Rallies were held in 14 cities and towns across the country to demand an end to violence against women and femicide. The national day of action was organised by Australian Femicide Watch (AFW) and the Red Heart Campaign on March 15.
AFW tracks the number of women and children killed in Australia. Since January 2024, 117 women and 20 children have been killed, often by partners or family members.
Protests called on governments to take serious action to address violence against women and femicide, including more funding for support services.
Hundreds marched from the Magistrate’s Court to the Roma Street Police Station and then to King George Square in Magan-djin/Brisbane.
Moving speakers, including survivors and advocates, spoke out against male violence against women.
The protest in Naarm/Melbourne heard from survivors and families of women who had been killed. It also heard from independent Senator Lidia Thorpe and Sherele Moody, journalist, researcher and founder of AFW and the Red Heart Campaign.
“Gendered violence is a man's problem, it’s not a woman's problem to solve,” Moody said, noting that it was mostly women who attended the rallies.
“Women are more than numbers on a list. Those we've lost are still gone when the counter resets each year.”
Justine, the mother of Isla Bell, a 19-year-old who was killed in Naarm in October last year, asked: “‘Where is the accountability? Where is the consequence?”
Images of Bell and the 116 other women killed since January last year were displayed across the country.
