VOTING WITH THEIR FEET: The anti-sexual violence march goes through Kaikohe. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
VOTING WITH THEIR FEET: The anti-sexual violence march goes through Kaikohe. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
A street march in Kaikohe took a dark subject out of the shadows in a major step toward shedding light on the problem of sexual violence.
The 60 to 70 marchers represented perpetrators of sexual crimes, their victims, help groups and "the silent majority", or the greater population whose lackof action enabled the problem to continue and remain hidden, organisers said.
The participants, including several on motorcycles, made a powerful statement in the town's main thoroughfare on Thursday morning. Several people stepped off the footpath to join in. At the end of the march addresses to the crowd included speakers who are victims of sexual violence. Many people were visibly moved by the speeches.
The march and a public meeting that evening were early steps in a campaign calling for men to stand up and make changes to ensure their whanau and communities were safe from sexual violence.
Over the next six months, as well as education programmes aimed at changing a culture where sexual violence can occur, strategies that will be developed include creating a community help agency list and "safe telephone trees". It will also focus on enabling men who have carried out sexual crime, or who fear they might, to come forward and seek help, Mike Shaw said.
Mr Shaw, the facilitator for the Kaikohe Churches Forum, is helping organise the campaign with support from the national foundation, Stop Demand.
"Men have to take more responsibility because sexual abuse is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men," he said.
"There are many good men in our community who have remained silent too long. It's not someone else's problem, it's our problem. As men, we need to address this hidden hurt that is devastating the lives of our boys, girls and women. These are our sons, our daughters, nephews, nieces, and sisters. We have to face it and bring healing to survivors and perpetrators."
"We are not doing this in Kaikohe because this place is worse than anywhere else in the country, but because change at a community and whanau level has to start somewhere. We'd like to see Kaikohe become a nation leader in this regard."
The local initiative comes on the back of the recent 17-day Men Against Sexual Violence hikoi through Northland led by Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis.
