RELA | Farm Weekly

An alarming spate of femicide deaths has brought back into focus the grim truth of how often gendered violence occurs in Australia. According to the Institute of Health and Welfare, at least one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner. 21-year-old water polo coach Lilie James became the 55th Australian woman to be killed in 2023 when she was allegedly bludgeoned to death by fellow sports coach Paul Thijssen. Her body was found on October 26. Her death was followed by the brutal murder of a woman in Bendigo, bringing this year's grim tally to 56, while another two deaths, including one of a woman in Muswellbrook, NSW brought the total to 58 this year. The Muswellbrook woman was the sixth woman killed in just 10 days. That, unfortunately, is in line with the past several years. According to the Our Watch website, in 2019 there were 63 women killed in Australia. In 2020, there were 57, in 2021 there were 43 and in 2022 it was 56 female deaths. Our Watch estimates 10 women a day present to hospital with injuries perpetrated at home. A woman dies from violence every five days in Australia, according to White Ribbon's 2023 tally. Predominately a health epidemic, violence in the home also has a hidden effects, costing the Australian taxpayers $22 billion in healthcare costs and economic losses. Intimate partner violence causes more illness, disability, and death than any other risk factor for women aged 25 to 44. Violence in Australia often disproportionately targets women who are Indigenous, young, pregnant or living with a disability. It is also more likely for a woman to become trapped in a dangerous cycle of abuse, with people who witnessed violence in childhood more likely to suffer abuse in adulthood. "We know that there are certain patterns to violence, and certain drivers. We know that women and children are more likely to die as a result domestic or intimate partner violent," said Sherele Moody, founder of The Red Heart Campaign. Ms Moody has been documenting the deaths of mostly women and children lost to violence via her online platform at The Red Heart Campaign. Her femicide map locates around 25,000 victims killed since white settlement in Australia. "It's not to say every death is documented, because clearly, there would be tens of thousands of names on those projects, it's a very slow project, but wherever possible I look to name those victims. "The reality is, once a generation or two has passed away, those victims will be forgotten, they'll be a footnote in history. The aim of these projects is to make sure that doesn't happen." A report published in 2019 found women who present to hospital with injuries from at-home violence are 10 times more likely to die due to assault. By the age of 15, one in five women has experienced sexual violence, while one in six women will experience violence at the hands of a partner. Women aged 18 to 34 are almost three times more likely experience intimate partner violence. Younger women are also six times more likely to experience sexual violence. "I don't think that there's anyone who would think that the sheer prevalence of it [violence against women] is OK in anyway," said Alison Evans from the Centre for Women's Safety and Health. If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline - 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467 Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800

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