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Welcome to our website. We hope that you will find lots of great ideas for playing, reading and learning with children here. We are passionate about raising children who can be their true selves, who are free to explore all the things that interest them in life.

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It’s #InternationalDayOfPersonsWithDisabilities,

It’s #InternationalDayOfPersonsWithDisabilities, and it’s a day to celebrate the remarkable contributions of people with disabilities.

But first. A few facts. Check the slides to understand how #familyviolence uniquely impacts #womenwithdisability

Every person, regardless of their ability or gender, has the right to live a life free from violence and discrimination.

This year, FVREE has partnered with disability support services Nadrasca and MEDA to deliver Champions of Change, a leadership program for people with disability to be community champions for equality and respect.

Across 6 engaging activity-based workshops participants learn about equality, healthy relationships and respect, and design and deliver community projects to share learnings from the workshops with their local community. Community projects have included short films, posters, brochures and a community presentation.

In 2024 FVREE will continue the Champions of Change program with a further 4 disability support services.

www.fvree.org

Research on the diversity of family violence exper

Research on the diversity of family violence experiences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, asexual, or queer identifying people has been distinctly lacking, both in Australia and abroad, despite growing evidence that experiences of family violence are underreported and widespread among LGBTIQA+ people.

LGBTIQA+ people can face unique forms of family violence that stem from homophobia, biphobia, or transphobia and stigma around sexual and gender diversity, such as people refusing to acknowledge or threatening to disclose their identity to others, or restricting access to social or medical gender affirmation.

The Royal Commission into Family Violence in Victoria, conducted in 2016, recognised the lack of knowledge and research of LGBTIQA+ experiences of family violence and highlighted the deficit in services available to these communities.
LGBTIQA+ people face significant barriers to accessing support services and may be less likely to report experiences of family violence to authorities or seek help from services in part due to fear of discrimination, homophobia, and transphobia, because they perceive existing family violence services to be for heterosexual, cisgender victim survivors and not available to them.

Historically, family violence policy and services have often tended to make normative assumptions of the relationship and gender of both perpetrator and survivor, leading to a focus only on violence toward cisgender (i.e., gender identity aligns with that presumed and recorded at birth) women as perpetrated by cisgender men, while overlooking the experiences of LGBTIQA+ people.

Read the research https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-023-00822-2

Addressing the barriers that LGBTIQA+ people face in accessing safe and inclusive services is a core part of the strategic and practice work that FVREE is focussed on. Not only for the individual, but for the communities, within the service system and systemically.

Let's talk about… primary prevention of violence

Let's talk about… primary prevention of violence against women.

— It's about addressing the root causes.
— Promoting gender equality and respect.
— Educating for healthy relationships.
— Advocating for supportive laws and policies.
— Challenging stereotypes through media campaigns.
— Empowering individuals and communities to take action..

Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations.

This form of violence disrupts the peace and stability of families and communities, imposing a substantial burden on societies across healthcare, education, social safety, justice, and economic productivity. These costs hinder economies from reaching their true potential.

The key to resolving this issue is through comprehensive and resolute actions, including a commitment to investing in preventive measures.

Every effort invested in preventing violence against women is a step towards a safer, more equal and prosperous world.

Violence costs us all.

Join us in demanding investments and actions to end it.

Another initiative of FVREE is Leaders for Change!

Another initiative of FVREE is Leaders for Change!

We partnered with Bunjilwarra - Koori Youth Alcohol and Drug Healing Service to co-design and deliver 'Leaders For Change'. A program to engage youth in the community about family violence, respectful relationships and bystander action.

Co-creating a culturally safe space for Aboriginal youth to talk about tricky topics is why we invest in primary prevention and early intervention.

A huge thank you to Bunjilwarra for allowing us to work alongside you.

Invest in prevention. Be part of the solution.
#16daysofactivism

Did you know that Level Playground is just one of

Did you know that Level Playground is just one of FVREEs initiatives! We have other programs too! One that we would like to highlight today involves working with the hair and beauty industry!

We discovered that hair, beauty and salon workers were experiencing disclosures of family violence, but received no formal training on how to manage those conversations.

This program aims to bridge this gap and prevent victim survivors and salon professionals being left at risk.

The training program aims to equip salon professionals with the tools they need to recognise signs of family violence in clients, learn how to respond to disclosures and know their role in supporting people to access professional support.

Seeking help for family violence may feel difficult. Many people choose to talk to someone they trust.

The training gives salon professionals skills to help clients experiencing family violence.

Get in touch if you want to learn more about this training!

What is Intimate Partner Violence? It's important

What is Intimate Partner Violence?

