International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:56): Some people question why our call for an end to violence against women is not simply a call to end violence altogether. It would be a fair question if there was not a simple, irrefutable answer. Women all around the world, even in modern, progressive democracies like Australia, are at massively greater threat in the family home than men.

We need to focus on the tragic fact that some women live their lives under a constant threat of violence, both sexual and non-sexual, and are being murdered. In many cases, women feel trapped. They often fear for their children, and the need to protect them makes them feel they need to remain in a toxic, violent relationship.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November puts the focus squarely on that totally obscene and unacceptable reality. It is a long, drawn-out name for an international day, but each word is important. While many may be drawn to the words 'violence' and 'women', it is important that this day calls for the absolute end to it. Nothing less than its complete elimination is acceptable.

Of course, dealing with violence of any nature is a legal issue and needs to be dealt with by the full force of the law. Sadly—and 'sadly' really is the best word to describe it—we also need to educate mostly men on how to react when angry. The list of adjectives for striking out violently against women runs a mile long: 'cowardly', 'cruel' and 'impotent' are high on the list, so is 'immature'.

If men cannot have an argument with a woman without resorting to violence, they obviously need to grow up. They also need to be removed from society. If they cannot control themselves or they feel some need to demonstrate their sense of control, they should be removed from the family home and then our free society. If they strike a woman during a domestic dispute, they should be locked up. We all know this, but it still continues. Cowards who cannot get their way resort to acts of extreme violence by going as far as killing their spouses and children. If they cannot control them, they lose all control. If they cannot have them, nobody will.

Too often when we hear of these heinous crimes men often say it makes them ashamed to be a man. There is no need for shame, because very few men would inflict this sort of pain and suffering on a woman under any circumstances. This is not about men in general; this is about violent people who do not know how to control themselves.

We have a list of things that we can do, but they are still not working well enough. We can educate, prosecute and separate men, but that is not working well enough as well. We need to change the culture of the way some men treat women. That is one of the reasons why 25 November is so important. It reminds us that this problem is still here and it reminds friends, family and neighbours to be on the alert and report behaviour before it goes too far. It reminds mates to talk to their mates and call them out for violent rhetoric and go even further when they know actual violence is happening. We are not protecting our mates by allowing violence to continue; we are simply being an accessory after the fact, and sometimes even before it.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women sends a message to all men and even women: you may not be the perpetrator of these insidious crimes, but sometimes you can help prevent them.