Bus wrapped with messages

Two buses in Warragul are delivering important messages to the community through the drawings of school children.

Through a school art competition the two buses operated by Warragul Bus Lines have been wrapped with art in a project titled Challenging Gender Stereotypes.

One bus is on the Warragul town route, while the second bus is the Noojee service.

One bus was on show last week at a barbecue organised by local community group Our Watch Our Issue.

The bus art project was organised by Gippsland Women’s Health involving schools in Baw Baw, the Latrobe Valley, Wellington and East Gippsland municipalities.

The Gippsland launch of the Challenging Gender Stereotypes- Student Design on a Bus Art Work Competition was hosted by

Wellington Shire Council in Sale on

November. 21.

More than 500 students from 23 Gippsland Respectful Relationships schools entered the art competition.

A total of 376 posters were received. Seven finalists’ art work are on display on the side of buses in Wellington, Latrobe and Baw Baw thanks to funding from the Latrobe Health Assembly, Wellington Shire and Baw Baw Shire, and participation by the local bus companies – Littles, Warragul Bus Lines and Latrobe buses.

The art work will also be reproduced as posters and displayed across Gippsland during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence which runs until December 10; the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women; Human Rights Day.

It is a call to action to act now to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.

The art designs will help promote and normalise gender equality through challenging gender stereotypes and roles in public and private life.

Gippsland Women’s Health chief executive Fiona Owen said rigid gender stereotypes and inequality shape poor health outcomes for everyone.

“So let’s all get on the bus and challenge gender stereotypes to create a fairer and more respectful Gippsland for everyone,” she said.

Warragul Bus Lines general manager Phil Radford said the company was happy to take part in the program and deliver the messages to passengers as well as people who saw the buses on their routes.