The Central Coast Domestic Violence Committee (CCDVC) welcomed Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, to Terrigal on Saturday night, albeit virtually, for a night of hope, compassion and a showing of support for people experiencing domestic violence and abuse in the community.
Over 230 people donned their finest for the gala night at the Crowne Plaza Terrigal in support of workers and those with lived experience in the domestic and family violence and abuse sector.
The CCDVC Vice Chair, Sharon Walsh, who organised the event with co-chairs Nicole Harvey from Pacific Link Housing and Sharon Wilkinson from the NSW Police, said she was delighted and overwhelmed by the level of support shown by attendees.
“The feedback we have received is sensational and we appreciate it beyond words,” Walsh said.
“Since the event, I’ve had numerous emails from attendees thanking us. We could not be happier with how the event went, especially considering it became a virtual event at the last minute.
“I feel very grateful to have had that many people from the community supporting the event.
“We wanted to put something fabulous together for the community and for workers in the domestic and family violence and abuse sector.
“It was about providing hope and to highlight the fact that violence is an abuse that can affect anyone from any social and diversity group in the community.
“Often when we focus on domestic violence, even in the media, we still send the message that it happens only in certain classes of women, when in fact it’s a social justice issue that is bipartisan one and affects women, children and it can happen anywhere.
“Saturday’s event showed how men and women can come together to help end violence against women, men and children.”
The CCDVC had originally planned for Tame to be the keynote speaker at the not-for-profit’s inaugural dinner, but she was unable to attend in person due to Tasmania’s COVID-19 restrictions.
“We chose Grace Tame [to be the keynote speaker] as she is phenomenal, authentic and highly intelligent,” Walsh said.
“She has shown herself to be a phenomenal advocate for the area of child sexual abuse and domestic violence and abuse against women, men and children.
“She is unafraid to challenge those in the most powerful offices in the land.
“A lot of us are looking to the younger generations who want to keep working on these issues, to keep pushing it forward [and] she is a wonderful example of what young people can achieve.”
In her last keynote address for the year, Tame said she was excited and optimistic about “this momentous paradigm shift we are now in” and the opportunities that could come with it for a better future for children and for survivors of child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
She said her pain has enabled her to help bring a once taboo subject to the forefront of the national conversation and be in a privileged position to make further meaningful change by uniting people.
With the recent launch of the Grace Tame Foundation, she said she has renewed her focus on the need for consistent, nationalised legislation on the issue of sexual assault which currently includes very different legal definitions from state to state on consent, grooming, sexual intercourse, and the age of consent.
Tame said the cultures that embolden predators are still with us and the need for education on healthy, respectful relationships and how ignorance feeds the cultures of victim blaming, denial and dismissal.
Regional Domestic and Family Violence Coordinator for NSW Police, Sharon Wilkinson, emceed the event andSimone Parsons COO from Women’s Community Shelters NSW moderated a Q&A session with Tame after her speech.
Tame discussed the impact of perception and validation of survivors and how language, including the media, can make a lasting impact on individuals but said she has seen a significant change on a social level, but not yet political level.
The gala dinner was initially to be held in conjunction with CCDVC’s 17th annual Central Coast Connexions conference, but the conference program had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The event was not intended to be a fundraising event, but to bring government and non government and business and the broader community together to do what Grace has encouraged us all to do which is to raise our public voices and domestic and family violence and abuse.
Maisy Rae