Women’s Health East with the Together For Equality & Respect (TFER) partnership are pleased to share the following social media campaign toolkit to assist organisations and groups across Melbourne’s east and beyond to participate in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign in 2022.
This year’s campaign has been co-designed by women with lived experience of disabilities including neurodiversity, mental health conditions and chronic illness who are participants in the project experts group in the Margins to the Mainstream Project. Margins to the Mainstream: Preventing Violence Against Women with Disabilities is a TFER project developed in recognition of the prevalence and seriousness of violence against women with disabilities, and the importance of centring the expertise of women with lived experience of disability in prevention work.
The project experts developed a series of messages, one for each day of the campaign around the theme ‘Equality Is’. Drawing on their experiences of sexism and ableism, the experts have created positive messages about what equality looks like for women with disabilities. Intersecting inequalities and discrimination based on sexism and ableism create the conditions which enable violence against women with disabilities to occur. The messages are powerful calls for us all to take action to prevent violence against women with disabilities by addressing sexism and ableism in our relationships, families and social networks, workplaces, and across all settings.
Each of the 16 messages have illustrations showing diverse women with both visible and invisible disabilities, plus other people. The illustrations on the tiles were created by a team of illustrators in conjunction with the creative direction and feedback from the experts group, to ensure the illustrations complement the messages. The illustrators included women who have drawn on their own lived experience of disabilities to create these illustrations.
Many thanks to Andrea, Vivienne, Jody, Julie-Ann, Sam, Sandra and Tamlyn for their generous sharing of individual and collective expertise in the project experts group, and in particular for their creativity and commitment in the further development of the social media messages for this year’s campaign. The contributions of Eleanor, Hayley and Sue in the experts group in the co-design of the 2021 campaign are also acknowledged.
Get involved! Use the social media toolkit and campaign assets below and promote the campaign across social media.
Like and follow Women’s Health East’s social media pages to stay informed, share and join in the conversation across the 16 Days.
What is 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence?
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10th, Human Rights Day.
For more information about the Centre for Women’s Leadership which initiated the 16 Days campaign with women’s rights activists from around the world in 1991 check out: www.16dayscampaign.org
How to use the campaign materials
This social media campaign toolkit is for anyone who would like to use their organisation’s social media and communications platforms to participate in the 16 Days Campaign and ensure a consistent and collaborative approach across the region with a focus on the prevention of violence against women with disabilities. A total of 16 messages are available for use on twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
You may not want to post every day of the 16 Days campaign period. Some organisations may choose to post on one or more of the four international days of significance during the 16 Days of Activism:
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November)
- International Women Human Rights Defenders Day (29 November)
- International Day of People with Disabilities (3 December) and
- International Human Rights Day (10 December).
The toolkit provides social media tiles with accompanying messages and supporting text that can be used across social media platforms, or wherever you use communications materials on these four days of significance. Image description text has also been provided to support the accessibility of the campaign.
Whilst these materials have been prepared for the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’ campaign in 2022, the artwork and the messages are intended to be used throughout the year, encouraging people to take action for the prevention of violence against women with disabilities everyday.
We encourage you to be creative and to use these materials as fits your 16 Days activities and more broadly wherever you are engaging in activities for the prevention of violence against women throughout the year. If you have any questions about how to use the materials provided, please do not hesitate to contact Women’s Health East at health@whe.org.au.
Download the Toolkit, Social Media tiles and E-signature
Email signatures (coming soon!)
Managing resistance and backlash resources
In the event of online backlash, below are some resources which provide guidance and suggested text on how to respond and manage this. Please also consider your own organisational policies in dealing with online comments.
TFER Resource – Negative Backlash
Suggested responses to Family Violence Social Media Responses from Our Watch
Safety and support services
If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 000.
Safe Steps: 24 hour state-wide confidential family violence response support and information for women, young people and children experiencing family violence 1800 015 188 www.safesteps.org.au
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing or has experienced family or other violence and would like to seek help or support contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
EDVOS: Specialist family violence service in Melbourne’s eastern metropolitan region (03) 9259 4200 www.edvos.org.au
Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service: Lead specialist Aboriginal specific family violence service that provides a service in the Eastern Metropolitan Region. They provide services to Aboriginal families, including men, women, children and the extended family. (03) 9212 0200 www.bwahs.com.au bwahs@bwahs.com.au
CASA House (Centre Against Sexual Assault): 24 hour telephone counselling, support and crisis care support following sexual assault (03) 9635 3610 www.casahouse.com.au
Switchboard Victoria: Free specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family 1800 729 367, 10am – 5pm everyday www.rainbowdoor.org.au
Men’s Referral Service: Professional support and information service for Australian men who use family violence. 24hour phone and online services 1300 766 491 www.ntv.org.au
The Orange Door (Outer East) 1800 271 150 (covering Knox, Yarra Ranges and Maroondah Council areas) 9 am – 5 pm Monday – Friday
The Orange Door (Inner East) 1800354322 (covering Monash, Boroondara, Manningham and Whilethorse Council areas) 9am – 5 pm Monday- Friday
For more information or to provide feedback about the 16 Days toolkit and resources please contact Women’s Health East at health@whe.org.au