Thousands of protesters took to the streets in various cities and towns across the nation over the weekend, demanding action to end gendered and sexual violence.
Marking the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, observed throughout the month of May, the rallies aim to raise community awareness of the impacts of gendered violence and the support available to those affected.
Women, men and children gathered in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and regional centres including Newcastle and Toowoomba to march in The No More: National Rally Against Violence, arguing that the crisis of gendered violence had not been adequately addressed during the federal election campaign.
Founder of the organisation working to end sexual violence, What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, appeared on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday, telling a crowd of over two thousand, “We need to be able to stop it before it starts.”
During the protest, Williams was interviewed by AAP, where she elaborated on the need for more preventative action.
“We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws,” she said.
Williams also expressed her desire to see more men attend the rallies.
“Men listen to men … we need more male role models out there,” Williams said, adding that additional funding should be put into consent and healthy relationship education in schools. She also suggested community sporting clubs and major codes could contribute in reaching different generations.
Williams urged the government to parter with a wider range of organisations and advocates in the frontline services sector to tackle the issue.
Since January 1 last year, a total of 128 women have been killed by violence, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. In Melbourne, its founder, Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the deceased women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne’s parliament steps.
“We’re here because men keep killing us,” she said. “Violence against women is primarily a male problem … it’s not a women’s problem to solve but it’s women who are the ones who do the work.”
Moody added that ministers and leaders ought to collaborate with frontline services to work out a strategy. “All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides,” she said.
Similar rallies took place in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, and Brisbane. Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins attended the rally in Brisbane, carrying a sign that read: “25 women killed and still not an election issue.”
More than two hundred protesters were present, with some carrying signs reading “We weren’t asking for it” and “Weak laws cost lives.”
The rallies called for a range of interventions, including a government-run national domestic violence register to track the issue, funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and more funding for primary prevention programs.
The rally organisers also said that mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should be introduced.
In April, the Labor government announced plans to end financial abuse and target perpetrators “who exploit financial systems to harm their victims.”
It also pledged $8.6 million to boost innovative perpetrator responses – like electronic monitoring and ankle bracelets on high-risk perpetrators, intensive behaviour change programs, and specialist early interventions for young people.
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.
Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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