Tens of thousands of women and allies took to the streets of major cities, towns and regional areas this week to call for an end to sexual violence, harassment and assault.
The movement, March4Justice, has been inspired by a number of high-profile incidents in politics that have come to light in the last month and demands the prime minister act against gendered violence in parliament and the workplace.
However, there has been some criticism the movement has left behind Indigenous women, who continue to suffer from high rates of domestic violence.
Phynea Clarke is the CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit and told the ABC, Aboriginal women are “invisible” in the movement.
“When they speak up, their stories aren’t always heard,” Ms Clarke said.
“When it comes to violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, we’re talking about a national emergency. Our women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised for family violence and 10 times more likely to die of violent assault then other women. So many of our women experience assault and they have no support.”
“Every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman should have access to culturally appropriate support services, like the Family Violence Prevention Legal Service,” she said.
Green’s senator Lidia Thorpe echoed the sentiment in parliament on Tuesday, when she invited all those that attended March4Justice rallies on Monday to join First Nations women at the next Black Lives Matter rally.
“It was so uplifting to see so many thousands of people – largely women, united in our message that rape, sexism, violence and misogyny is not a women’s issue, it’s an issue for our entire society to reckon with,” senator Thorpe said.
“The Black Lives Matter movement is no different. We need all of us, all of us who are outraged with the continuing hurt and trauma inflicted on the First Nations people of this country, especially Blak women to be part of this change.”
“We are all in this together and I look forward to welcoming all of the thousands of women and allies who marched yesterday to our own Black Lives Matter rallies.”
“You know, we show up with you, we ask that you show up with us.”
The Gunnai-Gunditjmara senator also criticised the toxic culture in parliament, “that defends rapists” within its walls, as well as prime minister Scott Morrison’s refusal to come out and listen to women in Canberra on the day.
“We demanded that the prime minister come out and see us, hear us all and act, instead, he told us that we should be grateful we weren’t getting shot.”
“Women of this country heard this.”
“You can get raped in this very building, but at least the prime minister says, you won’t be shot protesting it.”
“The prime minister is wrong again,” Ms Thorpe said and pointed to a long list of First Nations women who have died at the hands of the state, in police or prison custody.
Ms Joyce Clarke who was fatally shot in front of her home by a WA police officer while having a mental health episode and holding a butter knife.
Ms Dhu, a 22-year-old Yamatji woman who died in police custody after officers failed to provide medical care for her injuries.
Aunty Tanya Day who died of a brain haemorrhage several days after falling and hitting her head in a police cell because she had been arrested earlier for public drunkenness on a train.
Ms Veronica Nelson Walker, a Yorta Yorta woman who was refused bail after being arrested for shoplifting and died alone in a maximum-security women’s prison after calling out for help.
Despite it being 30-years on from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, “more and more of us are being targeted and imprisoned,” Senator Thorpe said.