It's important to be able to spot the early warning signs that you or someone you know may be at risk of being in an abusive relationship. Equally as important is knowing how to respond to a disclosure and refer someone to appropriate services.
Training and education is pivotal in preventing violence against women and girls, and breaking the cycles of family violence. Visit our website to discover the training available. www.fvree.org.au/training

If you are someone you know is unsafe call 000.
It’s never okay when people choose to use violence.
If you feel that you are in an unhealthy or violent relationship, help is available.
Contact 1800Respect (1800 737 732) for 24/7 family violence support.

November 25th marks the International Day For The

November 25th marks the International Day For The Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations in the world. Globally, an estimated 736 million women — almost one in three — have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life.

The solution lies in robust responses, including investment in primary prevention and early intervention. We are invested in eradicating gender based violence from our communities. It starts with individuals, swells within communities and supported by organisations and the business sector we can achieve real and lasting systemic change.

Invest in prevention.
Be part of the solution.

What is the 16 Days of Activism? It's a call to a

Who's taking charge of the Christmas hustle and bu

Who's taking charge of the Christmas hustle and bustle? The holiday season is a magical time for family and friends, but let's be real—it can also bring on a bit of stress. From gift shopping to planning festive feasts, there's a lot on our plates.

In many households, the festive workload often falls on the shoulders of a single person, typically women. But we believe that just like any other household responsibility, spreading the holiday cheer should be a team effort.

How is the workload divided in your home? Is someone donning the Santa hat for all the planning, shopping, and wrapping, or are tasks shared evenly?

Let's chat about making the season bright for everyone by sharing the festive load!

Are you making any changes to your holiday routine this year?

🌟 Share your tips and tricks for a stress-free and joy-filled celebration! 🎉

#FestiveTeamwork #HolidayJoy #ChristmasPrep

It feels really strange talking about the Holiday

It feels really strange talking about the Holiday season but we are already at the end of November so we think it the perfect time to embrace the joy of early Christmas shopping! But let's not just grab any gift—let's make it meaningful and challenge stereotypes!

Gift-giving is a chance to celebrate children's individuality. Here are some tips to spread the holiday magic without hitting the stores:

1️⃣ Handmade Vouchers: Time is the best present! Craft personalized vouchers tailored to a child's interests—whether it's a kitchen adventure, a crafternoon, a movie night with popcorn, a nature hike, or exploring a new playground. The possibilities are endless!

2️⃣ Experiences: Create memories with memberships to the zoo, museum, or aquarium. Plan a mini-golf session, art class, cooking class, or a visit to a play café. Experiences last a lifetime!

3️⃣ Magazine Subscription: Delight in mail surprises! Explore kids' magazines like @youkiemag (8-12, celebrating every kid's potential) or @kazoomagazine (5-12, empowering girls to be strong, smart, fierce, and true to themselves).

4️⃣ Toy Library Subscription: For the kids who have it all, gift a subscription to the local toy library! New toys regularly without the clutter—great for the environment and endless playtime fun!

Let's redefine the joy of giving and celebrate the uniqueness of every child.

Share your own festive gifting tips!

#MeaningfulGifts #HolidayJoy #GiftGivingMagic

Last night we were honoured to be part of the laun

Last night we were honoured to be part of the launch of the Men as Carers Poster Series. We joined Yarra Ranges Council, Mountain Men and organisations from the Together for Equality and Respect working group to celebrate the development of the posters.

These posters celebrate fathers and men in care-giving roles. The images and messages actively challenge rigid gender stereotypes and outdated roles when it comes to caring for children. You can access the posters and social media tiles as well as a document to support your implementation.

This poster series was developed by the Yarra Ranges Council and Level Playground in conjunction with a reference group of local Yarra Ranges dads and male carers passionate about gender equity.

For those interested in exploring the posters and accessing additional resources, head over to the Level Playground website. Let's continue to promote inclusivity and challenge stereotypes together! #MenAsCarers #GenderEquity #togetherforrespectandequality

Picture this – a boy goes to the park and is inv

Picture this – a boy goes to the park and is invited to kick the footy around by a girl there. The boy says: ‘I don’t want to play with girls. I only play with boys.’

How would you respond?

We might try something along the lines of:
‘It looks like she really enjoys playing footy – I know you do to. How about you give it a go?’
Or perhaps,
‘Anyone can play footy, it doesn’t matter what your gender is.’

And then take some time later to try and unpack the statement with kindness and curiosity:
‘I wonder why you only want to play with boys? Is it because you think that girls don’t like the same things that you like? Has someone told you that there’s a rule only boys can play with boys?’

For more ways to tackle gender stereotypes in conversation, head over to our website and check out our factsheets and posters – the link is in our bio

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Welcome
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- Friends
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Contact Us