Latest news with #WhatWereYouWearing
Business Mayor
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
Rallies held around Australia against sexual violence, anger that crisis not properly addressed during election
Tens of thousands of people have marched across Australian capital cities and regional towns calling for determined action to end gendered and sexual violence. Advocates say the crisis was not properly addressed during the federal election campaign, with funding pledges 'barely even hitting the sides'. The No More: National Rally Against Violence saw protesters gather in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and in many regional centres. Founder of support organisation What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, called for more preventive action. 'We need to be able to stop it before it starts,' she told a two-thousand-strong crowd on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday. 'We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws,' she later told AAP. People marching against sexual violence in Brisbane. Photograph: Darren England/AAP Similar rallies were held simultaneously in every state capital as well as several regional cities and towns. Hundreds met in Sydney's Hyde Park while the regional centres of Newcastle and Wollongong saw a similar turnout, including the family and friends of Mackenzie Anderson, a young mother who was stabbed 78 times and brutally murdered by her former partner in 2022. Hundreds more rallied in Brisbane, carrying signs reading 'We weren't asking for it' and 'Weak laws cost lives.' In the lead-up to the rallies, organisers urged more men to attend and take accountability for violence against women. 'Men listen to men … we need more male role models out there,' Ms Williams said. Read More Trowers & Hamlins blames inflation for 'unchanged' profits Consent and healthy relationship education should be expanded to more schools with additional funding, and sporting clubs and major codes could also play a role in reaching different generations, she said. Since 1 January last year, 128 women have been killed, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. Its founder Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne's Parliament steps. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion 'We're here because men keep killing us,' she said. 'Violence against women is primarily a male problem … it's not a women's problem to solve but it's women who are the ones who do the work.' Advocates say a government-run national domestic violence register is desperately needed to track the issue. The rallies also called for fully funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and increased funding for primary prevention programs. Mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should also be rolled out, organisers said. The re-elected Labor government previously promised to prevent domestic violence perpetrators from abusing tax and superannuation systems. It has also pledged to invest more funding to stop high-risk perpetrators through electronic monitoring. But Moody said ministers and leaders needed to sit down with frontline services to figure out what works. 'All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides,' she said.
Herald Sun
10-05-2025
- Herald Sun
No More rally: Hundreds gather in Adelaide to protest violence against women
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Eleven years ago, Stacey Nelan called the police to save her from a man she had once loved. 'I had broken up with him on so many occasions, asking him to leave my home. He wouldn't leave, and so on that final day when the situation escalated, I knew I needed to call the police to come and save me. There was no other option,' she said. Standing on the steps of Parliament House on Saturday, Ms Nelan joined hundreds of people who rallied for the end of domestic violence. One of seventeen Australia-wide over the weekend, the 'No More' rally – organised by non-for-profit What Were You Wearing – called for change including investments in primary prevention, trauma-informed training for first responders and reformed bail laws to prioritise victim-survivor safety. Ms Nelan, who stood and shared her story in front of the crowd, said she had spent three years with a man she never knew had prior convictions against him. 'I found out he had a different name to the one I had known him by,' she said. 'It turned out he had convictions against him for things he'd done to other women in other states, but because he'd changed his name legally, those convictions never followed him. 'That fear and terror is something that you cannot articulate. In the end he went to court and got a good behaviour bond.' She said that after she started advocating for victim-survivors, other women reached out to her letting her know they'd encountered her abuser on dating apps. 'He was a horrific bully who got his giggles out of what he did,' she said.* 'It took a long time to come to terms with the fact that the man I had loved and given my everything to could do the things that he did. Eleven years down the track, there has been change in many ways, but women are still being killed at greater rates. There's so much more we need to do to change the way we think. To understand that a sexist joke can end up with a dead woman.' On the bottom step below Parliament House, 31 hearts with the names of the 24 women and seven children killed by violence already this year lined the ground, but organisers said that number was already outdated. The 25th woman allegedly murdered in 2025, Talulah Koopman was found with critical stab wounds at a home in Elizabeth on Thursday evening. Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic Violence Katrine Hildyard said the state government was committed to making real change. 'The ongoing prevalence of horrific violence against women, the gender inequality, is absolutely unacceptable,' she said. 'We know we need to do more. Our Royal Commission will be with us in a matter of weeks and this provides us with a once in a generation opportunity to look at our system, and make sure that we get it right.' Originally published as Hundreds gather at No More violence rally in Adelaide, survivor Stacey Nelan shares her story
The Guardian
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Large rallies held protesting sexual violence, anger that crisis not properly addressed during election
