Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, recently labeled the violence against women as an “epidemic” in his country. As thousands of people gathered in cities across Australia, they demanded tougher legislation regarding gender-based violence. Albanese iterated that the government, including himself, needs to do better and vowed to join the rallies on X, previously known as Twitter.
The recent rallies were spurred by a mass-stabbing incident that happened in Sydney, which seemed to target women specifically. Alarming statistics reveal that a woman in Australia has been killed approximately every four days this year, which depicts a stark increase from the previous year’s rates. In 2023, a woman was killed roughly every week.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus dismissed proposals for a royal commission into domestic violence. He indicated that the issue could best be addressed through collaboration efforts between the federal government and state and territorial governments. Despite this, protesters continue to demand a more comprehensive policy change and a deeper examination of cultural issues required to combat domestic violence.
The “What Were You Wearing” not-for-profit group orchestrated the rallies that took place all over Australia. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that around one-third of women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence, mostly at the hands of intimate partners. In 2020 alone, more than 47,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members. This equates to a femicide every 11 minutes. Progress is being made in some countries through legal reforms and advocacy, but many cultural barriers still exist.
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