March 4 Justice 2: Gold Coasters unite against gendered violence

WORDS: Natalie O’Driscoll PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

On 27 February, Gold Coast residents from all walks of life will come together at a morning vigil in Justins Park and raise their voices about the epidemic of gendered and domestic violence in Australia.

Hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens across the country took to the streets in March 2021 to protest the Government’s lukewarm response to the ever-growing epidemic of misogyny within its ranks and the nationwide issue of family and gendered violence, a problem that has escalated severely during the pandemic.

As Women’s March 4 Justice prepare to take to the streets again, they are demanding that the next Federal Government lead a review of sexual assault laws, secure increased funding for domestic violence, and introduce a national Gender Equality Act.

“Last year’s march was a catalyst for women and their allies to pull together and get organised,” said Janine Hendry, whose tweet sparked the snap march.

“This year, on the anniversary of that historic march, women are asking what’s improved? What’s changed for the better? They will be taking these questions with them to the ballot box.”

Organisers are expecting tens of thousands of women and allies to participate in the 27 February events across Australia, including a live streamed event to be hosted by Shelley Ware. All concerned Gold Coast residents are encouraged to attend Justins Park in Burleigh from 7.30am for a half hour vigil which will be recorded and broadcast on the national event page from 10.30am.

Alternatively, participants can hold their own event with just a few friends, or join in on an existing activation.

The events mark a year since the snap march sparked amid news of systemic sexual assault and harassment at Parliament House, including Brittany Higgins alleged rape.

Gold Coast, where there was no march held in 2021, is a hotspot for violent crimes against women, with nearly a quarter (23%) of Queensland’s domestic and family violence orders being recorded here in recent years, despite our city being home to only 10 percent (10%) of the state’s population.

These figures show the urgent need for more Gold Coast residents to take up activism around their local area, said Gold Coast vigil co-organiser and founder of group Gold Coast Feminists, Natalie O’Driscoll.

“Numbers like that don’t reflect an anomaly,” Ms O’Driscoll said. “They reflect a culture. It’s time for Gold Coasters to stand up and make their voices heard about what’s going on in their own city.”

Rally Head organiser Anne Carlin says that these events won’t stop until we finally see some action.

“I’m 68 and have been actively advocating for equality for women for 40 years,” said Ms Carlin.

“The year since March 4 Justice 2021 has been demoralising. Despite the actions of brave young women like Grace Tame, Brittany Higgins, Saxon Mullins and Chanel Contos, very little has changed.

“Women won’t be silenced any more. We will keep making noise to create change.

Gold Coast prides itself on its enviable lifestyle, but there’s a darker side to the city which has been glossed over for too long, with local family and sexual violence services struggling to keep up with demand.

Support groups claim that a staggering 6,500 women and potentially more have sought domestic violence support on the Gold Coast since mid-2020.

Vigil organisers are calling for Gold Coast citizens to say ‘Enough Is Enough’, and demand cultural and legislative change from the top down.

By joining the larger voice of the collective, Australians can hold the Federal Government and all politicians to account by putting pressure on our parliaments to put an end to the issues of sexism, misogyny, patriarchy, corruption, dangerous workplace cultures and lack of equality in politics and the community at large.

The March 4 Justice Gold Coast Vigil will take place at 7.30am on Sunday 27 February, Burleigh Heads Surf Club on Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh. Follow @march4justicegc on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.

More information:

Based on a petition that garnered more than 100,000 signatures, Women’s March 4 Justice has four key demands in 2022:

Safety for all women, including:

• an end to racial violence against First Nations women by the state, including the end of the removal of babies and children from their mothers, and forced assimilation policies;
• Increased, secure, and longterm funding for domestic and family violence prevention and support services, including specialist services for children, Indigenous women, women with disability, and women from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women in aged care, and for trans and gender non-conforming people, as well as perpetrator intervention programs.

Safety at work, including:

• The full implementation of all 55 recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commissions’ Respect@Work report of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces 2020;
• Address in all forums the gendered violence and inequality that affects members of LGBTQI communities.

Real action to end gendered violence and promote gender equality across Australia, including:

• Independent investigations into public entities and public office holders for all cases of gendered violence, with referrals to appropriate authorities and full public accountability for findings;
• Establishing a national Gender Equality Act to promote gender equality in public institutions and public policy;
• A change to budget policy and practice to promote gender equality and economic growth.

Criminal justice reform, including:

• Criminal justice law reform with a consistent national approach to domestic and family violence protection orders and offences, and sexual assault laws and sentencing;
• A national review, led by all Attorney’s-General to develop new approaches to sexual assault trials and criminal procedure and systems that are survivor centred, and address bias in the law;
• Support the ALRC Report Pathways to Justice Report and the justice reforms for Indigenous Women.