Tens of thousands of people have marched across Australian capital cities and regional towns calling for determined action to end gendered and sexual violence. Advocates say the crisis was not properly addressed during the federal election campaign, with funding pledges 'barely even hitting the sides'. The No More: National Rally Against Violence saw protesters gather in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and in many regional centres. Founder of support organisation What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, called for more preventive action. 'We need to be able to stop it before it starts,' she told a two-thousand-strong crowd on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday. 'We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws,' she later told AAP. Similar rallies were held simultaneously in every state capital as well as several regional cities and towns. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Hundreds met in Sydney's Hyde Park while the regional centres of Newcastle and Wollongong saw a similar turnout, including the family and friends of Mackenzie Anderson, a young mother who was stabbed 78 times and brutally murdered by her former partner in 2022. Hundreds more rallied in Brisbane, carrying signs reading 'We weren't asking for it' and 'Weak laws cost lives.' In the lead-up to the rallies, organisers urged more men to attend and take accountability for violence against women. 'Men listen to men … we need more male role models out there,' Ms Williams said. Consent and healthy relationship education should be expanded to more schools with additional funding, and sporting clubs and major codes could also play a role in reaching different generations, she said. Since 1 January last year, 128 women have been killed, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. Its founder Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne's Parliament steps. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'We're here because men keep killing us,' she said. 'Violence against women is primarily a male problem … it's not a women's problem to solve but it's women who are the ones who do the work.' Advocates say a government-run national domestic violence register is desperately needed to track the issue. The rallies also called for fully funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and increased funding for primary prevention programs. Mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should also be rolled out, organisers said. The re-elected Labor government previously promised to prevent domestic violence perpetrators from abusing tax and superannuation systems. It has also pledged to invest more funding to stop high-risk perpetrators through electronic monitoring. But Moody said ministers and leaders needed to sit down with frontline services to figure out what works. 'All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides,' she said. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via Use the following endnote if a story is about a murder/suicide: In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via
The Advertiser
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'Men keep killing us': nationwide rallies plea for help
Tens of thousands of men, women and children have marched across Australian capital cities and regional towns calling for determined action to end gendered and sexual violence. Advocates say the issue was not properly addressed during the federal election campaign, with funding pledges "barely even hitting the sides". The No More: National Rally Against Violence saw attendees gather in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and regional centres in between. Founder of support organisation What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, called for more preventative action. "We need to be able to stop it before it starts," she told a two-thousand-strong crowd on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday. "We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws," she later told AAP. Similar rallies played out almost simultaneously in every state capital as well as several regional cities and towns. Hundreds met in Sydney's Hyde Park while the regional centres of Newcastle and Wollongong saw a similar turnout, including the family and friends of Mackenzie Anderson, a young mother who was stabbed 78 times and brutally murdered by her former partner in 2022. Hundreds more rallied in Brisbane, carrying signs reading "We weren't asking for it" and "Weak laws cost lives." Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who accused ex-colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House, was also at the rally with a sign reading: "25 women killed and still not an election issue." In the lead-up to the rallies, organisers urged more men to attend and take accountability over violence against women. "Men listen to men ... we need more male role models out there," Ms Williams said. Consent and healthy relationship education should be expanded to more schools with additional funding, and community sporting clubs and major codes could also play a role in reaching different generations, she said. A total of 128 women have been killed since January 1 last year, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. Its founder Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne's Parliament steps. "We're here because men keep killing us," she said. "Violence against women is primarily a male problem ... it's not a women's problem to solve but it's women who are the ones who do the work." Advocates say a government-run national domestic violence register is desperately needed to track the issue. Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, marked each May, is an opportunity to raise community awareness of the impacts of violence and the support available to those affected. The rallies also called for fully funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and increased funding for primary prevention programs. Mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should also be rolled out, organisers said. The re-elected Labor government previously promised to prevent domestic violence perpetrators from abusing tax and superannuation systems. It has also pledged to invest more funding to stop high-risk perpetrators through electronic monitoring. But Ms Moody said ministers and leaders needed to sit down with frontline services to figure out what works. "All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides," she told AAP. Ms Williams also said the government should engage with a wider range of organisations and advocates in the sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Tens of thousands of men, women and children have marched across Australian capital cities and regional towns calling for determined action to end gendered and sexual violence. Advocates say the issue was not properly addressed during the federal election campaign, with funding pledges "barely even hitting the sides". The No More: National Rally Against Violence saw attendees gather in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and regional centres in between. Founder of support organisation What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, called for more preventative action. "We need to be able to stop it before it starts," she told a two-thousand-strong crowd on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday. "We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws," she later told AAP. Similar rallies played out almost simultaneously in every state capital as well as several regional cities and towns. Hundreds met in Sydney's Hyde Park while the regional centres of Newcastle and Wollongong saw a similar turnout, including the family and friends of Mackenzie Anderson, a young mother who was stabbed 78 times and brutally murdered by her former partner in 2022. Hundreds more rallied in Brisbane, carrying signs reading "We weren't asking for it" and "Weak laws cost lives." Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who accused ex-colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House, was also at the rally with a sign reading: "25 women killed and still not an election issue." In the lead-up to the rallies, organisers urged more men to attend and take accountability over violence against women. "Men listen to men ... we need more male role models out there," Ms Williams said. Consent and healthy relationship education should be expanded to more schools with additional funding, and community sporting clubs and major codes could also play a role in reaching different generations, she said. A total of 128 women have been killed since January 1 last year, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. Its founder Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne's Parliament steps. "We're here because men keep killing us," she said. "Violence against women is primarily a male problem ... it's not a women's problem to solve but it's women who are the ones who do the work." Advocates say a government-run national domestic violence register is desperately needed to track the issue. Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, marked each May, is an opportunity to raise community awareness of the impacts of violence and the support available to those affected. The rallies also called for fully funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and increased funding for primary prevention programs. Mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should also be rolled out, organisers said. The re-elected Labor government previously promised to prevent domestic violence perpetrators from abusing tax and superannuation systems. It has also pledged to invest more funding to stop high-risk perpetrators through electronic monitoring. But Ms Moody said ministers and leaders needed to sit down with frontline services to figure out what works. "All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides," she told AAP. Ms Williams also said the government should engage with a wider range of organisations and advocates in the sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Tens of thousands of men, women and children have marched across Australian capital cities and regional towns calling for determined action to end gendered and sexual violence. Advocates say the issue was not properly addressed during the federal election campaign, with funding pledges "barely even hitting the sides". The No More: National Rally Against Violence saw attendees gather in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and regional centres in between. Founder of support organisation What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, called for more preventative action. "We need to be able to stop it before it starts," she told a two-thousand-strong crowd on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday. "We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws," she later told AAP. Similar rallies played out almost simultaneously in every state capital as well as several regional cities and towns. Hundreds met in Sydney's Hyde Park while the regional centres of Newcastle and Wollongong saw a similar turnout, including the family and friends of Mackenzie Anderson, a young mother who was stabbed 78 times and brutally murdered by her former partner in 2022. Hundreds more rallied in Brisbane, carrying signs reading "We weren't asking for it" and "Weak laws cost lives." Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who accused ex-colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House, was also at the rally with a sign reading: "25 women killed and still not an election issue." In the lead-up to the rallies, organisers urged more men to attend and take accountability over violence against women. "Men listen to men ... we need more male role models out there," Ms Williams said. Consent and healthy relationship education should be expanded to more schools with additional funding, and community sporting clubs and major codes could also play a role in reaching different generations, she said. A total of 128 women have been killed since January 1 last year, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. Its founder Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne's Parliament steps. "We're here because men keep killing us," she said. "Violence against women is primarily a male problem ... it's not a women's problem to solve but it's women who are the ones who do the work." Advocates say a government-run national domestic violence register is desperately needed to track the issue. Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, marked each May, is an opportunity to raise community awareness of the impacts of violence and the support available to those affected. The rallies also called for fully funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and increased funding for primary prevention programs. Mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should also be rolled out, organisers said. The re-elected Labor government previously promised to prevent domestic violence perpetrators from abusing tax and superannuation systems. It has also pledged to invest more funding to stop high-risk perpetrators through electronic monitoring. But Ms Moody said ministers and leaders needed to sit down with frontline services to figure out what works. "All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides," she told AAP. Ms Williams also said the government should engage with a wider range of organisations and advocates in the sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Tens of thousands of men, women and children have marched across Australian capital cities and regional towns calling for determined action to end gendered and sexual violence. Advocates say the issue was not properly addressed during the