Our Watch Chair Natasha Stott Despoja pledged to highlight the severity of the crisis of violence against women when meeting with Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum tomorrow. 

“Violence against women is a national emergency. It was a global epidemic before the pandemic, but has been exacerbated by COVID,” Ms Stott Despoja said. 

“These violent deaths are shocking and heart-breaking.   

“This violence is preventable. We all have a role to play: in our workplaces, homes, sporting clubs and at all levels of government. We must challenge disrespect towards women and embed gender equality.”  

It is currently the UN’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. 

This year’s national toll of women who have been killed by violence is now 48, according to Destroy the Joint. 

Meanwhile, Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly urged journalists reporting on these tragedies and similar stories to do it in a way that informed, educated, and contributed usefully to a public dialogue about the issue of violence against women.     

“We ask the Australian media to utilise the Our Watch media reporting guidelines when covering stories that involve violence against women,” Ms Kinnersly said.