PM declares it a ‘national crises’ and an ‘epidemic’
Gender based violence is not uncommon throughout the world. Australia is no exception to misogynistic crimes. A man in a shopping centre in Bondi, Sydney terrorised and killed 6 people this month. Out of the 6, five victims were women. It has been speculated that the man was targeting women in particular.
But this is not the only case, a recent statistical report states that a woman is killed in Australia every 4 days. 27 women have been killed by a partner in the first 119 days of 2024, according to data by the campaign group Destroy the Joint. Women have been a target of sexual assault, intimate partner homicide, murders and rapes in Australia.
In the past week alone, a 28-year-old mother was allegedly killed by her partner, who was already facing charges of raping and stalking her but had been released on bail. Many have now come out to the streets in protest. Major cities like Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Newcastle and Melbourne, have been flooding with demonstrators.
Image Source: Deccan Herald
Advocacy organizations are calling on the government to officially recognize violence against women as a national emergency following the reported deaths of three women at the hands of individuals known to them this week.
Discrimination against women is ancient to Australia
Such protests are not new to Australia. In 2021, there were massive gatherings with tens of thousands of people protesting against allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior involving some of the top political positions in the country. These marches occurred nationwide, addressing concerns about sexual misconduct both within the parliament and society as a whole.
According to an organisation, OurWatch, 2 in 5 women (39%) in Australia have experienced violence since the age of 15 and men are more commonly the perpetrators of physical violence, sexual harassment and sexual violence.
Sarah Williams, from advocacy group What Were You Wearing Australia said during the recent protests, “Just simply not being enough done and it’s really devastating that it’s three years on and we’re probably in a worse situation than we were in 2021.”
PM calls it a ‘national crises’ and an ‘epidemic’
Image Source: South China Morning Post
On Sunday, the Prime Minister joined numerous Australians in participating in protests held nationwide. Taking to platform X, Mr. Albanese expressed his deep concern over the distressing reality that a woman has lost her life every four days since the beginning of this year. With a strong call to action, he emphasized that it is not solely the responsibility of women to address the issue of violence against them.
In his statement, Mr. Albanese underscored the urgent need for governments to do better in tackling this pervasive problem.
Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has convened an urgent gathering of the country’s leaders to tackle the pressing issue of violence against women. Mr. Albanese will be hosting a meeting of the national cabinet on Wednesday. This cabinet comprises leaders from the federal, state, and territory levels, and their discussions will revolve around formulating effective strategies to prevent male violence targeting women.
As the country faces an alarming increase in gender-based violence and a wider examination of how women are treated in government, protests are taking place in state capitals across Australia. These demonstrations highlight a crucial moment of societal and political transformation in the country.
