By Benjamin Millar
Victoria University staff and students have been painting their way towards a resounding message of respect.
Dozens of members of the VU community worked on a new campus mural that features images in support of greater gender equality.
VU deputy vice chancellor Marcia Devlin said the mural project was just one of the ways VU has been working towards fighting sexism and inequality, one year on from the release of a damning national survey of university students on sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Victoria University has been implementing all nine recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Change the Course report.
Professor Devlin said the mural was based on the theme of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai’s quote ‘I’m Stronger Than Fear’.
She said the mural sends a message about women having a voice and a sense of safety.
“It’s been a real collaboration, it was very moving when it was unveiled.”
Professor Devlin used the mural’s official launch to announce a new $140,000 state government grant awarded to HealthWest, one of the VU’s partner organisations in violence prevention work.
The grant from the Free From Violence fund will be used to help train male students from diverse backgrounds to challenge sexism in the community.
“We will be working with about 20 males from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds on awareness building around gender-based violence,” Professor Devlin said.
