Macca and Kenny are joined live in the studio by  Kathleen Maltzahn,  an Australian author, academic and anti-sex work activist. She is a former councillor for the City of Yarra and was the Victorian Greens‘ candidate for the state seat of Richmond in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Victorian elections.

Victorian survivors of sexual violence have been invited to contribute their ideas on preventing and dealing with the crime, with one idea to be selected for promotion in the lead-up to the next state election.

The process to be used is deliberative decision-making, which usually involves citizen juries that make recommendations arrived at by agreement. It has been used across many policy areas and across the globe, but this online initiative, launched by Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic) and the NewDemocracy Foundation, has extra impact, given the experience of trauma of those being invited to take part.

Sexual violence survivors are being invited to anonymously visit the YourSay website to submit ideas on how to prevent, respond to or end sexual violence. The public will then be invited to discuss, support or suggest variations on these ideas.

The long list will then be taken to a “citizen’s panel” made up of 12 or 13 people randomly chosen from those who made submissions. Panel members will deliberate for three sessions to choose one idea to present to SASVic for advocacy.

SASVic has committed to promoting that chosen idea in the lead-up to the state election, no matter what the idea is.

“Victim-survivor perspectives are key to effective action on sexual violence,” said SASVic CEO Kathleen Maltzahn. “Sexual violence takes away power and control. SASVic wants victim-survivors to influence the systems and policies that affect them. YourSay is one way to ensure that their voices are heard, respected and acted upon.”

Speaking to the Community Advocate, Maltzahn said her organisation had worked with many survivors who wanted to be involved in finding solutions to sexual violence but it had never had a suitable platform.

“I think we often talk about lived experience as if it’s a group of people who are perhaps a minority, but we know that with sexual violence, it is so pervasive with at least a third of the community, and probably most women, affected, when you think about things like sexual harassment and the way sexual violence generally impacts women’s lives,” she said.

More information

https://yoursay.sasvic.org.au/

About Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic)

SASVic is the peak body for specialist sexual violence and harmful sexual behaviour services in Victoria. It works to promote the rights and recovery of victim survivors and to prevent sexual violence through advocacy, education and system reform.