Sparking conversations and breaking the silence is what Hunter anti-domestic violence charity Got Your Back Sista (GYBS) is striving for.
GYBS shot its annual campaign video on Tuesday, August 1 with actor Madeleine West speaking against domestic violence and the importance of using her platform to make a difference.
"It's not about fulfilment. It's about awareness. I do believe that if you believe in a cause and you have a platform, you have a social obligation to lend your voice and raise up the voices for those who might not have one or feel they don't have one," she said.
One in four women will be exposed to some form of domestic violence from a partner or family member in a lifetime.
"Those statistics are horrific," Ms West said.
"That means that it's someone you know - if it's not yourself or your child, or a close friend, or relative - is experiencing domestic violence."
She hoped the video would encourage people to feel more comfortable with starting tough conversations around domestic violence.
"If we all speak up - if we raise up - as one voice, then we have the power to move mountains and if we have each other's back, we can really make a difference," she said.
GYBS founder and chief executive Melissa Histon said the "organisation is always encouraging the community to come together to say domestic violence isn't okay".
"We are here to demonstrate that as a society we do not accept it and we want to offer support for anyone involved," she said.
The GYBS video will be released on their website and social platforms in two weeks time and also encourages people to register for the 'I Run For Her' event on October 15.
