Reflections on a successful learning exchange between Australia, Peru and Colombia
Our Work News
15.04.2020
At the EQI, we recently facilitated a learning exchange between Australia, Peru and Colombia, which took place between the 2nd - 6th March 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.
15.04.2020
Delegates from Peru and Colombia travelled to Australia to learn about our whole-of-government prevention approach and what tools and technical support are needed to adapt experiences from Australia in their own countries.
The delegation was made up of government and non-government representatives from Peru and Colombia, in addition to one representative from the Prevention Collaborative and one representative from the Inter-America Development Bank.
It was a wonderful week of learning, collaboration and community. Delegates learnt from organisations leading prevention work in Victoria and Australia including Our Watch, Municipal Association of Victoria, VicHealth, Office for Women (Victoria), Yarra Ranges Shire Council, Respect Victoria, Darebin City Council, Djirra, and ourselves. We’d like to wholeheartedly thank each of these organisations for putting together such thoughtful and thorough presentations that inspired great discussion and learning and for taking time out of their week to be part of the exchange.
Feedback from the delegates outlined key highlights from the week which included (but were not limited to):
- Learning how various organisations were working together in a coordinated approach, based on a shared understanding of VAWG and how to prevent it. The delegates noted that Change the Story, Australia’s national framework on prevention, plays a critical role in fostering a consistent and integrated approach to prevention. The widespread uptake of this shared, national framework for prevention was unique, and vital in order to implement a whole-of-government approach to end VAWG.
- Having the opportunity to listen to local governments talk about their programs in detail. The delegates were very impressed with the work local councils were doing to prevent VAWG within their communities. They recognised the importance of gaining support and commitment not only at a national level but at a local level.
- The importance of investing more in evidence-based research and evaluation to gain a better understanding of the root causes of gender-based violence. The delegates noted a need for more knowledge around how to collect data and use it effectively to promote primary prevention programs in their respective countries.
- Having the opportunity to listen to inspiring organisational visions to prevent VAWG and witnessing the care and level of responsibility across the organisations and speakers.
What's next
This learning exchange also provided an opportunity to start building meaningful, and hopefully, long-term relationships between key stakeholders in Australia, Peru and Colombia who are working to end VAWG. As a result of their participation on the study tour, the Peruvian government will now be supported by the Prevention Collaborative and the EQI to develop the framework and policy mechanisms for a whole of government approach to prevention suited to the Peruvian context. This collaboration between countries is a monumental move towards ending VAWG globally and one we’ve recently seen replicated with our Pacific neighbour – Fiji. The Fijian Government, through the Ministry of Women and Children, is developing Fiji’s first National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children, modelled off Australia’s framework.
Thank you
We were proud to be part of this learning exchange, and we’d like to thank Wellspring for their support in enabling this, as well as all the host organisations, as mentioned, for sharing their knowledge and expertise. We look forward to continuing to strengthen these important relationships and working together to end VAWG across the globe.