No more: rallies call for an end to sexual violence
Thousands of people are expected to rally across the country to support victims of sexual violence and call for an end to victim blaming.
What Were You Wearing Australia is hosting events for the third year in a row with meetings in Wollongong, Melbourne, Sydney, Tamworth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Toowoomba on Saturday.
Rallies were first held in 2024 following the Bondi Junction shopping center attack. During the attack, a knife-wielding man killed six people and injured a dozen others, mostly women.
On the second anniversary of the attack, Governor-General Sam Mostyn announced special bravery awards would be given to eight people for their life-saving bravery during the attack.
While 100,000 people, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, will take part in the 2024 protests, organizer Sarah Williams said it was difficult to predict how many people would take to the streets this year.
“Violence against women has become normalised; people are really tired because it’s happening too much,” he told AAP.
“We’re not seeing change, and that’s why people are more complacent because they think nothing will happen.”
This year, the organization has focused on efforts to improve consent education in schools and mandate sexual violence prevention education.
“There is already education about consent and respectful relationships in schools, but it doesn’t teach children about abuse, coercive control, sexual violence, what rape is, abuse of power,” Ms Williams said.
“If kids can’t name it, they can’t report it… Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to help prevent harm and challenge attitudes that allow sexual violence to continue.”
Approximately one in seven Australians has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15; One in five women and one in 16 men report abuse.
Speakers at the rallies will include MPs, advocates and survivors and will focus on challenging victim-blaming attitudes.
“Sexual violence thrives on silence and stigma,” Ms Williams said.
“When survivors are asked what they were wearing, where they were, or what they were doing, the focus is on the victim rather than the responsible perpetrator.”
Rallies will be held in Ballarat, Perth, NSW Central Coast, Dubbo, Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Canberra and Hobart on Sunday.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
