Gendered and Family violence remains a critical issue throughout Gippsland and beyond, with regional and rural areas of Victoria experiencing family violence rates nearly double those in metropolitan areas. Increasingly, technology is being weaponised to perpetrate abuse through monitoring, tracking, harassment and intimidation.
Supported by the eSafety Commissioner’s Preventing Tech-based Abuse of Women Grants Program, Gippsland Women’s Health is launching the Stop Tech Abuse campaign and website – a vital new initiative tackling gendered tech-based abuse across regional and rural Victoria.
Delivered in partnership with Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, Women’s Health Goulburn North East, Women’s Health Grampians, Women’s Health in the South East, and Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West, the eAware Project aims to increase the confidence of women and communities with tools and knowledge to stay safe online.
“This hidden and insidious abuse is difficult to spot because perpetrators successfully exploit the vulnerabilities, ubiquity and interconnectedness of technology,” said Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner.
“In cases of tech-based coercive control, tactics of harassment and stalking may be coupled with gaslighting and manipulation. The combination of these can be devastating to the women targeted, eroding their sense of identity and reality and effectively stripping them of their agency and voice.
“It’s crucial we equip regional and rural women with the skills and tools to spot the early warning signs, as well as promoting resources and services they can call on to stay safe.”“Technology is part of everyday life, and while it brings many benefits, it has also created opportunities for abuse and violence,” said Kate Graham, CEO of Gippsland Women’s Health. “In regional and rural areas, women often face unique barriers when experiencing gendered tech-based abuse. The blurring of public and private, professional and personal lives and the challenges with privacy in rural and regional areas coupled with low digital literacy rates magnifies gendered tech-based abuse and we aim to build the capacity of rural and regional communities to understand the underlying drivers of gendered tech-based abuse, how individuals can respond and where they can seek assistance. The eAware Stop Tech Abuse campaign aims to equip communities with the knowledge to break through those barriers and keep women and girls safe online.”
Gippsland Women’s Health is now launching the eAware Stop Tech Abuse campaign across Victoria. Developed in consultation with women living in regional and rural communities—as well as carers, service providers, and advocates—the campaign raises awareness about gendered tech-based abuse and its impact.
A dedicated website will serve as a central hub for practical resources aimed at improving women’s safety online and promoting respectful behaviour among men and boys. In addition, online awareness workshops will help develop skills for local service providers to identify and respond to tech-based abuse effectively.
Gippsland Women’s Health is calling on communities across Victoria to get involved and be part of the movement to stop gendered tech-based abuse before it starts.
Learn more at: stoptechabuse.au
Quote attributed to Women’s Health Loddon Mallee – CEO Kellie Dunn:
“In the Loddon Mallee, ensuring online technology safety is important for our rural and regional communities. By providing women with the knowledge and tools to recognise and address tech-facilitated coercive control, we are taking measures to prevent these behaviours or strategies, aiming to create a safer digital environment for everyone.”
Quote attributed to Women’s Health Grampians – CEO Jennie Courney:
“Technology is a vital part of life in the Grampians region, and can enrich our lives and relationships. However, using it to control, harm and manipulate others is a form of violence. The eAware Stop Tech Abuse campaign will help our communities to recognise tech-based abuse and empower us all to do something about it. WHG has worked closely with our regional sister women’s health services across the state to ensure the project is inclusive, grounded by the lived experience of rural and regional women, and will provide valuable resources not only for the community, but also for our partners in violence prevention work.”
Quote attributed to Womens Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West, CEO – Jodie Hill:
“The Barwon South West comprises a mix of regional, rural and remote communities and technology is really critical to ensuring that our communities are connected to services and opportunities. Tech-based abuse can be insidiously difficult to identify and, even when it is identified it’s hard to know where to go for support. With this project we aim to make it easier for women to recognise tech based abuse and to know how to seek help – we hope it helps to keep the women of the Barwon South West, and the rest of rural and regional Victoria, safer.”
Get involved! Download the campaign toolkit
Learn more at: stoptechabuse.au
