More than 200 people gathered at Hyde Park North on Gadigal Country/Sydney for the National Day of Action on May 10 to protest violence against women. Hundreds more joined in 17 protests, organised by What You Were Wearing? (WWYW), in cities across the country.
Wiradjuri woman and City of Sydney councillor Yvonne Weldon, Lauren Dunn, a survivor, Mia Findlay from the eating disorder support group What Mia Did Next and Sarah Rosenberg from With You we Can.
The protests demanded all governments commit to “long-term, sustainable funding to evidence-based funding” for primary prevention in schools, workplaces, media and communities with programs to be co-designed by First Nations, LGBTIQ and disability-led organisations.
They called for safe housing for domestic violence survivors. They said policing, healthcare and legal first responders need to be better trained and called for bail reform to end the release of systemic violent offenders.
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The rallies called for national, uniform definitions of consent and sexual violence across the country and massive government funding increase for Aboriginal led services, women’s crisis and DV services, men’s behaviour programs and legal centres.
“They say our justice system is ours, but it is not ours,” Rosenberg said. “Police dismiss violence against women.” Dunn said that one woman is killed every week by their partner, adding this is a “national crisis and the media has blood on its hands.
“They soften the language when describing male perpetrators when they are in power or in sport. They say it’s because of ‘troubled relationships’, ‘drugs or alcohol’, not violence and abuse and criminal actions against vulnerable women.”
Weldon thanked the organisers for asking her to speak, saying, “My people are constantly weaponised”. “They have used the Welcome to Country as this, or even if we need to be acknowledged. When this happens it dispossesses us further.” Weldon said a lot could be done “when we do things together” and urge the largely female crowd not to stay silent against “all forms of violence”.
Findlay said: “We rally, volunteer, organise, keep underfunded shelters open, runs support groups for survivors on financial fumes, offer free legal aid, hold policy makers to account.
“Every day we dig in to the world of our own trauma and turn it in to life lines for other women. Unpaid and unsupported. We have done our part, Prime Minister, now you do yours!”
The rally ended with the names of murdered victims over 2024 and 2025 being read out loud. They included Zomi Frankcom, an Australian aid worker working in Gaza, who was murdered by an Israeli air strike while delivering food.
More than 15,900 people have signed the WWYW petition.
About 300 people joined the protest in Boorloo/Perth. Australian Femicide Watch said at least 128 women have been killed since January 1, 2024, including at least 25 this year alone.
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