iMatter - Youth Leadership Program

iMatter, a Youth Leadership Program was developed by Doncare in 2011 and was the first school and community-based intervention to actively address the issue of domestic violence from a preventative perspective.

The evidence-based initiative aimed to encourage conversation about healthy relationships and equip young people with the tools to recognise and respond to abusive behaviour that contributes to the cycle of domestic violence.

Youth-led workshops offered a forum for young people to develop critical thinking skills to encourage them to question what influences their social and cultural behaviours, as well as challenge rigid gender stereotypes. In 2015, the innovative iMatter App was launched to help young women identify the warning signs of abusive and controlling behaviour in relationships as well as to promote healthy self-esteem.

Since its inception, hundreds of young women and men aged 18-26 years have volunteered their time to deliver workshops to thousands of participants. Through these interactive workshops, iMatter leaders changed the relationship trajectories for thousands of young people by sharing a passion for gender equity and encouraging conversations with teens about healthy relationships.

The closure of schools and sporting clubs due to COVID-19 restrictions impacted Doncare’s ability to deliver the iMatter message to the community. As a result, program delivery was suspended and lack of recurrent funding meant that Doncare made the difficult decision to discontinue the program from 30 September 2020.

Click here to read in detail about the amazing impact this program achieved and to watch a farewell video from Olivia, iMatter Coordinator.

Website: Doncare

Topic: Youth