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March 29, 2024

You are invited to March 4 Justice this Monday against gendered violence

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It was International Women’s Day on March 8, sexual assault survivor Grace Tame was named Australian of the Year in January, Brittney Higgins has alleged being raped at Australia’s Parliament House, the Australian prime minister decided that Australia’s Attorney General, Christian Porter, the first law officer in the country, is ‘innocent’ of historical rape allegations without an independent inquiry into the rape allegation.

Cartoon by Alister Lockheart www.alisterlockheart.com

It is these circumstances, and so much more, that have led to the nationwide March 4 Justice marches planned for Monday, 15 March, including in Mullumbimby and Lismore, to call ‘for an end to gendered violence against women in the Australian Parliament and an increase in public funding for prevention of gender-based violence’.

Local marches are supporting the National March in Canberra where a petition will be delivered calling on the Prime Minister to act on gendered violence against women, including female Members of Parliament and staff.

‘Our focus is safety. Safety for women from sexual assault, safety for survivors dealing with incredibly triggering conversations dominating recent weeks. I am furious that women are being treated so badly in 2021. There are young women who face harassment every day, and older women who are tired and furious that we still fighting this fight,’ says founder and convenor Janine Hendry.

Mullum March

The Mullumbimby march, starts at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall at 12 noon on Monday, 15 March.

Speakers at the Mullumbimby event include Aine Tyrrell, Aime Dreyer, Belle Budden, Delta Kay, Eileen Culleton, Fay Jackson, Ilona Harker Mandy Nolan and Sarah Ndiaye.

Mullumbimby March 4 Justice Convenor Ilona Harker says, ‘We need to raise our voices together so that we can protect the next generation from systemic abuse. Our focus is on safety and support and have submitted the appropriate permits and are committed to working closely with authorities for a safe event, including a COVID safe event’.

Lismore March

The inaugural Lismore March 4 Justice will take place on March 15 from 12 noon at The Lismore Transit Centre. Speakers at the Lismore event include Lismore Mayor Vanessa Ekins, Widjabul Wia-bal woman Cindy Roberts, and Carol Shipard, a survivor of sexual violence.

Lismore March 4 Justice spokesperson Louise Somerville says, ‘This event is a chance to show that we will not be silent while women are not safe. Women are not safe in their homes,  are not safe in their workplaces and it seems women are not safe even in the highest office of this land, the Parliament of Australia’.

March 4 Justice is calling for:

  1. Full independent investigations in all cases of gendered violence and misconduct of Members of Parliament and their staff and timely referrals to appropriate authorities. Full public transparency of findings.
  2. No perpetrators as policy makers. Stand then down and create a safe and equal Australia, starting within our Houses of Parliament.
  3. An independent review into the prevalence of gendered violence in Parliament to be conducted by the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner.

4. Strengthen the Sex Discrimination Act so that Parliamentarians and judges are no longer excluded from accountability.

It is time for everyone to stand up and #ChoosetoChallenge gendered violence in Australia. It is time for the culture to change.


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10 COMMENTS

  1. There’s also a Womens March ie; Feminist, beginning at the Transit Centre [noon] on 15thMarch.
    I will be attending that march.

  2. Why does it have to be about gender? Why not just violence?

    I have been assaulted by 2 women and 1 guy and one tranny in the last 2 years.
    I’d say the females won the division.
    Goodbye identity politics.
    Sick of feminism led by women who prefer women.
    I am.

    • If you want to have what you say heard and respected, it is better to make sure you are using correct terms and not using divisive or derogatory language yourself. You just showed how you support gendered violence by your use of language. I’m sorry you have been assaulted by those people. Feminism is actually to create equality for all genders, and includes those who may be transgender. (Please note: never use the word tranny, unless you are transgender yourself and trying to reappropriate the word. It is a derogatory word, and is usually used as a way to put down or insult the trans community.)

  3. ” prevention of gender-based violence”….. I’m so relieved, for a moment I thought all types of violent behavior were to be denounced.
    But luckily good old fashioned non-gender based bashing is still encouraged, otherwise we’d have no footy, boxing, karate and of course the recent police bashing of a naked child would be frowned upon, perhaps it would even conflict with the “defense force ? ”
    who rely on invading other countries and killing and maiming in a professional capacity. I’m sure they will be able to argue that it’s difficult to determine sexual orientation from 20,000 ft, but in the meantime, it will give the ‘sisters’ an opportunity to vent their pent up frustrations and participate in a little self congratulatory identity politics.
    I do wonder though, is it just a coincidence that all these violent thugs are raised by women ? G”)

  4. Pathetic responses so far, sorry to say.
    Why not march against violence against women?
    Put yourself in the shoes of that 16 y.o. girl who trusted her date to get her home safely, especially after drinking.
    Not everyone recovers from violent sexual abuse, sorry to have to remind you.

  5. What a muck-up, people. First up – we are ‘all people’ & there’s damn all wrong or confusion about that.
    Gender violence is not on & never will be. No game playing here. We are talking about the death of a
    woman who was raped aged 16 by a 17 year old male who now is the Attorney General & our PM’s pet.
    Women of all ages have been ‘punching bags’ at the whim of many men. It’s ‘clear cut’ – years later the
    once 16 year old took her own life & left written information regarding her rape. The rapist was well
    aware of her trauma via conversations held with James Hooke a close friend of the deceased. Ken –
    violent thugs raised by women??? Would the drover’s dog [not a bitch] do better! Go think on that.
    It seems that the female can’t be trusted to raise raise her own children? Is that why there’s so
    little care left in humanity…? My mother was bashed to death in 1975 & I am still not ‘over it’
    simply because I cannot & will not accept that it’s just something a man does with his Woman. Give
    it a thought or two. When a woman says ‘no’ she means just that – yes, even in married life. That’s
    one of the reasons I left mine during only 10 weeks of marriage. The mongrel already had 3 kids
    & a woman who thought she was his 2nd half. Some guys are great liars.

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