This has been a devastating weekend. Three women, aged 23, 70 and 90, have been killed in separate incidents in NSW within just 24 hours, allegedly by men known to them.
Each of these women mattered. Behind every headline is a life that has been taken, and families, friends and communities whose lives have changed forever.
Their ages are a confronting reminder that gender-based violence affects women across their lives, and across every part of our community.
According to Australian Femicide Watch, 52 women have been killed in Australia this year.
We cannot allow headlines about women being killed by men to become a normal part of Australian life. We cannot become accustomed to this violence or accept it as inevitable.
Change is possible, but it will take sustained, adequately funded and coordinated action across prevention, early intervention, response and recovery.
For prevention, that means helping children and young people build healthy, respectful relationships based on equality and respect. It means working with men and boys. And it means changing the cultures and environments that allow sexism, disrespect and inequality to persist.
This work must happen across our whole society, in our homes and communities, schools and universities, workplaces, sporting clubs, online spaces and the media.
The deaths of these three women must not become another set of headlines that we simply move on from. We owe it to the families and communities left behind to build an Australia where women are safe, equal and respected at every stage of their lives.
Please contact media@ourwatch.org.au or call 0448 844 930.
If you cover this story, or any story regarding violence against women and children, please include the following tagline:
1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via www.1800RESPECT.org.au, or text 0458 737 732. Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access support through 13YARN.
Access guides for reporting about violence against women and their children.
Our Watch is Australia’s leader in the primary prevention of violence against women. The organisation was created to drive nation-wide change in the practices, norms, and structures that lead to violence against women and children. Read more about Our Watch here.