AUSTRALIAN PM DECLARES VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN A ‘NATIONAL CRISIS’

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared violence against women a "national crisis" and an "epidemic," prompting him to call for an urgent national cabinet meeting. This call to action comes in response to a series of protests that erupted across Australia over the weekend, where thousands demanded stricter laws on gendered violence.

In cities like Sydney, demonstrators flooded the streets with placards advocating for respect and an end to violence, following a series of high-profile incidents and a troubling statistic that reveals a woman is killed every four days in Australia this year. The government's response also comes in the wake of a mass stabbing earlier this month at the Westfield shopping center in Bondi Junction, which resulted in the deaths of five women, raising concerns about targeted violence against women.

Prime Minister Albanese, who also participated in a rally in Canberra, emphasized the need for comprehensive reform in his statements on social media and during the rally. "Women in Australia deserve better, governments have to do better and as a society we have to do better," he stated, pushing for "immediate, meaningful and practical action to address family violence."

At the rally organized by the advocacy group What Were You Wearing, Albanese further highlighted the need for cultural and legal shifts: "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. It’s not enough to support victims. We need to focus on the perpetrators, focus on prevention."

Calls for a "national emergency response" have also been voiced by figures like Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who expressed the collective frustration of many: "Women are sick and tired of being told ‘yes it’s bad but there’s not much we can do’.”

As the nation grapples with this surge in gender-based violence and a broader reckoning over the treatment of women in government, protests continue to unfold across various state capitals, underscoring a pivotal moment for political and societal change in Australia.