Australia found itself gripped by a wave of impassioned activism over the weekend, as city after city bore witness to mass demonstrations calling for an end to violence against women. Men and women alike flooded the streets, declaring in unison that gendered violence has reached epidemic proportions and demanding tougher legislation to combat it.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also joined the protests in Canberra, saying all governments nationwide – including his own at the federal level – must make changes and focus more on stopping perpetrators. 

“Society and Australia must do better. We need to change the culture and we need to change attitudes. We need to change the legal system,” Albanese told the No More rally, organised by advocacy group What Were You Wearing.

“It’s not enough to support victims. We need to focus on the perpetrators, focus on prevention,” he added.

Protests spread throughout Australia

The protests, which garnered international attention, spanned across the continent, with 15 ‘No More: National Rally Against Gender Based Violence’ events held in major cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Hobart. In Sydney, an estimated 3,000 people gathered at the city’s parliament building, demanding stricter laws to hold perpetrators of violence against women accountable.

Greens Party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young echoed the sentiments of many, asserting in Adelaide the need for a “national emergency response” to confront gender-based violence head-on. “Women are sick and tired of being told, ‘Yes, it’s bad, but there’s not much we can do’,” Hanson-Young said.

In Melbourne, demonstrators gathered outside the State Library of Victoria before embarking on a march to Federation Square. Among them was a woman who could be seen marching with a red hand print across her mouth while holding a sign that read: “real men don’t commit acts of violence”. 

The rally witnessed a chorus of voices demanding systemic change, with placards proclaiming, “The system has failed us” and “Be careful, text me when you get home.”

Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, also joined in the protest, saying: “We need to stop talking about women’s safety and get on and tackle men’s violence, that’s the issue here.”

“It’s about men — for some men — their ongoing pattern of violence against women and how women deserve the right to be safe in every space,” Allan said.

Prime Minister Albanese’s participation in the Canberra rally underscored the gravity of the moment as he reaffirmed his commitment to walking alongside women in the struggle against violence. 

“I will walk with women across Australia to say enough is enough. Violence against women is an epidemic. We must do better,” Albanese wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

In Perth, protesters called for a change in the language surrounding violence, advocating for a shift towards terminology that holds perpetrators accountable. “Calling it male violence, or men’s violence, makes it necessary for men to pay attention and take responsibility, whereas both domestic and gender violence minimises it,” Clinical psychologist Carmel Cairney was quoted as saying by ABC News.

Writer Emmy Hee, who attended one of the rallies, told The Guardian, “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.”

‘Epidemic’ of violence against Australian women

The surge of activism comes in the wake of harrowing statistics revealing the extent of the crisis. Data compiled by campaign group Destroy the Joint revealed that 27 women had fallen victim to violence in the first 119 days of 2024 alone, averaging one woman’s death every four days. This alarming trend starkly contrasts with the figures from the previous year, reflecting a worrying escalation in violence against women.

The data further highlights the tragic deaths of five women stabbed by Joel Cauchi at a Bondi shopping centre on April 13. Video footage revealed Cauchi deliberately targeting women during the attack, prompting New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb to assert that Cauchi was evidently singling out women as his victims.

The perpetrator’s father later attributed his son’s actions to frustration stemming from a lack of a romantic partner.

In addition to this distressing incident, the community mourns the loss of Molly Ticehurst, aged 28, discovered deceased in her residence on Young Street, Forbes, over 370 km west of Sydney. Daniel Billings, her former partner, faces charges of murder (related to domestic violence) and breaching an apprehended violence order. At the time of Ticehurst’s alleged murder, Billings was out on bail following accusations of raping a woman, stalking her, damaging her property, and abusing a 12-week-old puppy.

Months prior to Ticehurst’s tragic death, a 65-year-old woman perished in a house fire in January, with her son now facing murder charges.

The community of Ballarat, Victoria, grieves for three local women—Rebecca Young, Samantha Murphy, and Hannah McGuire—who lost their lives to gender-based violence within a two-month period.

Causes of the escalation in violence against women in Australia

Experts attribute the surge in such crimes to misogyny, which has become alarmingly commonplace in Australia. Studies indicate that 23 per cent of Australian men deem it acceptable to use sexist or misogynistic language online, while nearly one in five find it permissible to share intimate images of women without consent.

Hate speech has also flourished online, including dehumanising women, glorifying violence, and advocating male supremacist ideologies.

Just last month, the Australian government allocated AUD $3.5 million in grants towards a trial aimed at combating “harmful gender stereotypes perpetuated online,” prompted by concerns raised by teachers regarding a rise in regressive masculinist ideologies embraced by influential figures like Andrew Tate.

Government interventions

While the federal government has been actively developing the National Plan to End Domestic Violence, criticisms have been directed at its execution.

In a bid to address the issue, last year the government announced the introduction of a new tracker, providing quarterly updates on intimate partner homicides on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This initiative aims to furnish law enforcement, governments, and policymakers with accurate, real-time data.

Despite calls for a royal commission into domestic violence, Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus advocated for collaborative efforts between federal, state, and territory governments, stressing the importance of implementing existing strategies.

“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 was quoted as saying by The Guardian.