By Dhabessa Wakjira

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA – Family violence is never acceptable. For Oromo families in Victoria, the experience of family violence can be compounded by cultural expectations, visa insecurity, language barriers, and isolation from support networks. But help is available, and it is culturally safe.

Victoria has invested more than $4 billion to prevent and respond to family violence, and a significant part of this investment focuses on making services accessible to multicultural communities. This guide provides a starting point for Oromo families seeking safety, support, and healing.

What Is Family Violence?

Family violence is more than physical abuse. It includes:

• Emotional abuse: constant criticism, humiliation, or control
• Financial abuse: controlling access to money, preventing you from working
• Social isolation: stopping you from seeing family or friends
• Coercive control: threats, intimidation, and manipulation
• Sexual violence: any unwanted sexual activity
• Threats to children: using children to control you

For Oromo families, violence can also be linked to cultural expectations, dowry-related disputes, forced marriage, or visa insecurity.

First Steps to Safety

If you are in immediate danger, call 000 immediately. Victoria Police are trained to respond to family violence and can help you leave a dangerous situation safely.

For confidential advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

The Orange Door: Your Single Entry Point

In Victoria, The Orange Door is the main entry point for family violence support. It brings together multiple services in one place—specialist family violence services, child wellbeing services, and men’s services—to provide coordinated help.

What The Orange Door offers:

• A single point of contact for family violence support
• Risk assessment and safety planning
• Connection to counselling, financial help, and housing support
• Culturally safe services with interpreters available
• Help for everyone—regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background

Contact The Orange Door:

• Phone: 1300 271 045 (9am–5pm, Monday–Friday)
• Online: http://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au
• In-person: Visit a hub near you

Clients from diverse communities are offered a safe service where their cultural and religious preferences are respected, including the option to work with a female worker if required.

Culturally Specific Support for Oromo and Multicultural Communities

Advocacy for Oromia (A4O)

Based in Melbourne, Advocacy for Oromia has been supporting the Oromo community since 2010. Their work includes:

• Community education about respectful relationships and gender equality
• Information sessions on family violence prevention
• Collaboration with Victoria Police and organisations like Wayss to provide community-based support

In 2019, Advocacy for Oromia organised the first Oromo Interfaith Forum in Melbourne, bringing together Christian, Muslim, and Waaqeffannaa religious leaders to speak about respectful relationships between husbands and wives.

Contact Advocacy for Oromia:

• Phone: 0432 057 473
• Email: info@advocacy4oromia.org
• Address: 39 Clow St, Dandenong VIC 3175; 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence

InTouch is a specialist organisation dedicated to supporting migrant and refugee women experiencing family violence. They provide:

• Culturally appropriate counselling and case management
• Flexible support packages for CALD women across Victoria
• Help navigating visa and legal issues linked to family violence
• Advocacy for women facing dowry-related abuse, forced marriage, or visa insecurity

Contact InTouch: 03 9413 6500

Wellsprings for Women

Based in Dandenong, Wellsprings for Women is a grassroots organisation supporting women from migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker backgrounds through trauma-informed programs. Their services include family violence casework, emergency accommodation, food and clothing, transport assistance, and home safety measures for women escaping violence.

Practical and Financial Support

Flexible Support Packages

Victim survivors from CALD communities can access Flexible Support Packages through organisations like InTouch. These packages provide practical help to:

• Establish safety and long-term stability
• Cover counselling, wellbeing costs, education, and employment-related costs
• Address housing, transport, and other material needs

Family Violence Financial Counselling

Free and confidential financial counselling is available to help people experiencing family violence manage debt, access support payments, navigate housing issues, and plan for financial independence.

Legal Assistance

The Strengthening Legal Pathways for CALD Women project provides free community legal education on family violence and other legal issues, covering family law, family violence, police powers, tenancy, and more.

Community organisations can request free online or in-person information sessions by contacting pclc@pclc.org.au.

Support for Men

Family violence affects everyone, and support is available for men who are experiencing violence and for men who want to stop using violence.

For men experiencing family violence:

• Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817 (8am–11pm, 7 days a week)

For men who want to change their behaviour:

• Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491 (8am–9pm Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm weekends)

The Victorian Government is also delivering culturally-tailored men’s programs that take a holistic approach, with a focus on healing alongside accountability.

Education and Community Programs

Victoria has invested in community education to prevent family violence and empower multicultural communities. The award-winning Respectful Relationships course—delivered in partnership with Melbourne Polytechnic and Whittlesea Community Connections—has shown strong results:

• 93% of students reported greater confidence in understanding family violence
• 85% recognised that women and children are most affected by family violence
• 57% said they now knew where to access support services

Resources in Your Language

The MARAM family violence framework fact sheets have been translated into six commonly used languages, including Oromo, to support people from diverse communities. These resources explain family violence support in everyday language.

Quick Reference: Emergency and Support Contacts

Sources: Advocacy for Oromia, InTouch Multicultural Centre, Victorian Government, Wellsprings for Women.

If you are not sure where to start, call The Orange Door or contact Advocacy for Oromia. They can help you navigate the system, in your language, and with respect for who you are.

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