CW: Images and discussions of femicide, deceased persons, and domestic and sexual violence.
Just three months into 2025, 14 women have been murdered. On Saturday 15th March, Sherele Moody, founder of Femicide Watch and the Red Heart Campaign, called a series of rallies around the country with a simple demand: Stop killing women.
The rally was passionately and sensitively chaired by activist Eva Akyol. Between speakers she led chants, shared anecdotes, and highlighted the three demands of the rally: to educate young boys at the school level on how to treat and respect women, reform on Domestic Violence Orders, and abundant increases in funding for domestic violence services. The tone of the rally was sombre and intimate, with most attendees sitting down in order to truly listen to the words of each speaker. In front of the speakers was a spread of photos — each bearing the name and face of the 117 women killed in Australia in the last 14 months.
The first speaker was Lorna Munro, a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi poet and artist. She began by emphasising how it is impossible to talk about violence against women without addressing the foundational violence against First Nations women that this country is built on. She shared that Aboriginal women are 64 times more likely to be victims of domestic violence than white women, and that the roots of this violence lies within colonial institutions. Illustrating this, she pointed to the work of Aunty Irene Watson, a professor at the University of South Australia, whose research traces the role of police and churches in destroying Blak matriarchies, and how these institutions taught men to shame, abuse, and humiliate Aboriginal women. She ended with a call to action to stand in solidarity with Aboriginal women, because “the colony is afraid of solidarity.”
Next to speak was Hannah Thomas, the Greens candidate for Grayndler. She began by reiterating that one woman is killed every four days in this country, and that these never make headlines, especially when the victim is a woman of colour. Thomas noted that for every woman that is killed, far more are controlled, isolated, and abused. She shared the story of a woman she knew, Tabitha, whose abuser had recently been released on parole. Tabitha was repeatedly refused relocation by housing services and politicians, and turned away by the services she begged for help. Her story shows that the priorities of the government are all wrong, Thomas said. There is no reason why in a country as wealthy as Australia, victims should have to fight for scraps of safety. She urged the government to take further, meaningful action on violence against women instead of investing money in submarines and defence projects.
Azz Fahmi, a community organiser and human rights advocate, spoke next. She opened by expressing a wish that we didn’t have to have these rallies, and emphasising that every woman killed is a person, not just a number. Expressing her frustration at the lack of attention given to the issue of domestic violence and femicide, she stated that men only care about this issue when it happens to their own sisters or mothers. Having worked in refugee services, she shared her experiences of overcrowded and underfunded shelters and services, and how the conditions or risk of being turned away from these often forces women back to their abusive partners. She spoke of this issue being exacerbated in Muslim communities, especially for recent immigrants and refugees who often do not speak English and lack the culturally sensitive services to help them. She spoke of the specific intersection between violence against women and Islamophobia, sharing that 79% of victims of Islamophobic violence in the last year were women and girls. She closed by noting that politicians only care about the economy, so perhaps framing the issue in terms of its economic impact will make them listen. To that end, she shared that the government spends around $26 billion a year on domestic violence, including services, health care, and lost work. There are also long term issues for children who witness or experience family violence, as they are more likely to suffer from mental health issues and be involved in crime. She thus reiterated the core demands of the rally, for better funded domestic violence services.
Akyol then took a moment to speak about the two ‘types’ of victims; ideal and cautionary. Ideal victims are typically white, professional, university educated, and far more likely to have her death reported in the media. The life of the cautionary victim, on the other hand, does not carry the same weight. She is poor, or a woman of colour, or a sex worker, and if her death is reported on, the media will dredge up bikini photos or irrelevant details of her life to suit whatever narrative they are trying to create. All forms of violence that women face need to stop, she concluded. Every woman killed should have their life honoured.
Next to speak was Meaghan Dolezal, an artist and domestic violence survivor. She spoke of the structural factors contributing to femicide, noting that it is not “random or inevitable,” but the direct result of a system that devalues women’s lives. She stated that the consequences of violence do not fall on all women equally, and that it is up to those who are privileged, white, and economically stable to speak up for the ‘imperfect’ victims. Our duty, she concluded, is not to take up space, but to create it.
Next to speak was Viv, a sex worker and community organiser. She shared that she was choosing to speak as herself, not her sex work persona, because she had experienced more violence in her personal life than she ever had as a sex worker. Viv emphasised how normal male violence has become, and that we need to disrupt this normalisation. It is not normal, she emphasised, to fear for your life, fear your partner, to plan escape routes, to feel unsafe in your home. She spoke about how her experience as a sex worker helped her reclaim her life, teaching her boundaries, consent, and how to demand respect. She spoke to the need to destigmatise sex work, to value the lives of sex workers, and stop victim blaming. She encouraged everyone to start challenging the normalised violence against women by using the hashtag ‘#NOTNORMAL’. She ended with a powerful call to attendees that it is up to us to build the community that we want; that we all have something to offer, whether it’s cooking skills, graphic design, art, money, or simply time.
The final speaker was Eleyna Simich, a human rights advocate with a focus on First Nations rights. The microphone stopped working as she spoke, so she encouraged everyone to gather round closer, making the moment of silence she opened with all the more powerful. Eleyna spoke of the way the media handles femicide, and how this has conditioned us to blame victims. She stated that violence can happen in any home, and that every woman deserves to live in fear or violence, or be blamed for their own death. She emphasised that it is up to us, and we all have the power, to create a world where no woman’s death is ignored or twisted. She ended by sharing the details of an organisation called Escabags, who create escape bags for people fleeing domestic violence.
After the speeches, Akyol encouraged everyone to stick around, talk to each other, cry, and heal. Despite setbacks, including supermarkets refusing to donate supplies and the police saying that hosting the rally by the ANZAC memorial was ‘disrespectful’, the rally was a powerful and heartbreaking tribute to the women behind the statistics, and an important reminder to say their names.
If you or any of your loved ones have been affected by the issues mentioned in this article, please consider contacting the resources below:
NSW Sexual Violence Helpline – Provides 24/7 telephone and online crisis counselling for anyone in Australia who has experienced or is at risk of sexual assault, family or domestic violence and their non-offending supporters. The service also has a free telephone interpreting service available upon request.
Safer Communities Office – Specialist staff experienced in providing an immediate response to people that have experienced sexual misconduct, domestic/family violence, bullying/harassment and issues relating to modern slavery.
Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Service – Provides legal advice and sort for a range of issues, including domestic, sexual, and family violence, to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander women, children and youth.
1800RESPECT – A service available 24/7 with counsellors that supports everyone impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence.
Lifeline – 24/7 suicide prevention crisis support hotline for anyone experiencing a personal or mental health crisis.
