-term investment to match the scale of the issue – we will continue to see more women killed and entire communities affected as a result of men’s violence. Without urgent action from our leaders, the devastation will continue. *There is still no complete and official list of every Australian woman and child murdered in acts of family and gender-based violence, but there are several key resources we use. At the time of publishing this post, Destroy the Joint has recorded 25 women killed in 2026, and Australian Femicide Watch has recorded 36 women. However, it is important to remember that the true number of women and children killed is likely higher, as many deaths go unreported and unrecognised as family and gender-based violence.

Today is the beginning of NAIDOC Week, a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme ‘Fifty Years of Deadly’ marks a huge milestone, inviting us to look back at the incredible stories, cultures and leaders who built this movement and continue to recognise and platform those voices, now and into the next 50 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are culturally diverse, with rich and varied heritage and histories. The links between their past, present and future remain unbroken despite the impacts of two and a half centuries of colonisation, which continue to this day. Safe and Equal is committed to meaningful allyship and upholding self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge and respect the resistance and sovereignty of Aboriginal communities and their enduring connection to Country. As a peak body, we have a responsibility to address all forms of racism and discrimination that undermine support and safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, both within our organisation and across the family violence sector. As part of this work, we are dedicated to learning from and celebrating the cultures and identities of the First Peoples of these lands. For more information on NAIDOC Week 2026, including events in your area, visit www.naidoc.org.au. #NAIDOC2026 #NAIDOCWeek #50YearsOfDeadly This tile includes the National NAIDOC logo.

Applications are open for Fast Track Leadership Foundations! This program is for specialist family violence response leaders who have just stepped into a people or team management role. Leading the work to end family and gender-based violence needs courageous practitioners like you and we want to help you excel.   Join our Leadership Foundations program to reflect on the values and strengths you bring to leadership, develop your management skills through a feminist lens and explore strategies to increase your impact. You’ll have the opportunity to test your thinking and apply tools to a range of scenarios, all while drawing on the expertise of sector experts, facilitators, mentors and your peers.  Workshops will run online on Thursdays from 13 August to 10 September 2026.   While places are valued at $2,500 per person, we are pleased to offer this program at the subsidised cost of $350 +GST. Free places are available on a case-by-case basis. Applications close on Wednesday 15 July 2026. Learn more and start your application here: https://lnkd.in/dH-MEjsc This delivery is for specialist family violence response leaders only. If you work in primary prevention, please join the waitlist to be notified about the next round of Leadership Foundations.

At the heart of the prevention movement is the call to create a safe, equitable and respectful society for everyone. For a sustainable workforce, it’s essential we have the skills and knowledge to do this work collaboratively and confidently. Explore our upcoming training designed to equip you with the skills you need: ▪️Unpacking Resistance ▪️Organisational Resistance: Advancing Practice ▪️Small Steps: Bystander Action for Equality ▪️Prevention Foundations Visit our website to secure your spot: https://ow.ly/Kcao50ZhqTw

There’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation to Safe and Equal before the end of financial year. Donations close at midnight tomorrow, Tuesday 30 June. Your support helps Safe and Equal continue advocating for stronger action to prevent family violence and better support victim survivors across Victoria. We know this violence is preventable. But without sustained investment and strong political leadership, too many women and children will continue to face harm. Ahead of the 2026 Victorian state election, we are calling on all political parties to commit to meaningful action on family violence – and we need your support to keep pressure on decision-makers and ensure this issue cannot be ignored. If you’ve been considering making a contribution, now is the time. Every donation made before midnight on 30 June is tax deductible and helps us continue this critical work. Together, we can continue to keep women and children safe – now and into the future. Donate today: https://ow.ly/KW7V50Zi14q

At a time of increasing demand and stretched resources, we remain committed to advocating for a strong, sustainable specialist family violence sector – so frontline organisations can continue supporting victim survivors and working to prevent violence before it starts. This EOFY, your tax-deductible gift will help safeguard the progress we’ve made and strengthen our collective voice for a safer, more equal Victoria. Donate today: https://lnkd.in/edeD2fQA