This is a free to attend online/virtual event.

This event will highlight the impacts of family violence and aims to raise donations for RizeUp, who deliver vital support to families in crisis.

If you’d like to contribute, we will share links to the donations page during and after our virtual event. We also encourage you to share this Event Listing with anyone interested in supporting this cause.

Meeting Link: Microsoft Teams Virtual Event Meeting
Wednesday 16 July, 8pm - 8,45pm.

Special Guest Speaker: Melanie Rowe
Melanie Rowe has turned her pain into purpose after her own traumatic experience she now advocates for those who have endured family violence and hopes to pave the way for positive change. Melanie a former police officer for over a decade has stepped into the family violence sector and is now working with women helping guide them through their recovery.

Her role supporting victim/survivors as a dedicated detective within the Sexual Offence Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) exposed her to the many systematic challenges. In 2022, Melanie pursued her course of justice, providing a media platform to voice that family violence does not discriminate nor define you. She stepped into keynote speaking role at Walk Against Family Violence, along with introducing primary prevention proposal campaigns to address gender inequality within hegemonic masculine cultures.

Now, Melanie is focused on breaking down those barriers, empowering survivors to tell their stories without fear of judgment, holding perpetrators to account within the judicial system, and shining a light on the impact of coercive control. She is an academic, who accomplished her bachelor’s degree in psychology, achieved her Graduate Certificate in Family Violence and is currently completing her postgraduate Master of Counselling. Melanie has previously been a panelist for Swinburne University, participant of Lived Experience focus group for Chisholm Institute, and an active contributor of the Practice Innovations Working Group within the Wayss organisation.

Event Agenda:

TIME	DISCUSSION
8:00pm	Official Welcome and Introduction
8:02pm	Acknowledgement of Country + Team Intro
8:04pm	Introduction to RizeUp
8:06pm	Highlighting RizeUp's Outcomes
8:08pm	Understanding Violence Against Women
8:10pm	Case Study + Video Segment
8:15pm	Guest Speaker – Melanie Rowe
8:25pm	Open Share + Support Services Info
8:27pm	Support and Donate
8:30pm	Wrap-Up and Thank You
8:32pm	Event Close