More than 100 lived experience advocates, community members, practitioners and sector leaders gathered at Knox Civic Centre on 18 September for Ten Years On: The Future of Family Violence Prevention and Response in Melbourne's East.
The event marked 10 years since the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence and created space to reflect on how far Victoria has come, while recognising the significant work still ahead to prevent family violence and advance gender equality.
Opening the event, Women's Health East CEO Kate Phillips reflected on both the scale of the challenge and the importance of continuing to listen to victim survivors. "When we listen to victim survivors, and act on what they tell us, change happens. We have built momentum and we can't afford to lose it. We must be relentless in our pursuit of change," she reflected.
One of the most moving moments of the day came from victim survivor advocate Julie-Ann, who shared her personal journey of violence, recovery and healing. Reflecting on the support that helped her move forward, she spoke about learning to understand the underlying drivers of violence.
"The other thing I got to learn was the drivers of violence, which was really important for my recovery."
She also offered a powerful example of what change can look like across generations, speaking proudly about her son, who grew up without positive role models and is now raising his own family.
"To me, that's progress."
The keynote address from Safe and Equal CEO Joumanah El-Matrah challenged attendees to think about what the next decade of reform should look like. "Victoria now leads the nation on tackling family and gender-based violence, and the east is a leader in tackling this violence," she shared.
While recognising the importance of specialist services and system reform, she urged the sector to keep its focus firmly on prevention. "If our goal is to end family and gender-based violence, we must reduce the number of people who ever need these services. So the next 10 years, the next chapter must be on prevention."
Joumanah also spoke about the need to stay committed in the face of growing backlash and online misogyny. "Family and gender-based violence is predictable and preventable. We have to stand strong in our convictions about this."
The day demonstrated the strength of lived experience leadership, regional partnerships and community commitment across Melbourne's east. As attendees looked ahead to the next chapter of reform, there was a shared understanding that lasting change will require continued collaboration, investment and collective action to create a future free from violence.
Lived experience advocate and speaker Julie Ann. Photo by Women's Health East.