Community urged to be part of domestic violence solution at inaugural Safe and Respectful Pilbara summit

A social worker has urged people to harness their power and be role models as part of the conversation around creating safe and respectful communities. Industry representatives and support groups came together on Monday for the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health’s inaugural Safe and Respectful Pilbara summit as part of the 16 Days in WA advocacy to eliminate violence against women. Among those who gave presentations were social worker and TEDx speaker Ann O’Neill, Our Watch senior policy adviser Shane Tas, and Adam Cockie and Chris Secker from the WA Cricket Association. Dr O’Neill said everyone had the capacity to be part of the solution. “I really urge people to think about how they can harness their power, be a role model for their communities so it is safe and respectful, and people talk about things that aren’t safe and they call it out,” she said. “We have to actively decide to be part of the solution so that’s a commitment of consciousness, and for me that’s being a hero at your micro level.” WACRH Associate Professor Rohan Rasiah said the summit encouraged a conversation within the community. “It’s very important because it’s around talking to the community around family domestic violence and respect, and the importance of respect,” he said. “The presentations were very engaging, and I think it resonated with the participants.” Counsellor Rob Newman said a lot of work was needed to change laws and attitudes towards domestic violence. “We are unfortunately having to face a lot of misinformation, or a lot of half-truths, or a lot of really bad takes that no one questions,” he said. “We need more funding to resources that facilitate long-term safety, more safe places for children.”