Five women in Australia have been killed in the last ten days, as calls for stronger action against domestic violence grow louder.
A woman in Perth, Western Australia, is the latest victim of male violence after police discovered her body in a hotel room at Crown Towers on Monday morning.
A 42-year-old man was with the woman with suspected serious self-inflicted injuries. He was taken to Royal Perth Hospital but has since been discharged and is now in police custody.
Women’s Agenda understands the man and the woman knew each other, as authorities continue to investigate the situation.
The woman’s death brings the total number of femicides to 43 in 2023, five of which have occurred in just ten days, according to figures from Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women.
Yesterday, a man was arrested in Bendigo, Victoria, after police discovered a woman unresponsive in her home, who later died in hospital.
It is understood her two primary school aged daughters, who were with her when police arrived, made the call to emergency services.
‘It’s time to ignite a new conversation.’
The recent deaths related to male violence, including the death of 22-year-old Lillie James in Sydney, NSW, have sparked outrage from organisations addressing the national problem of domestic violence.
Respect Victoria, an organisation focused on the drivers of violence against women, is calling for change, with acting CEO Jacquie O’Brien calling these latest deaths “devastating and preventable”.
“All women deserve to be safe in their homes, relationships, workplaces, and when dating someone new,” O’Brien said.
“We can only prevent violence from happening by changing the underlying social conditions that produce violent behaviour – the attitudes which excuse, justify or even promote it.”
Conor Pall, the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council Deputy Chair, said harmful stereotypes of masculinity play a role in the perpetuation of male violence.
“We know that the majority of victims – regardless of gender – experience violence from a male perpetrator,” Pall said.
“It’s time to retire the toxic ‘boys will be boys’ attitudes that continue to drive violence against women. It’s time to ignite a new conversation about being a man in a gender-equal society.”
‘The media must step up.’
Last week, Respect Victoria joined a number of other organisations in the state, including Djirra, GENVic, No to Violence and Safe and Equal, in a statement against misogyny in the Australian media.
The statement, referring to The Herald Sun’s “sexist, harmful and tiresome” cartoon of Premier Jacinta Allen, said it’s up to the media to promote equality and shape our culture for good.
“This conversation is bigger than one misogynistic cartoon,” the statement read.
“It’s about headlines that paint men who murder their partners as ‘good blokes’, it’s disempowering images used in stories about family violence that show women cowering in the shadows.
“It’s articles that lean into racist or ableist stereotypes, that sexualise women and girls, that aim to take down women in positions of power, and that minimise violence using sexist ‘jokes’.”
The statement placed the onus on journalists, editors, producers and cartoonists to join in the fight in preventing violence against women from happening.
“Instead of making a mockery of women’s bodies, the media could be running stories and using images that amplify women’s voices, that challenge inequality, that model healthy relationships and that show younger generations that we can be better than this,” the statement read.
“To ensure that all women are safe and equal in this country, the media must step up and play its part.”
The government’s plan
The Australian government launched the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children last year. It is a ten-year plan targeting all sectors of society to prevent, intervene, respond to and recover from family and domestic violence.
Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon from Monash University said the recent deaths represent only “the tip of the iceberg” of what she describes as a “national crisis”, calling on stronger government action.
“Australia’s National Plan commits to ending gender-based violence in one
generation,” she said.
“To achieve this, we urgently need increased action, funding and
political attention on the insecurity of women and children in their homes and
workplaces.”
Professor Fitz-Gibbon said it is possible to prevent intimate partner femicide through long-term commitments and investment into prevention.
“If we do not invest fully in prevention, we will continue to see the horrific impacts of this violence for generations to come,” she said.
“The status quo is not delivering the transformational commitment to end gender-based violence in one generation. An escalation in efforts and an increase in funding is urgently required.”
If you are concerned about your behaviour, or about someone using violence, call Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
If you or someone you know is in need of help due to sexual assault or family and domestic violence contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
In an emergency call 000.
UPDATED 1/11/23 – The figures on the total number of women killed by family and domestic violence were changed on 1/11/23 to reflect the data from Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women.