Each year between 25 November and 10 December, Gannawarra Shire Council partners with local health agencies to host the Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign, which promotes the need to reduce gender-based violence in the Gannawarra.
Coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November and International Human Rights Day on 10 December, the campaign also highlights the work completed widely by the Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) - a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health (NDCH), Kerang District Hospital, Cohuna District Health, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Victoria Police, Mallee Family Care, Murray Primary Health Network and the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership – to reduce the prevalence of family violence.
Council is required by law to work towards the prevention of family violence and respond to the needs of victims. Between July 2023 and June 2024 there were 212 reported incidents of family violence in the Gannawarra, with close to 80 per cent of those affected by these violent incidents being female.
If you think you or your friend, partner, colleague, family member is at risk of using violence, call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 and experienced counsellors will help you take the next steps. If you are experiencing violence please call 1800RESPECT or Safe Steps on 1800 015 188.
The 2024 Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign will occur from Monday, 25 November to Tuesday, 10 December. Highlights include:
- The Rotary Club of Kerang-organised Walk Against Family Violence, occurring from 10.30am on Tuesday, 3 December. Residents are encouraged to wear orange and join community leaders in walking from Atkinson Park to Northern District Community Health’s Kerang headquarters for a commemorative tree planting, then to Victoria Square for a speech from Marina Simonelli and a barbecue lunch provided by the Rotary Club of Kerang.
- A Women’s Health Loddon Mallee-organised Together We can Change the Story: Exploring Men's Role in Building Respect and Equality webinar, occurring on Tuesday, 26 November from 10am;
- Special Gannawarra Library Service Story Time sessions, featuring No Difference Between Us by Jayneen Sanders. These sessions are occurring at the Leitchville Library on Tuesday, 3 December at 1pm, Kerang’s Sir John Gorton Library on Wednesday, 4 December at 10.30am, and the Cohuna Library on Thursday, 5 December at 10.30am;
- Incorporating the Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign into Gannawarra Shire Children’s Services’ programs, including encouraging children to wear orange and distributing resources to families;
- Lighting up key Council and community assets orange during the campaign; and
- Local cafes incorporating 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence messaging on their take-away coffee cups during the campaign.
To learn about previous editions of the Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign, please click on any of the years listed below.
Gannawarra Goes Orange 2023
Held during Saturday, 25 November and Sunday, 10 December, highlights of the 2023 Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign included:
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The Rotary Club of Kerang-organised Walk Against Family Violence. Starting at the steps of the Kerang Council Building, residents were encouraged to wear orange and join community leaders in walking through Kerang’s central business district to the Kerang Community Market, occurring at Atkinson Park, to hear from a special guest speaker.
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The Empower Her morning tea, held at Jen's on George, Cohuna. Hosted by NDCH Chief Executive Officer, Mandy Hutchinson, Empower Her founders, Jo Bear and Meg Last shared their heart-warming story of volunteering overseas to spread the joy of netball and teamwork with rural women in India.
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An Affirmative Consent webinar, featuring Teach Us Consent founder, Chanel Contos.
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A special Gannawarra Library Service Story Time session, featuring Jayneen Saunders’ book, No Difference Between Us.
- The Gendered Drivers of Violence in Everyday Life online lunch and learn series.
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Incorporating the Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign into Gannawarra Shire Children’s Services’ programs, including encouraging children to wear orange and distributing resources to families.
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Lighting up key Council and community assets orange during the campaign.
- Refreshing the Dunny Door messaging on high-use toilet facilities throughout Cohuna, Kerang and Koondrook, and installing posters at these facilities that highlight what gender-based violence includes.
To learn more about the 2023 campaign, please click here(PDF, 7MB) to download the Gannawarra Goes Orange 2023 Campaign case study.
Gannawarra Goes Orange 2022
The 2022 Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign will run from Friday, 25 November to Saturday, 10 December.
As part of this 2022 Gannawarra Goes Orange campaign, the Kerang Council Building was lit up with orange lighting between 25 November and 10 December, with a new Gannawarra Says No to Family Violence banner displayed from the historic building’s balcony. Signage was also displayed at neighbourhood houses throughout the municipality.
Local businesses were able to support the campaign by registering to receive a morning tea kit, whilst schools could register to receive a book and activity packs that educate about gender equality.
Residents were encouraged to take part in the campaign by displaying postcards that were sent to all properties in the Gannawarra Shire in public places to foster conversations about calling out gender-based violence.
Gannawarra Goes Orange 2021
In 2021, Council partnered with local health agencies to lead the Gannawarra Goes Orange Campaign as part of the Victoria Against Violence 16 Days of Activism, held from Thursday, 25 November to Friday, 10 December.
Council received funding to support the statewide message, Respect Women – Call it Out, and used the Gannawarra Says No to Family Violence message across the Gannawarra in prominent locations.
The campaign aimed to raise community awareness of high rates of family violence across the Gannawarra Shire and what can be done to turn this situation around.
The local campaign also included a number of workshop opportunities that community members were encouraged to participate in.
To learn more about events held, please click here(PDF, 10MB).
Gannawarra Goes Orange 2020
The 2020 Gannawarra Goes Orange Campaign pivoted due to the COVID-19 pandemic to include an online campaign and a video declaration that Gannawarra says NO to family violence. To learn more about events held, please click here(PDF, 3MB) .