16 Days of Activism
25 November to 10 December
On average, a woman in Australia is killed by a man they know every 10 days. This violence is not inevitable - it is preventable.
The 16 Days of Activism is a global campaign to end gender-based violence. Every year, communities around the world join the call to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
Council is committed to building a community that is respectful and where women can live free from violence, and the fear of violence. During the 16 Days of Activism, we hosted and supported a number of events and activities across the shire to encourage community conversation, awareness, skills building and action.
Our local libraries also supported the 16 Days of Activism with several initiatives, including a themed StoryWalk, storytimes and collection displays.
Free to Be Me Photo Competition
Free to Be Me is a photography competition that celebrates diverse expressions of gender identity as part of the 16 Days of Activism.
Expectations and beliefs about what people can or can't do because of their gender contributes to violence against women. Men can be gentle. Women can be powerful.
Council would like to congratulate the winners of the Free to Be Me Photography Competition and Exhibition.
A panel of judges assessed each entry on how well the image met the category of Live, Work or Play, how well the image met the brief of “Challenging restrictive gender stereotypes and expectations”, and the creativity of the image.
- Winner, Youth (12 – 25) awarded to Arlo for “Where’s My Team?”
- Highly Commended Youth (12 – 25) awarded to Dharshika for “Beyond Expectations”
- Winner, Adult awarded to Kathryn for “Paul”
- Highly Commended Adult awarded to Kathryn for “Soft and Strong”
- People’s Choice awarded to Arlo for “Where’s My Team?”
Thank you to everyone who submitted a photograph, voted in the People’s Choice or visited the exhibition in person or online. Thank you to the Social Foundry in Kyneton for hosting the exhibition.
View the entries
16 Days of Activism Events
Events will be added here soon as details become available.
If your community group or organisation is hosting a local event that you would like us to add to the list below, you can submit your event here.
Prevention of violence is a challenge that belongs to us all. We encourage community to get involved and stand with victim-survivors as we move towards a culture where women are safe, equal and respected.
If you have any questions or feedback about this campaign, email our Community team at comdevadmin@mrsc.vic.gov.au