As I write, Australia has lost 45 women to acts of violence this year.
The artwork with this post shows all the She Matters cards documenting this year’s femicide toll.
All but three of the women were allegedly killed by men. Around 65% of the victims were killed as a result of domestic violence. Every death is tracked here.
This past week we’ve heard a lot in Parliament about the PM failing women – well one woman to be precise. I am talking about the Japanese PM and the melons she gave him as a gift during her visit to Australia.
Albo made a hand gesture while discussing the melons on a podcast with a female host.
It was a sexist moment, no doubt about that. But was it one worth dominating the parliamentary and public discourse this past week or so? No. It wasn’t. What should be dominating parliament right now – and every media outlet – is the relentless femicide epidemic we are facing.
The astounding response to Albo’s simplistic melon-shaped hand gesture compared to the lack-lustre response to femicide shows exactly why we need to have a national truth-telling on male violence. Anyway. Here we are. Another day when inanimate objects garner more attention than killed women.
I’ve been campaigning for a Femicide Royal Commission over the past six months. The petition is almost at 150,000 signatures. Please consider signing and passing the petition to those in your circle. Every signature brings us closer to change.
THEY’VE SAID MORE ABOUT MELONS THAN THESE WOMEN COLLECTIVELY!
