A two-day conference examining the impact of domestic violence will be held in Marlborough in October, says Women's Refuge chief executive Heather Henare.

A venue for the conference has yet to be confirmed.

The Building Safer Families seminar will feature national and international speakers with workshops and information on various programmes throughout New Zealand.

Experts from America and Canada will discuss the impact of domestic violence on women and children and interventions that may have been possible in the lead up to fatal events.

The conference, which will tie in with the organisation's annual meeting, is open for anyone to attend, Ms Henare said.

The annual meeting will be held at Omaka Marae on October 23-24, followed by the public seminar on October 25-26.

"This is the first time Women's Refuge has hosted an international conference on domestic violence," she said.

"This is a pretty significant event for us."

Women's Refuge in New Zealand responds to a crisis call every nine minutes, said Ms Henare, who visited the Marlborough refuge on Wednesday.

An average of 230 women a night need placed into safe homes, she said.

Marlborough Women's Refuge manager Rachel Black said the conference would dispel some of the myths around family violence.

Myths include that it happens to everyone, women are just as violent as men and that alcohol is a cause, she said.

"It will also look at different strategies around prevention."

The Marlborough branch was excited to have the conference held in the district, she said.

- The Marlborough Express

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