Gender inequality is the root cause of family and domestic violence and we won’t be able to stop violence until women achieve full equality in our workplaces, homes and society as a whole.

I am honoured to be here with you today to mark White Ribbon Day, a yearly reminder of the impact of family violence and violence against women.

According to White Ribbon Australia, on average, one woman dies every week from violence at the hand of a partner or loved one.

We know from ANROW (Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety) that based on ABS data from 2012:

-      1 in 4 women have experienced violence from a partner

-      1.7 million women had experienced sexual violence, including 87,800 women who were sexually assaulted; and

-      2 million women experienced emotional abuse from a partner.

We also know that half a million women said a child had witnessed violence against them from a partner, which is a recognised form of child abuse.

Violence against women and children is unacceptable and must stop.

We all have a role to play in reducing violence in our homes, workplaces and in society as a whole, but these sobering statistics clearly show that domestic violence is most often perpetrated by men against women and is without question a gender issue.

While obviously, not all men are violent, we have to examine why family violence is overwhelmingly committed by men.

We have to ask the hard questions. 

White Ribbon Day is a powerful symbol that men are ready to do just that.

Men, too, have had enough, and are standing up against the violence that is destroying lives and tearing families apart.

White Ribbon Day began in Canada in 1991 in response to the murder of fourteen women - including 6 female engineering students - by a twenty-five year old man.

In the gunman’s suicide note, he railed against feminists and blamed women in the workplace for his own difficulties in getting a job.

While the massacre was an extreme act of violence, it was rooted in a pervasive and ongoing problem: gender inequality.

In Australia in 2015, discrimination against women remains a fact of life:

Women on average earn 18.2% less than men - 82c for every dollar earned by a man – and receive just over half the total payouts for superannuation received by men;

Half of all women report experiencing workplace discrimination, including 1 in 5 mothers who lost work because of pregnancy, maternity leave or the obligations of raising a family;

Still, mothers spend more than twice as many hours as fathers caring for children.

White Ribbon Day is a powerful reminder to men that yes, not committing violence against women is important, but so too is fighting to promote gender equality and fairness.

Gender inequality is the root cause of family and domestic violence and we won’t be able to stop violence until women achieve full equality in our workplaces, homes and society as a whole.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community groups who work towards gender equality and the cessation of violence against women here in the Inner West.

I’d like to acknowledge and thank these dedicated organisations, including but not limited to:

White Ribbon Australia; Metro Assist; The Luke Batty Foundation; the Marrickville Legal Centre; the Inner West Domestic Violence Proactive Support Service; NSW Health Sexual Assault Services and of course, NSW Police.

I’d also like to acknowledge the many women who are survivors of violence and urge women experiencing violence to reach out for help.

White Ribbon Day shows that the community has had enough of violence and is there to support you.