federal election campaign, with funding pledges "barely even hitting the sides". The No More: National Rally Against Violence saw attendees gather in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and regional centres in between. Founder of support organisation What Were You Wearing, Sarah Williams, called for more preventative action. "We need to be able to stop it before it starts," she told a two-thousand-strong crowd on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on Saturday. "We need more funding for primary prevention, more trauma-informed response training for police, increased crisis housing, bail law reform and uniform consent laws," she later told AAP. Similar rallies played out almost simultaneously in every state capital as well as several regional cities and towns. Hundreds met in Sydney's Hyde Park while the regional centres of Newcastle and Wollongong saw a similar turnout, including the family and friends of Mackenzie Anderson, a young mother who was stabbed 78 times and brutally murdered by her former partner in 2022. Hundreds more rallied in Brisbane, carrying signs reading "We weren't asking for it" and "Weak laws cost lives." Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who accused ex-colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House, was also at the rally with a sign reading: "25 women killed and still not an election issue." In the lead-up to the rallies, organisers urged more men to attend and take accountability over violence against women. "Men listen to men ... we need more male role models out there," Ms Williams said. Consent and healthy relationship education should be expanded to more schools with additional funding, and community sporting clubs and major codes could also play a role in reaching different generations, she said. A total of 128 women have been killed since January 1 last year, according to the Australian Femicide Watch website. Its founder Sherele Moody read aloud the names of the women as images of their faces were laid before Melbourne's Parliament steps. "We're here because men keep killing us," she said. "Violence against women is primarily a male problem ... it's not a women's problem to solve but it's women who are the ones who do the work." Advocates say a government-run national domestic violence register is desperately needed to track the issue. Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, marked each May, is an opportunity to raise community awareness of the impacts of violence and the support available to those affected. The rallies also called for fully funded frontline domestic violence services, expanded crisis accommodation and increased funding for primary prevention programs. Mandatory trauma-informed training for all first responders should also be rolled out, organisers said. The re-elected Labor government previously promised to prevent domestic violence perpetrators from abusing tax and superannuation systems. It has also pledged to invest more funding to stop high-risk perpetrators through electronic monitoring. But Ms Moody said ministers and leaders needed to sit down with frontline services to figure out what works. "All the safety nets have holes in them and the funding barely even hits the sides," she told AAP. Ms Williams also said the government should engage with a wider range of organisations and advocates in the sector. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
ABC News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Protesters across country demand end to violence against women during What Were You Wearing? rallies
Protests have been held in Australian cities today, with people of all ages calling for an end to violence against women. Indigenous-led not-for-profit organisation What Were You Wearing? led the rallies, which asked for more government investment in prevention and crisis support services, mandated trauma-informed training for first responders, nationally consistent and holistic consent laws, housing security, and bail reform to prioritise victim-survivor safety. About 250 women, men and children marched in Brisbane on Saturday, many of them carrying signs with powerful messages. The crowd heard from seven speakers, including victim-survivors and community leaders who shared their personal stories. Brittany Higgins — who was last year found, on the balance of probabilities, to have been raped by Bruce Lehrmann at Parliament House in 2019 — attended the rally but did not speak publicly. Pictured among other women attending the Brisbane rally, Ms Higgins was holding a sign that said: "25 women killed and still not an election issue." The sign refers to the 25 women who have been killed between January 13 and May 9 this year, according to figures from Australian Femicide Watch. March organiser Brooke Gillham said the national rallies showed solidarity with victims of domestic and gendered violence. "I'm here today as a victim-survivor, and that makes me really passionate about the cause and really passionate to get true systemic change," she said. The march started at Reddacliff Place, continued along Queen Street, and looped closed-off CBD streets. In Melbourne's CBD, hundreds of people gathered on the steps of state parliament to call for an end to violence against women. Australian Femicide Watch founder Sherele Moody voiced her frustration about what she described as authorities' lack of action to combat violence against women. "Can't believe we're doing this s*** again, but here we are", she told the crowd on Saturday afternoon. One by one, she read out the names, ages and locations of all the Australian women killed by acts of violence since January last year. British gender equality activist Gina Martin spoke to the crowd about the Australian women who had been killed this year. "They matter, their stories matter, their legacies really matter," she said. "We honour them, not just in words, but in our actions." She also called out the vandals who defaced a Hosier Lane mural in the heart of the city last week, labelling them "cowards". The She Matters mural — bearing the names, pictures and artistic images of more than 100 Australian women who were allegedly murdered or died due to violence — was spray-painted with the words "war on men" on International Women's Day. Another speaker told the Melbourne crowd: "Women don't need any more talkfests from the government. What they need is action." Protesters gathered outside of Parliament House in Canberra to demand action from the re-elected federal government, which now includes more women than ever before. On social media, What Were You Wearing? called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "speak on violence against women now", citing an online petition that had amassed more than 15,600 signatures.
