As a mum of a 21-year-old, Maria Martin wishes she didn't have to worry every time her daughter goes out at night.
"I always say let me know when you are in your car, let me know when you are on your way home," she said.
The founder of not-for-profit Survivors R Us Incorporated, Ms Martin is speaking at Lake Macquarie's Reclaim the Night rally on Friday October 25.
Running from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at the Warners Bay Foreshore, the joint Lake Macquarie City Council and Lake Macquarie Domestic Violence event calls for safer streets for women and girls.
Ms Martin said the evening was about women taking back their power and feeling safe in the community.
"It's not fair for a poor woman to have to walk down the street and she gets wolf whistles and things like that, that's not acceptable," she said.
"If you want to wear a skirt or a dress, you should be able to feel comfortable doing that."
Working in a charity that supports domestic violence survivors, Ms Martin said people were finally starting to talk about gendered violence against men and women.
"The best thing that we can do is just to make people more aware," she said.
While some women clutch their keys or call a trusted person, Ms Martin said she had heard of some carrying a mini deodorant or a personal alarm when walking alone.
"Women should be allowed to walk down the street at night time without being in fear of their lives."
Voice to the voiceless
Friday night will be a family-friendly event with live music from local duo Teasha & Mari, Warners Bay Girl Guides cooking a free barbeque, giveaways, information and access to support.
Djembe Alchemy will provide African drumming leading into the march along the esplanade.
Now in its tenth year at Warners Bay, Australia's first Reclaim the Night rally was held in 1978.
Council planner for children and family and chair of the domestic violence committee, Jess Salvador said they wanted to "give a voice to the voiceless".
She said as well as generating awareness of sexual violence, the event created a space where victim-survivors could come and see the support available.
"They are able to come and see the community that is standing there behind them and beside them, and that is there to support them in their healing," Ms Salvador said.
She said everyone needed to be involved in conversations about respect and boundaries.
"We want the whole community to come together," she said.
According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, from June 2023 to July 2024, all nine Hunter councils recorded higher rates of sexual assault than the state's average.
In 100,000 people, Newcastle reported 187 while Lake Macquarie recorded 157 compared to the NSW average of 122.9.
The treasurer for Lake Macquarie Domestic Violence committee and CEO of CALM Toronto, Sheena Harvey said she was really passionate about children and young people's safety.
"Not every child has a safe space to live, and so I really want people to be able to have the confidence to stand up and say that it's not okay," Ms Harvey said.
"We are finding a real trend at the moment of men wanting to speak up and to be allies but not always being sure how to do so," she said.
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Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
