Stop the violence

These words effectively sum up the role of the Forbes Domestic Violence (DV) Committee, which has been tackling violence against women in the community for over 20 years. 

As the DV Committee gears up for their second annual community White Ribbon Day march, word has been spreading about the work they are doing to combat violence against women in our town.

Forbes Local Government Area ranks sixth highest in NSW for domestic violence assaults per 100,000 people and has always been in the high per cent of the state according to DV Committee treasurer Daleanne Haynes.

Ms Haynes joined the committee just after it formed more than 20 years ago and said the high rate of domestic violence in town was the impetus.

“In 1987 it started as it was seen as a necessity in the town,” she said.

“There seemed a need to educate the community and link services together to help address domestic violence.”

The committee is made up of a group of representatives from different service providers in town, who each have an interest in domestic violence.

Services represented on the original committee included Forbes Women’s Refuge, Community Health, local police, Family Support, Probation and Parole (correctional services) and some of the clergy.

The courthouse was also heavily involved as meetings were often held there and Yoorana Gunya came on board when it formed.

The majority of these services are still involved, with the addition of Binaal Billa, a regional DV specialist, Forbes High School, the school councillor, CentaCare and a representative from Red Bend Catholic College has recently started attending meetings.

Ms Haynes said the idea of the DV Committee is to raise awareness about domestic violence and to keep it on the agenda.

“We’ve got to be continually advocating for women and children of domestic violence,” she said.

“It gives the women’s refuge and people working with victims a voice to explain to police and health exactly what is happening … any gripes you’ve got can be discussed.

“It builds up a good rapport with police and service providers and you get to know a face.”

When the DV Committee formed, there was no such thing as White Ribbon Day.

The big events were Reclaim the Night, held in October, and Stop Domestic Violence Day, held in April.

Ms Haynes and former chair of the DV Committee Barbara Gordon-Huppatz, along with others on the committee, used to travel to Dubbo to participate in these events before Forbes held its own. 

“We staged the first march through Forbes about 20 years ago,” Ms Haynes said.

“The highway patrol led that march … even back then we tried to engage males – we only took donations of food from males and there were a lot of men in that march.

Clients [from the women’s refuge] made up disguises so they could march.

“We got donations and we sent our grandkids to do mailbox drop-offs with posters and made our own banners… the clients helped make the banners.”

The DV Committee held about three marches in the early days, as well as functions in Victoria Park and the Youth and Community Centre.

The group received little funding initially - just $500 - which the committee would use to do things such as print a booklet and business cards with all the services available in town.

The DV Committee experienced a bit of a lull in about 2005 for a few years, due to difficulties in maintaining members and staff moving and transfers.

In 2007 Cathie Schatz became chair of the committee when she started at the women’s refuge and helped get it back up and running.

“For the first couple of years we decided to run Reclaim the Night, which is a worldwide event,” she said.

“However we didn’t get many community members involved.”

White Ribbon Day - which is all about men standing up and taking an oath to stop domestic violence - then became the focus.

“We had a stall down the street and handed out white ribbons. People didn’t pay for them, we just wanted them to wear the ribbons and sign a pledge to raise awareness,” Ms Schatz said.

In 2011 the DV Committee had a big event at Town Hall and invited Ricky Hunter to speak to the public about her experience and survival of being in a horrific domestic violence relationship.

The DV Committee then began the Love Bites program at the High School in 2012, which has been their focus over the last few years.

“We think it should be all about education and prevention – if you can educate the kids then maybe you can stop them from following in the steps of their parents,” Ms Schatz said.

In the first year of Love Bites, the students watched a DVD about a 15-year-old girl who was severely assaulted by her boyfriend.

That girl - Angela Baker - came to the school to speak to the students about her experiences which left her handicapped and in a wheelchair.

“It was fairly hard hitting, but that’s what we need to do I think,” Ms Schatz said.

“I also gave them a questionnaire to fill out before and after the program and the majority thought that it was okay to look at their boyfriend or girlfriend’s phone in secret … but they didn’t realise that was a sign of an unhealthy relationship.”

The DV Committee is gaining momentum with their Love Bites program, and the White Ribbon Day march, which is expected to be bigger than last year.

“It’s getting more profile now and White Ribbon Day is great, especially having ambassadors such as Pat Rosser and Charlie Dywer, people like that who are well-known in the community,” Ms Gordon-Huppatz said.

“It’s got to be co-ed… males have to help us stop domestic violence – women can’t do it alone.”