The Desert Blue Connect Community Initiatives team were invited to Morawa to run workshops with the Morawa Agricultural School and the Morawa District High School recently and enjoyed the day delivering valuable education to our rural youth.

The Morawa Ag school presentation focussed on respectful relationships, healthy and unhealthy behaviours in relationships and recognising forms of abuse. The year 10 students participated in hands on activities and gave some great examples of their understanding of gender stereotypes and power dynamics in relationships. There were some great discussions and insightful observations about behaviours that indicate a healthy relationship and behaviours which don’t.

Morawa District High School year 10-12 students participated in the Gender Norms workshop in the afternoon. This workshop focuses on thought provoking activities that highlight the stereotypes that are embedded into our culture and the way they inform our perception of male and female gender roles. Students were encouraged to question these stereotypes and examine how these can contribute to attitudes that support or condone violence against women and sexual violence.

Rural counsellor, Rachel joined the workshops to ensure the wellbeing of all students and to offer support to any that wanted to chat.

The Community initiatives team will be visiting both Morawa schools again in July to facilitate more workshops covering pornography and consent and coercion.

The Morawa office now has safer sex packs available for males and females.  The packs contain basic personal hygiene and sanitary items, condoms and information about safe sex practices.