‘Violence against women doesn’t stop for the weather and neither do we’.
The rain didn’t stop hundreds of Melbournians protesting ongoing violence against women in Australia. Arranged by the indigenous-led organisation ‘What were you wearing?’ (WWYW), the rallies are calling for urgent change and support from men as well as the federal government, to eliminate gender-based violence.
WWYW is a not-for-profit currently working against sexual assault, striving for ‘advocacy, education and awareness’.
The rally was one of 25 happening nationwide on the weekend, after rising tensions due to 54 women having lost their lives so far in 2024 due to men’s violence.
“One death is more than enough,” WWYW founder Sarah Williams said to the crowd at Carlton Gardens.
Melbourne’s rally met at the State Library where hundreds of women, children and men gathered with signs calling for action and justice.
“I’m just sick of women being killed,” said Kathy Johnstone, a rally attendee from Seymour.
“How many more women have to die before there’s actually action?”
The march was led down Latrobe Street where the crowd chanted “Say it once, say it again, No excuse for violent men!”
The march finished in Carlton Gardens, where a lineup of speakers took the stage and addressed the crowd.
Among the line-up of speakers was Bianca and Boyd Unwin, the sister and father of victim Katie Hayley, who was murdered by her partner Shane Robertson in 2018 with their 11-month-old daughter sleeping in the room next door at the time.
On Saturday, Katie’s daughter stood on stage in front of hundreds alongside her family holding a heartbreaking sign of her mother with the words ‘My Mummy’ written next to it.
“Not all men are violent but most don’t call it out,” Boyd Unwin said in his address, continuing by saying “By being silent, you are complicit in enabling their behaviour,”.
A petition was handed around the crowd at the beginning of the rally for Mandatory Trauma-informed training for first responders, which currently has over 3500 signatures and will be put forth to the Senate in parliament when support is gained.
The description of the petition found on change.org states “There has been a prominent number of reports and concerns of victims of sexual and domestic violence experiencing victim-blaming attitudes and re-traumatisation from first responders when seeking help following the events of such violence.”
WWYW says by implementing mandatory trauma-informed training, victims would feel safer reporting unsafe situations, ensure they receive sufficient care and wouldn’t be re-traumatised by victim-blaming attitudes.
WWYW had a successful petition in June 2023 to amend the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) in NSW, implicating mandatory training on drink spiking and sexual violence for bar staff and security guards.
Popular actress and activist Chloe Hayden was on the speaker lineup but unfortunately couldn’t attend due to a bacterial lung infection.
She took to Instagram apologising for her absence in a statement saying “Unfortunately, I know that yesterday won’t be our last rally, and I will be there screaming for the world, for men, for politicians, to hear, when the next inevitably comes”.
Previous rallies were held nationwide in April and saw some success with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declaring gender-based violence a “national crisis”, however, the issue is far from fixed.
Anthony Albanese stated at a previous rally in Canberra, “It's not just the government's problem. It's a problem of our entire society.”
Bianca Unwin responded to this in her speech saying “How can society change if the government won’t lead by example?”
WWYW are prepared to continue advocating for survivors and rally again if change isn’t seen.
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