The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanesedescribed the deaths of women in episodes of gender violence like a “national crisis”and promised concerted actions to stop this “scourge” that It has already claimed the lives of 27 women since the beginning of the year.
“A national crisis demands a national response. That’s why I’m going to gather National Cabinet on Wednesday morning to take action against violence against women,” Albanese said in a message posted Monday on her X account.
“It’s clear that we need to get together to see what we can do to improve the situation, because women in particular are very frustrated and angry. And understandably so,” Albanese earlier told the Australian public broadcaster. ABCrecalling that his Government has adopted a ten-year national plan.
The Labor leader explained that the call National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 It already has about 2.3 billion Australian dollars (1.509 million US dollars) and new funds are expected in the next budget next month.
Albanese participated the day before – along with the Minister for Women, Katy Gallaherand other members of the Cabinet – in a march against gender violence in Canberrawithin the framework of the protests of thousands of people who gathered this weekend in various parts of the country asking for action against violence against women.
At yesterday’s march in Canberra, protesters booed the Labor leader several times for believing that he does not support them on key demands such as declaring gender violence as a “national emergency”which would lead to payments for victims.
Protesters also want the media to be forced to wait 48 hours before publishing photographs of women murdered without the families’ consent and more funding for organizations fighting sexual violence such as What were you wearing?among other matters.
Albanese was also criticized for having said, when addressing the crowd in Canberra yesterday, that he had not been allowed to speak, something that the organizer of that demonstration Sarah Williams denies.
The weekend protests also come after a man’s knife attack in a Sydney shopping center left six dead, including five women.
Gender violence is a hot topic in recent years in Australia, where in 2021 tens of thousands of citizens demonstrated following a controversial case of sexual abuse against a political advisor within the Canberra Parliament.
