No More: Orange rallies to end gender-based violence
Hundreds of local women, men, and children gathered in Robertson Park on Sunday afternoon calling for an end to gender-based violence.
Held in wake of the murder of Forbes childcare worker Molly Ticehurst last week, the not-for-profit organisation ‘What Were You Wearing?’ helped coordinate 17 rallies across the country with thousands of people taking to the streets over the weekend.
The ‘No More: National Rally Against Violence’ hosted a number of speakers who called on government action, more funding, and systematic change.
"We are here today because we are sick of being silenced,” one speaker said.
“I don't want to be here today, I don't want to have the conversation about gender-based violence. I want to be home,” another said.
“I want to be going about my everyday normal Sunday… but we have next Sunday though, we hope. Those women will not have another Sunday, or any other day in fact. Their future has been cruelly ripped away.”
Signs in the crowd echoed the message of those speaking.
“Real men respect women,” one read. “Girls just want to feel safe.” “Abuse is not love.” “A man’s hurt feelings does not equal the death penalty.”
The chant “shatter the silence - no more violence” echoed across the park throughout the rally, while loud cheers and applause supported the speakers who told their own stories.
Sumara, who travelled an hour from her home in Woodstock for the rally, held a sign that stated “It’s not mental health, it’s misogyny.”
“I am just really angry about how women keep getting murdered and it keeps being a bit of a nothing event,” Sumara said.
“There's not a lot of national attention and it always seems to be getting blamed on mental health, or blamed on some other kind of issue, and just makes me angry that nobody is saying, ‘Hey, men are killing women and why aren't we stopping them?’”
One speaker called for “media regulation” on how these deaths are reported, ensuring the full truth is told.
Representatives from organisations such as Housing Plus, Birds in the Bush, and Lifeline spoke about some of the resources available to survivors of domestic violence, but as another speaker stated, “change, it needs to start at a ground level”.
“We must educate ourselves, and we must call out and challenge harmful stereotypes. I would rather lose a friend, than lose another wife.”
At the time of writing, 27 women have been killed in violent incidents in Australia already this year. According to the community organisation ‘Destroy the Joint' this is 11 more women killed than at the same time last year.
Family and domestic violence support:
1800 Respect national helpline: 1800 737 732
Women's Crisis Line: 1800 811 811
Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491
Lifeline (24 hour crisis line): 131 114
Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277
NSW Domestic Violence Line: 1800 656 463