The University of Newcastle’s NUspace building and Civic Park will light up in orange on Thursday to mark the start of the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women.

Reaching its 30-year milestone, the global campaign is an annual call to eliminate gendered violence across the globe.

Some alarming Australian statistics surrounding this issue, as cited by Our Watch, include:

• Women are nearly three times more likely than men to experience violence from an intimate partner;
• Young women (18–24 years) experience significantly higher rates of physical and sexual violence than women in older age groups; and
• On average, one woman a week is killed by her current or former partner.

Newcastle federal MP Sharon Claydon is throwing her support behind the campaign.

“This year we have witnessed a powerful reckoning with tens of thousands of women marching across the country, demanding an end to violence,” she said.

“Brave women have come forward and inspired many to share their own stories of violence and harassment.

“Following a massive public backlash over the Prime Minister’s behaviour, and under enormous public pressure to act after ignoring women’s safety for eight years, the Morrison government hurried to make new appointments and new promises.

“Eight months on, there is little evidence of delivery.

“The Prime Minister’s promise of extra funding to fight domestic violence has been exposed as yet another heartless con.

“We know that COVID-19 has tragically exacerbated domestic and family violence, with almost 1 in 10 women in a relationship experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic, and two thirds of them saying that’s when the attacks started or became worse.

“Domestic and family violence is a national crisis and a national shame.

“These are sad statistics. These women are our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

“They all deserve the right to be safe and live free from violence and fear.

“I want to recognise the tireless work of all frontline community-based organisations who give so much of themselves to support women and children fleeing violence, despite a desperate lack of resources. 

“Each and every day they are on the frontline, giving women the support, advice and assistance, they need to take that most difficult of steps.”

Community events across the 16 days include:

Launch and Vigil at Newcastle Art Gallery (Thursday 25 November)

New resources created by the Newcastle Domestic Violence Committee in collaboration with the City of Newcastle will be launched at the event, which supporters may attend in person or watch via livestream.

Exhibition: “What were you wearing?”

Launching on 26 November and open to the public from 27 November until 9 December at Galerie Shangri-Lah. The show features the varied clothing worn by women when assaulted, as a stark reminder that no one asks to be targeted. 

Free public webinar: Men as makers of change (6 December from 10-11.30am, via Zoom)

Expert speakers are Matt Brown, author and leader of the She Is Not Your Rehab campaign; Michael Salter, criminologist at UNSW; and Joplin Higgins OAM, award-winning advocate for ending violence against women.

These events, coordinated by the Gender Research Network, part of the College of Human and Social Futures at the University of Newcastle, are supported through a Social Inclusion grant from the City of Newcastle.

For more details, head to the 16 Days Newcastle website or their Facebook page.

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