An urgent national cabinet meeting on men’s violence against women will be convened for Wednesday, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, saying all governments nationwide – including his own at the federal level – must make changes and focus more on stopping perpetrators.
Albanese and senior ministers stopped short of announcing new violence prevention policies or funding as they supported a series of rallies nationwide this weekend, but the prime minister said public attitudes toward the scourge of abuse needed to shift. With the federal budget less than a fortnight away, those attending a large rally outside Parliament House urged the government to “walk the walk” and commit to concrete actions.
“Society and Australia must do better. We need to change the culture and we need to change attitudes. We need to change the legal system,” Albanese told the No More rally, organised by advocacy group What Were You Wearing.
“It’s not enough to support victims. We need to focus on the perpetrators, focus on prevention.”
The Canberra rally followed numerous other events across Australia, with community advocates and politicians demanding an end to violence against women. Rally organisers said more than 30 women had been killed in incidents of men’s violence in 2024, including domestic violence and the Bondi Junction stabbing where police believe women were the offender’s main target.
In Victoria, the federal attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, and the state premier, Jacinta Allan, joined thousands at a Federation Square rally. Speaking to reporters, Allan said: “We need to stop talking about women’s safety and get on and tackle men’s violence.”
“There were women at the march today, like me, [who have] been marching on this issue for decades and decades and decades,” she said.
“We’ve had enough of being angry and outraged and sad and grieving for women who’ve lost their lives, for women who have been seriously injured, for women who are too traumatised to participate in the workplace, to participate as members of our community.”
Albanese, the minister for women, Katy Gallagher, and the social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, were among numerous federal politicians who joined thousands in Canberra for a three-kilometre walk across Lake Burley Griffin and on to Parliament House.
“We’re here today to demand that governments of all levels must do better, including my own, including every state and territory government,” Albanese told the rally.
“It’s up to men to change men’s behaviour as well.”
He said he would call state and territory leaders for a national cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Albanese later tweeted there would be “one issue on the agenda: immediate, meaningful and practical action to address family violence”.
Albanese noted ongoing government work including a national plan to end violence against women and children, $2.3bn of funding allocated to the issue under this government, including funding for 500 domestic violence workers and the implementation of 10 days domestic violence leave.
To some heckling from the audience, including demands for more, Albanese replied: “I agree it’s not enough.”
“I said that we need to do more.”
Before Albanese came to the microphone, rally organiser Sarah Williams addressed the crowd and asked the government members to commit to changes including declaring violence against women a national emergency, and more funding. A lack of response from the ministers drew some jeering and heckling in the crowd.
Some audience members called out to the ministers including “shame on you,” “walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk”, and “we want action”.
Gallagher told a press conference the government would keep talking with rally organisers about their requests. Also the finance minister, Gallagher stopped short of promising new funding in May’s federal budget, but said the government would have “more to say” soon.
“There’s areas that federal government can work in, largely around prevention, and we see that as our responsibility,” she said.
“We want to see progress, but it’s not going to happen overnight. But we’ve got the plan in place, we’ve got resources that underpin it.”
Walking with the march, Albanese was met by numerous attenders who approached him to ask for more government action.
To one woman, holding a sign saying “stop killing women”, Albanese said “it’s a pretty simple message”. He said “the whole government” was united in a push to do more.
• In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org
