Advocacy for Oromia has released an eye-catching new T-shirt and pullup banner campaign to help build awareness of family violence against women, perpetrated by men.

Launched to coincide with Oromo Thanksgiving Day, the T-shirt, entitled ‘Oromo: Love and Respect’, features an eye-catching design and was developed in consultation with victim-survivors of family violence.

The T-shirt poster and pullup banner are often used to echo the role of respectful relationship to reduce all forms of abusive relationships and its traumatic consequences.  The T-shirt and the banner also encourage people of all ages to promote love and respect in their day-to-day relationships.

The T-shirt will be distributed to members of the community to promote respectful relationships. The T-shirt will be distributed to members of the community to promote respectful relationships.

Perfect for community events or family picnics, the T-shirt can be worn individually or as a family.

Healthy relationships are based on love and respect not power and control. A healthy relationship is one that brings you happiness; where you feel safe, supported and respected. It’s a relationship where you’re treated with fairness and accepted for who you are.

“Timing the release of this campaign with Oromo Thanksgiving Day is a reminder to us all that relationships should be respectful. This campaign aims to show that family violence is anything but,” said Dabessa Gemelal, Program Coordinator of Family Violence Education at Advocacy for Oromia. “Violence is a choice, and it is never the victim’s fault.”

The T-shirt has been released as part of Advocacy for Oromia’s Family Violence Resource Program, which focuses on educating the Victorian Oromo community, groups, and organisations about family violence in order to reduce the incidence of violence and enhance bystander action.

The campaign has a gendered lens as it seeks to acknowledge, and build awareness of, the overwhelming rates of violence against women and girls.

The most important thing to remember is that domestic and family violence is not about conflict, it’s about power and control. In a healthy relationship, there is an equal balance of power between partners, and both partners feel free to state their opinions and make their own decisions.

Advocacy for Oromia acknowledges that violence also occurs against others in our community including children, men, and elders. This campaign does not intend to minimise the impacts of these other forms of violence.

To order ‘Oromo: Love and Respect’ T-shirt for your community group or for more information about Advocacy for Oromia’s Family Violence Resource Program, contact Advocacy for Oromia on info@advocacy4oromia.org