The Victorian Government is working with multicultural and faith communities to promote equal, respectful relationships and stop family violence before it starts.

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams today announced 33 organisations would share in nearly $7 million to deliver family violence prevention programs under the Supporting Multicultural and Faith Communities to Prevent Family Violence: 2021 grants.

At least 27 cultural and five faith groups will be supported to address the gendered drivers of violence by challenging stereotypes and strengthening positive, equal and respectful relationships in culturally relevant settings.

The grants are designed to build the capacity of community, faith and cultural organisations to deliver prevention programs and support organisations with existing experience to continue and expand successful work.

The investment will support Geelong-based community organisation Diversitat to deliver its Safer and Stronger Families project, which engages recently arrived young people and new parents in the Barwon South West region on respectful relationships, parenting in a new culture, gender equality, human rights and Australian law.

The grants will also support Jewish Care’s Equal for All: Supporting Primary Prevention in the Victorian Jewish Community – including peer-led active bystander training, healthy masculinity programs for men and boys, and respectful relationships training.

While the Buddhist Council of Victoria will receive funds to scale-up a successful project that builds the capacity of Buddhist leaders to be outreach workers to deliver family violence education sessions at temples across Victoria and facilitate ‘meet and greet’ sessions with family violence services.

Other grant recipients include Wellsprings for Women, the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, the Board of Imams and the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council.

These programs are part of a broader effort to deliver prevention initiatives in the spaces where Victorians live, work and learn to maximise access and relevance to communities.

Last month, the Labor Government announced an additional $1.5 million to expand five innovative prevention programs including a respectful relationships play group and a support program for new parents in rural Victoria.

Victoria is leading the country in its work to combat family violence with $3 billion — more than every other state combined, and more than the commonwealth– invested in prevention and response initiatives to date.