Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has said the number of women killed in Australia is “unacceptable”, joining a growing voice of politicians speaking out against gender-based violence.
Her words come after 21-year-old Lachie Young was charged with the murder of 23-year-old Hannah McGuire close to Ballarat on Friday last week.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, the Premier said women “must have the right” to safety within the community.
“It’s only the ninth of April and already 18 Australian women have been killed in 2024. This is unacceptable and it has to stop,” Allan said.
“Women don’t just deserve the right, they must have the right to live and work and move safely around our community. It is just unacceptable that too many women are losing their lives at the hands of a violent [partner].”
Two in five women (39 per cent) in Australia have experienced violence since the age of 15, according to statistics from Our Watch. Perpetrators of violence against women are most commonly men, and are more likely to be known by the victim (35 per cent) than a stranger (11 per cent).
Australia’s First Nations women face disproportionately higher rates of violence than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 31 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of domestic and family violence.
Already this year, 18 women, including Hannah McGuire, have been killed by gender-based violence, according to Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women.
Allan said Australians must “reflect” on these facts to address the growing issue of femicide in Australia.
“I think that is incumbent upon all of us to reflect on those statistics, because behind every statistic is a woman, is a family and a community who are grieving and it just reinforces the need that we have to work incredibly hard to make sure that women and all members of the community should to move safely around the community,” Allan said.
The growing voice of politicians
Allan isn’t alone in her condemnation of the rates of gender-based violence in Australia. Several other state and federal politicians have spoken out against the threat of violence women face every day.
Recently, Allegra Spender MP, the independent federal member for Wentworth, tabled a petition in parliament titled Stop Killing Us. It was created by Mel Arnost in November last year, calling for greater action from politicians and government against gender-based violence.
Over the weekend, Spender released a video statement on Instagram.
“We need to keep this (gender-based violence) on the agenda,” Spender said.
“I support what the government has done in putting more pressure and support and money into domestic violence support, but it isn’t enough, and it’s not fast enough.
“But it’s not just about the government, because this happens in our homes, this happens amongst our friends, and we don’t even know about it. This is about us as a culture and a country changing.”
Over the last few days, following the alleged murder of Hannah McGuire in Ballarat, many other politicians have voiced their concerns over gender-based violence.
“Hannah McGuire was loved by so many in the Clunes community and had a heart of gold,” wrote Victorian MP Martha Haylett, the member for Ripon, in a statement on social media. “My deepest condolences go out to her family at this devastating time.”
“Yet another cowardly murder of another woman,” Jason Wood MP, the federal member for La Trobe, wrote in a social media post. “My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.”
Zoe Daniel MP, the federal independent member for Goldstein, has been vocal on domestic violence in the House of Representatives, and also released a statement on McGuire’s alleged murder.
“Another woman is dead,” she said. “This must stop. Enough is enough.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
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