summer of respect

The ACT Women’s Services Network’s Summer of Respect anti-sexual violence campaign is well underway!

What is it?
Summer of Respect is a string of events and public awareness initiatives, starting with Reclaim the Night in October 2011 and finishing up on International Women’s Day in March 2012. The aim is to create a sustained conversation in the ACT community about sexual violence and its continued impact on the lives of so many community members, with a focus on respectful relationships and strong supportive communities.

Summer of Respect is being hosted because it’s wrong that sexual violence still happens in our community. It affects almost 1 in 5 Australian women. And it knows no geographical, socioeconomic, age, ability, cultural or religious boundaries.

What do we mean by ‘respect’?
Respect is about listening, understanding, communicating, being considerate, and valuing difference. Respectful relationships support individuals, strengthen communities, and help to keep women, children, and men safe from violence and abuse. In a world where everyone practices respectful relationships, there is no place for sexual violence.

What’s happening?
Throughout the Summer of Respect campaign there will be many opportunities for the public to engage with activities, issues, and conversations around sexual violence and respect.

Visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/summerofrespect to view the calendar of events, participate in conversations, and find out more about sexual violence and respect.

Let's have the conversation about respectful relationships.
Let's have the conversation about ending sexual violence

• Men in Uniform Stalls for White Ribbon Day—9am-1pm, 19 November 2011.Representatives from uniform organisations from around the ACT will be promoting White Ribbon Day and selling ribbons and wrist bands 9:00am-1:00pm 19 November 201,1Tuggeranong Hyperdome, Westfield (Woden and Belconnen), Canberra Centre, Gungahlin Marketplace, Bunning's Warehouse (Belconnen, Fyshwick and Tuggeranong)

• 76 Rose Street: Home Sweet Home—9am-5pm, 24-30 November 2011. ACT Legislative Assembly Exhibition Room.YWCA of Canberra will launch Rosenstrasse 76, an art installation that uses a simple representation of an ordinary apartment to provide a unique opportunity to see, feel and recognise domestic violence in all its facets.

• Collective Candlelight: Reclaiming Union Court—6pm, 23 February 2012. Union Court, ANU.As hundreds of university students walk to and from Civic for ‘Trash Thursday’, the ANU Women’s Collective will host a candlelight vigil to help bring light to Union Court and reclaim it as a safe space.

• Services Expo—Date and time TBC. Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation. Canberra Rape Crisis Centre's Nguru Program, Beryl Women Inc. and Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation will host a range of agencies at a services expo in November. This is an opportunity for young women to learn about local services and what they offer.

• Respect: Play it Forward—11:30am–1:30pm, 1 March 2012. Inanna North, Bradfield St Downer. Free barbecue and Playback Theatre event hosted by Inanna Inc., exploring the concept of ‘respect’ and how we can play it forward into the future.

• Larger Than Life—12:30pm-1:30pm, 3 March 2012. City Walk, Fountain.This flash mob dance event will aim to promote respect for women with disabilities and demonstrate that women with disabilities are positive contributors to the ACT community.

• International Women’s Day—Time TBC, 7 March 2012. Venue TBC. Women’s Health Service will launch ‘My Past, My Present, My Future’ group program, and host a seminar called ‘The Past, the Present, the Future: Working with women who have been subjected to violence’.