Week Without Violence

The Week Without Violence (WWV) is an annual campaign during the third week of October that aims to end violence against women.

Since 1999, the northern metropolitan region (NMR) has marked the Week Without Violence (WWV), primarily through the Clothesline Project, which focuses on raising awareness about family violence.

Community Safety and Wellbeing Expo Yarra, WWV 2022

The Clothesline Project

In January 2024 NIFVS funding of regional Clothesline projects was reviewed. It was agreed that as of the 2024 Week Without Violence campaign, NIFVS funding would cease, with a preference for regional activities to be locally driven and be focused on more environmentally friendly activity options that better meets community needs.

NIFVS will still be supporting regional Clothesline projects and the Week Without Violence campaign through resources such as social media tiles and updated multi-language posters.

Please consult your Family Violence Network Convenor for more information on Clothesline activities planned for your local area. You can find their contact details here.

Do you want to know more about support services in place?
Search for support services available in your area here.

Resources to support your campaign activity

Download the NIFVS multi-language posters.
Download the NIFVS Social Media tiles.
Download a paper T-shirt template.

Education:

Response and referral:

Tip Sheets for your activity: Responding to Disclosures from Victim Survivors and Responding to Myths
Safe and Equal publications – Safe and Equal have a range of resources regarding family violence

History of the Clothesline Project

In 1990 a coalition of women’s groups in Massachusetts, USA, developed a program to break the silence and bear witness to the prevalence of violence against women.

The Clothesline Project was designed to:

act as an educational tool for those who come to view the clothesline;
act as a healing tool for anyone who made a T-shirt; and
allow those who are still suffering in silence to understand that they are not alone.

The Clothesline Project concept is simple: each participant expresses their feelings about family violence, on a T-shirt. The T-shirt then hangs on a virtual or real clothesline displayed by organisations or in public spaces.

History of the Week Without Violence

The Week Without Violence is an initiative created by YWCA USA in 1995. Over the past two decades, organisations around the world have hosted community events to end violence against women.

Activities focus on raising awareness, promoting attitude change and enabling individuals and organisations to begin positive actions towards ending violence in their communities.

The NIFVS partnership acknowledges Victorian Aboriginal people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we provide our services. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and recognise the ongoing living culture of all Aboriginal people. We express commitment to Aboriginal self-determination and our hope for reconciliation and justice.