General News
26 November, 2024
White Ribbon breakfast focuses on major issue facing community
The Zonta Club of Mount Isa is taking aim at domestic and family violence in the city.
Sixteen days of domestic violence activism in Mount Isa has begun with a breakfast gathering of social workers, emergency responders and community leaders at Terrace Gardens.
Zonta Club of Mount Isa vice president Nikki Rowsell said the group’s annual White Ribbon Day breakfast was the first initiative among a raft of awareness campaigns planned across the city in the coming days – including “Orange Lady” bollards at key locations, awareness stickers on takeaway coffee cups at MacRae News, Bambino Espresso and Madera Coffee Bar and a local social media blitz.
“We love spending time with those in our community with like-minded souls – those who also wish to make the world a better place for women and girls,” Ms Rowsell said.
About 80 people gathered for the breakfast event, which discussed how to address the plight of family violence, which claims the life of more than 25 women each year. The event commenced with counsellor Suzie Voight from 54 Reasons, who detailed how seemingly loving relationships descend into a confusing and suffocating cycle of abuse.
Father Mick Lowcock gave an impassioned plea for more efforts to be directed towards funding services that attempt to reform men’s behaviour rather than simply using the justice system to punish offenders.
He said there were few options for men struggling in difficult relationships or confronting mental health issues, which further encouraged men to seek solace in substance abuse.
Father Mick said the community should instead be looking at the underlying societal pressures that breed depression and anxiety, which in turn leads to anger and resentment that fuels anti-social behaviour among men.
“We need to think about: what are we advocating for men here to reform our society?” he told the gathering.
“We need to be looking at positive initiatives; we need to be doing more in the male space in this community.”
Mount Isa Police officer in charge Senior Sergeant Adrian Rieck, who was also MC at the breakfast, encouraged locals to consider donating any old mobile phones to the DV Safe Phone initiative, which provides a secure line of communication between police and counsellors with victims in the grip of abuse.
He said the DV Safe Phone initiative did not receive government funding and struggled to meet demand. He added that anyone could drop off their old mobile directly at the Mount Isa police station.
“There are women in the city that can’t call for help – these phones do save lives,” he said.