Conflict Alerts # 631, 10 May 2024
Akhil Ajith In the news
On 30 April, during the protests against gender violence, Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, and Minister for Public Service in a statement stated: "The Albanese Government is committed to combatting the crime of homicide, as well as ending violence against women and children in a generation. We want to see the number of intimate partner homicides falling each year."
On 28 April, protests took place across Australia in response to the growing violence against women. Prime Minister Anthony stated: "Society and Australia must do better. We need to change the culture and attitudes. We need to change the legal system." So far, more than 15 "No More: National Rally Against Gender-Based Violence" have been held across Australia, including cities such as Sydney, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
On 14 April, an assailant stabbed and killed six people at a crowded shopping centre in Sydney before being neutralized by the police. The police chief, Anthony Cooke, said that the suspect was suffering from mental issues and showed no signs of terrorism. Six people, including five women and one man, aged between 20 and 55, were killed in the attack. Another 12 were injured and were admitted to the hospital.
Issues at large
First, a brief note on protests on gender violence in Australia. The first protests took place in 1965, during which the exclusion of three Brisbane women from the bar led to a large-scale women's liberation movement from 1965 to 1975. This set the example for women's rights and security as key issues among the public, which did not address the overall violence against women. Gender violence in Australia has been viewed as a silent epidemic, indicating that the problem was prevalent in the past but was recently recognized as a social issue. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that a third of all women in Australia have been assaulted physically, and a fifth of all women have been assaulted sexually. The gender-based economic inequalities also contributed to the overall gender violence, especially family abuse against women in Australia. The mass awareness about the recent casualties associated with women has led to protests against gender violence in Australia.
Second, the demands of the protestors. The protestors demanded a systemic change in the government's approach towards gender violence in Australia. Data compiled by campaign group Destroy the Joint revealed that 27 women had fallen victim to violence in the first 119 days of 2024 alone, averaging one woman's death every four days. The protestors demanded a quick and decisive trial against Joel Cauchi, who was the accused involved in the killing incident at Bondi Junction. They also demanded that the police consider the issue criminal and not civil, as they stopped the investigation due to a lack of evidence. Finally, the protestors demand a complete end to the violence as it has become normalized within Australian society.
Third, differences in legislation across jurisdictions. The Criminal Code Act 1899 in Queensland has more imprisonment years and fines imposed on the accused than the NSW Act in New South Wales. Also, there is a significant difference across jurisdictions in the approach taken to the issue of counselling and rehabilitation programs for perpetrators of domestic violence. In Queensland, the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 failed to recognize the criminal offence of the accused involved in the murder of Hannah Clarke in 2020. Victoria State is at the forefront of gender violence in Australia. The Family Violence Protection Act 2008 included broad family, past relationships, and "family-like" relationships, which are not visible in states like South Australia and NSW.
In perspective
Protestor's demands will take a long time to resolve. The protestor's demands are structural issues that will take long to resolve due to bureaucratic processes, lack of political will, etc. The issue of gender violence in Australia has been a long pending issue which remained unresolved for decades. The recent Bondi Junction killings gave an impetus for the public to pressure the government to consider this chronic issue as a serious national emergency. The public has been pressurizing the government to label the act as terrorism, which is facing hurdles due to a lack of strong action by the police. Also, the government's national plan has been unable to prevent gender violence in Australia completely. The demand can be addressed quickly only if society and institutions play a meaningful and decisive role in curbing the menace of gender violence in Australia.