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Inside TaskForce with Hafiz Asadi

Opportunity for Change Project Worker

 

Tell us about the family violence prevention project?
It is a partnership with Relationships Australia Victoria that has been funded by Casey Council. It consulted with the community to develop a culturally appropriate response to family violence (FV) in the Afghan Community in the Casey area.

What was it called?
Afghan Family Violence Response in the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire.

What was involved?
First, we conducted consultations with relevant organisations in the southeast to get some primary data about family violence within the Afghan community. This informed our community engagement and community consultations and is helping create a collaborative network.

What was the next step?
We conducted 10 consultation meetings with about 100 members of the Afghan community – four meetings with women, four with men and two mixed meetings.

Why was it done this way?
To collect information, hear ideas and seek advice to help develop solutions for Afghan families.

How inclusive were the consultations?
Afghan community members ranged in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and languages. The meetings were run by trained facilitators and were either face-to-face or virtual.

What is the expected result?
A culturally appropriate response to family violence and a reduction in the incidence of violence against women and children in Afghan community in the Casey region.

Are there any results yet?
The community has provided a list of challenges and also solutions, community members had some great advice to share.

How will the project make life better for members of the community?
For instance, we hope to create a workforce/advisory group that includes faith leaders, men, women and young people to guide and implement solutions.

Do you have an example of how your work can help a person change their life?
Participants’ perceptions and knowledge have already been positively changed after attending the meetings.

How many people does the program help?
Directly 100 and indirectly it will help thousands of people. Over time, many, many more.

What more could be done to help more people?
Continuing this project with more funding so we can involve more and more influential community members.

What is the next step for the project?
In partnership with Relationships Australia and the City of Casey, designing and implementing a strategy to raise awareness and prevent family violence.