Violence against women rallies: thousands attend protests as Mark Dreyfus rules out royal commission

Thousands Rally in Sydney Calling for an End to Violence Against Women

Thousands of people have rallied in Sydney calling for an end to violence against women amid growing anger at the number of those being killed in violent attacks across the country.

No More: National Rallies Against Gender-Based Violence

• Sydney

• Hobart

• Adelaide

National rallies against gender-based violence were held in Sydney, Hobart, and Adelaide on Saturday, with more due to be held across the country on Sunday, calling for greater action, including calls for a royal commission, to address the epidemic of women killed in violent attacks.

Rejecting the Idea of a Royal Commission

It comes as the federal attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, rejected the idea of holding a royal commission into domestic violence, saying that it should be dealt with via cooperation between the federal government working with state and territory governments.

“I think we’ve actually identified a whole range of actions already that need to be taken, and I think what we probably can say is that we need to be working harder on the kinds of actions that have already been identified,” he said.

Sydney Rally Demands Policy and Cultural Change

The Sydney crowd chanted and sang as they marched from Belmore Park to Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD, before speakers demanded policy and cultural change to address the violence.

Organised by advocacy group What Were You Wearing (WWYW), the rally was attended by people young and old, many holding signs calling for an end to violence, and greater accountability.

Alarming Statistics

Twenty-six women have been violently killed in the first 114 days of the year, according to data compiled by advocacy group Destroy the Joint’s project Counting Dead Women.

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Government Officials Join the Rally

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is due to attend the rally in Canberra, with the minister for women, Katy Gallagher.

In a statement posted to X, Albanese said a woman had been killed every four days so far this year.

Outrage and Demand for Action

Protesters said they were “horrified” and “outraged” by the growing violence, with figures from the Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women and Femicide Watch’s Red Heart Campaign showing that an average of one woman is murdered in domestic violence incidents every four days across the country. Last year, that figure was one woman a week.

Voices from the Rally

“I’m here today because I am horrified at the continued number of deaths and serious assaults against women in this country,” said Siobhan Ferguson, one of the protesters at the rally on Saturday.

“Not enough is being done, in my opinion, to change people’s mindset and to change legislation.”

But Ferguson said she felt heartened by the turnout, that stretched through the city and closed multiple major streets.

“I get the sense there are a broad range of feelings but I’d say people are disappointed and angry, predominantly, and wanting action.”

“They want to see things moving, they’re trying to raise awareness,” she said.

The writer Emmy Hee said she had attended because she was “incensed” by the violence women have been facing.

“We’re just incensed by the loss of life, and by the beautiful women who’ve had their lives cut short, and if ever there was a time to come together, it’s now.”

She added: “I think we can build from here, I can feel the momentum.”

Rallies Across Australia

Speaking at a press conference in Ipswich, Queensland on Saturday morning, Dreyfus added that the rallies organised over the weekend reflected the huge level of community distress about the number of women who are dying in violent incidents.

“We have in this country an epidemic of male violence and we all need to step up. We need to do more about it. What these rallies are about are reflecting that level of community distress.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• SDG 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of women killed in violent attacks
• Number of rallies and protests against violence towards women
• Level of community distress about the number of women dying in violent incidents

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Fuente: theguardian.com

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