Thousands of people joined dozens of rallies around Australia in the last week to protest against sexism and gendered violence.
These were the key events raised during the rallies:
March 4 Justice organiser Janine Hendry appealed to the Deputy Prime Minister to act on a sexual harassment national inquiry report following Brittany Higgins experiences in parliament, stating the “system is broken”.
Sexual abuse survivor and Australian of the Year Grace Tame told crowds that “behaviour unspoken, behaviour ignored, is behaviour endorsed“.
People held signs saying “Women’s rights are human rights” and “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention”.
Due to some social structures, traditions, stereotypes and attitudes about women and their role in society, women do not always have the opportunity and ability to access and enforce their rights on the same basis as men – this includes equal pay for equal work.
While we’ve come a long way in the last 100 years, there are still many areas in Australian society in which women and girls experience unequal treatment.
Other factors that contribute to the gender pay gap include: discrimination, a lack of women in senior positions, a lack of part-time or flexible roles that accommodate for family responsibilities, and differences in education and work experience.
Violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights abuses in Australia and around the world.
One in three Australian women will experience violence in an intimate relationship, and one in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. Additionally, domestic violence is the biggest cause of homelessness for Australian women (Data from Australian Human Rights Commission).
Most victims of domestic violence who present to a psychologist for help are women and children. They often present with symptoms such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, flashbacks, anger, guilt or exhaustion.
Domestic violence is a learned behaviour. Children grow up thinking it is okay to use violence to get what they want, and that is normal for their adult relationships to be violent. The psychological, behavioural and emotional impacts of domestic and family violence will only improve when:
- The violence is no longer occurring
- Mothers and their children are safe
- They receive counselling and support.
So, it wasn’t surprising to see the reason why these recent rallies around Australia occurred. Australian women are not happy with what they or their ‘sisters in arms’ are experiencing.
During one of the rallies, a child held a sign reading “Is she nagging? Or is she being crushed under the weight of a centuries-old inequitable distribution of domestic and emotional labour, created and perpetuated by the patriarchy?”
Another speaker at one of the marches, former ALP MP for the NSW seat of Lindsay, Emma Hussar, said women were sick of being victim blamed.
This isn’t about strangers. It’s deeply personal, and it’s happening to people we know and care about.
(17th March, 2021)
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.
