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The early years are a critical life stage for the primary prevention of gender-based violence.
Early years settings such as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), kindergarten and preschool bring together children, parents, carers, educators and other child and family practitioners, to support the prevention of gender-based violence.
Our Watch’s recent evidence, policy development and sector engagement in early years settings have identified both:
The importance of early years settings for prevention
The need for stronger systems infrastructure to connect, legitimise and sustain practice.
Exploring a national approach
Our Watch consulted with Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and prevention sector stakeholders about a national approach to primary prevention of gender-based violence. The consultations aimed to inform possibilities and pathways for future primary prevention activity in early years settings.
Exploring a national approach: consultation findings
Webinar
Early years - Fostering equality and respect from the start
This webinar explores equality and respect in the early years with early childhood professionals and primary prevention experts. This webinar was held in collaboration with FVREE, Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation, and Women's & Girls' Emergency Centre (WAGEC).
Policy guide
Drawing on the current literature on prevention in the early years, this policy guide articulates how governments, particularly the Commonwealth Government, can use the policy levers available to them to embed primary prevention of gender-based violence in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.
Recommendations include:
embedding gender equality into key ECEC frameworks
developing a whole-of-system primary prevention framework for ECEC services
supporting the early years workforce knowledge and capacity in primary prevention
valuing and resourcing the ECEC workforce.
Prevention of gender-based violence and the early years – Policy guide
Curriculum guide
This resource is a guide for early childhood education (ECE) academics on how to include or build upon content on the primary prevention of gender-based violence in curriculum and teaching practice. This resource is part of Our Watch's Prevention in teaching and learning (PTL) resources.
