QCWA Tackles Domestic Violence
The Queensland Country Women’s Association is tackling the big issues in society, starting with a call to the government to take further action ensuring no one should suffer from domestic violence.
At the 93rd annual state conference held in Gympie on October 27-30, QCWA members pledged their support to the domestic violence cause and said to start the process, respect needs to be brought back into communities, families and relationships.
Christine King, the South Coast Division president and past state international officer, said QCWA is a grass roots organisation and as a whole, members feel respect should be an important action more recognisable in society.
“Respect should be a trigger word. It needs to be taught at home, in schools through to universities, and in the working environment,” Ms King said.
“It needs to be a normal thing in life. If domestic violence then occurs somewhere, we hope someone would stand up and say that it’s not acceptable. Be respectful, show respect- people would know right from wrong.
“The government runs plenty of other campaigns on issues like speeding, smoking and drugs, so we feel they should run one on showing respect in society,” Ms King said.
At the end of September, Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones proposed a domestic violence strategy and voiced her opinion that children should be educated properly at school. An announcement was also made from the federal education department that children would be taught about respectful relationships in the school curriculum.
“We had our suggestion about respect tabled in April for this conference, so QCWA is up there with similar strategies to the government,” Ms King said.
“We need to break the cycle of domestic violence and bring back respect so it is there amongst the people of Australia and within our communities.”
At the state conference, Ms King and her fellow CWA members of the Moggill branch shared a quilt they had made for Domestic Violence Connect, which is a telephone counselling service across Queensland.
Ms King said Domestic Violence Connect approached QCWA for a quilt that needed to feature the simple motto, ‘not one more’.
“We were asked if we could design the quilt, which the Moggill CWA ladies did and then made,” Mrs King said.
“QCWA have been working with Domestic Violence Connect for a number of years now. Domestic Violence Connect took the quilt to their state conference in Canberra and they absolutely loved it.
“QCWA is serious about tackling the domestic violence issue, and we will lend our support where we can.”
Words by Andrea Schulz
Approved for distribution by QCWA
Images by Sarah Coulton
