LAUNCH OF “STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN” CAMPAIGN

GREAT HALL, PARLIAMENT HOUSE,

CANBERRA

MONDAY, 8 MARCH 2004

11.30 AM

Well thank you Bruce for the opportunity to be here today and to take part in what I consider to be an extremely important event. To you Kate and the work that Amnesty International does, can I pay tribute to the work that you do around the world, and particularly in the developing world, where women’s rights and women’s education is so important.

We believe that women’s education is important as a poverty-busting device, enfranchising women, recognising the contributions that they make, and through them the next generation, which is so important to a country’s future and its development.

To Jenny Macklin, I welcome you and it is a pleasure to be here with you as well, and to Senator Kay Patterson, our Minister for Family and Community Services, who in a moment, will outline some of the things that the Australian Government is doing in this area, to help the fight to stop violence against women.

Let me confine my remarks to Australia and our society, where the issues may raise themselves in different ways, but the campaign is nonetheless as important, the campaign to stop violence against women.

Because violence is unacceptable, it is unacceptable whether it is against men, and it is unacceptable whether it is against women. Yet we know that women are likely to be subject to violence in different ways to men. It may be harassment in the workplace, it may be violence in an abusive relationship, it may be the risk of sexual assault. And that is why all of us need to send a clear message that whatever form it takes, it is unacceptable. And all of us need to reinforce that point.

And who needs to hear the message that violence against women is unacceptable? Well in the first place, obviously men, need to hear that message. It is not to say that all men are engaged in violence, and to paint a broad brush like that, would not only be unfair but counterproductive. Men who are husbands and fathers and brothers and uncles, in many cases are friends and allies of women and must be the friends and allies of women in the campaign to stop violence. But there are some men that are prone to violence. And its to those men that this campaign is directed-that violence is unacceptable.

But the campaign of course is not just to men, it’s also to women, women as the victims, because it is women as victims who bear the brunt of violence. It is not something that they should be ashamed about, it is not their fault, and that is the biggest message in all of this. It is not your fault, that you became a victim, and as a victim you have every right to seek justice, every right to bring to account those who are responsible.

When a complaint is made about violence, it should not be the subject of a cone of silence in the club, or amongst players who may have information. It should be the subject of cooperation, so that those of goodwill who don’t want to see it repeated share their information. Where a complaint is made should not be the subject of jokes, it should be the subject of horror. Because all of us have a responsibility to expose such violence as part of the campaign to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Where a complaint is made, it should be subject to investigation; where there is evidence a charge; and where a charge is proven, swift justice. That is what stopping violence is all about.

For my own part as the representative of the Government and the Liberal Party here today, I want to associate myself very much with the campaign by Amnesty International to stop violence against women wherever it should occur, but in our case, here in Australia. May the message go forward clear and uncompromisingly that is not acceptable, that it won’t be tolerated, and that those responsible will be brought to justice.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here and to assist you in your launch, and may it be a successful campaign. Thank you.