In 2023-2024, the Prevention of Gendered Violence staff at WHISE undertook a significant initiative aimed at embedding lived experience into the primary prevention of gendered violence. This project, the "Lived Experience Framework for Primary Prevention of Gendered Violence Sector," emerged following the success of the "Aligning the Personal with the Professional Conference" in October 2022. Recognising the critical value of lived experience, WHISE embarked on this project to elevate the voices and insights of those with firsthand experiences into strategic and operational practices within the sector.
The initiative began with an online forum on July 26, 2023, which was attended by 68 participants from across Victoria, Australia, and even internationally. The forum featured a panel of esteemed leaders and experts in the field of lived experience, including Lula Dembele from the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre, Chantelle Higgs from the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, Nicole Thompson from the Self Help Addiction Resource Centre, and Morgan Cataldo from Berry Street Victoria. These experts shared their models and methodologies for integrating lived experience into their work, showcasing the successes and addressing the challenges they faced.
The evaluation of the event was overwhelmingly positive, with a significant increase in attendees' confidence in embedding lived experience into their work. Specifically, 21% of attendees reported feeling confident or very confident post-event, and there was an overall 29% increase in confidence levels.
Participants involved in the Promoting Respect and Equity Together Partnership committed themselves to developing a Lived Experience Framework for the primary prevention of gender-based violence, building on and adapting already existing frameworks for response, mental health, Alcohol and other Drugs (AoD) and research sectors.
The insights and feedback gathered from this forum laid a robust foundation for the next stages of the project. A framework was developed to guide the primary prevention sector in effectively centring lived experience in their efforts to combat gendered violence. The partnership had a Think Tank in April 2024 to review and identify gaps in the draft framework and then launched the Lived Experience Framework for Primary Prevention of Gender-based Violence on 20 June 2024. This framework aims to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are not only heard but are integral to the strategic and operational decision-making processes within the sector.