- Urgent national cabinet meeting to address men’s violence against women
- Thousands rally nationwide, demanding concrete actions from government
- Albanese calls for cultural change and focus on offenders’ prevention
Wednesday will see the convening of an urgent national cabinet meeting regarding men’s violence against women. In his address, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the need for all administrations, including his own at the federal level, to reform and place greater emphasis on apprehending offenders.
While participating in a series of nationwide rallies this weekend in support of violence prevention, senior ministers and Albanese refrained from announcing new funding or policies. However, the prime minister stated that public attitudes towards the scourge of abuse needed to change. Attendees of a large rally outside Parliament House implored the government to “walk the walk” and commit to concrete actions in anticipation of the federal budget in less than two weeks.
Australia and society must improve. It is necessary to alter both the culture and the attitudes. “The legal system must be altered,” Albanese stated at the No More rally, which was organized by the advocacy organization What Were You Wearing?
Supporting victims is insufficient. “We must concentrate on the offenders and on prevention.”
Politicians and community advocates gathered in Canberra after a multitude of other gatherings throughout Australia to advocate for an end to violence against women. More than thirty women were murdered in incidents of male-on-male violence in 2024, according to rally organizers. This includes domestic violence and the Bondi Junction stabbing, in which police believe women were the primary target of the offender.
Mark Dreyfus, the federal attorney general, and Jacinta Allan, the state premier, were among the thousands in Victoria who attended a rally in Federation Square. Allan told reporters, “We must stop discussing the safety of women and focus on addressing male violence.”
“There were women at today’s march who, like myself, have been marching for decades upon decades upon decades on this issue,” she explained.
“We have reached our zenith of harbouring feelings of anger, outrage, sadness, and sorrow regarding the plight of women who have perished, sustained serious injuries, or are too traumatised to engage in professional or community activities.”
Numerous federal politicians, including Minister for Women Katy Gallagher and Minister of Social Services Amanda Rishworth, participated alongside thousands in a three-kilometer walk across Lake Burley Gryphon and to Parliament House in Canberra.
Albanese addressed the rally, “Today, we are gathered to demand that governments at all levels, including my own, as well as every state and territory government, improve their performance.”
“It is up to men to alter their own conduct.”
He stated that he would convene a national cabinet meeting with leaders from the states and territories on Wednesday. Subsequently, Albanese announced via Twitter that “immediate, meaningful, and practical action to address family violence” would be the sole item of discussion.
Albanese highlighted the government’s current initiatives, which consist of a national strategy to eradicate violence against women and children, $2.3 billion in financing designated for this matter during the current administration, support for 500 domestic violence workers, and the execution of a 10-day domestic violence leave.
In response to audience heckling and requests for more, Albanese stated, “I concur that it is insufficient.”
“As I previously stated, we must accomplish more.”
Sarah Williams, the rally organizer, addressed the audience before Albanese’s turn at the microphone and urged government members to commit to changes, such as designating violence against women a national emergency and increasing funding. An absence of response from the ministers provoked audience members to jeer and heckle.
Certain members of the audience yelled at the ministers, uttering phrases such as “shame on you,” “walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk,” and “we want action.”
Gallagher stated at a press conference that the government would continue to discuss the rally organizers’ requests. Also, the finance minister, Gallagher stated that the government would have “more to say” shortly but refrained from committing to new funding in the federal budget for May.
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“There are areas where the federal government can make an impact, primarily in the area of prevention, and we consider that to be our duty,” she explained.
“Progress is something we desire, but it will not occur immediately. Nonetheless, we have the necessary resources to support the established strategy.
As Albanese followed the march, he encountered a multitude of participants who approached him with demands for additional government action.
Albanese told a woman who was brandishing a sign that read “Stop Killing Women” that the message was “pretty straightforward.” He claimed that “the entire government” was cooperating to accomplish more.
