As International Women’s Day approaches on Saturday 8 March, IMPACT Community Services managing director Tanya O’Shea highlights that we must pause to reflect on the progress we’ve made, but also on the undeniable truth that there is still so much more to do.
Tanya said the fight for equality is far from over, and domestic violence remains one of the most urgent issues of our time.
“This year’s International Women’s Day theme, Accelerate Change, calls on us to act now and create a future where equality and safety are not just ideals, but realities,” she said.
“Domestic violence thrives in silence, but silence is no longer an option.
“For too long, victims have suffered in the shadows, their stories unheard, their pain ignored.
“Change begins with one voice, it only takes one person to challenge the silence, to call for justice, safety, and equality.
“One voice can start a movement, and when we stand firm together, that movement becomes unstoppable.”
Tanya highlights that violence doesn’t emerge out of nowhere. It’s learned and perpetuated.
“As adults, parents, and older siblings, our behaviour significantly influences the minds of children.
“Harsh words, controlling actions, and physical aggression create a culture of violence that can be passed down through generations.
“It’s time to break the cycle.
“Seeking safe spaces to learn alternatives – self-regulation, managing anger, and responding without violence – is not weakness.
“It’s strength, it’s courage, it’s recognising that change begins within us.
“As a community, we must stand up and say, no more.
“No more violence. No more suffering in silence.
“No more turning a blind eye.
“From our homes to our workplaces, from our streets to our institutions, we must all be part of the solution.
“Each of us can be that one person – the one to raise our voice, to act, and help shift the course of this movement.
“Together, we can create the change we want to see.
“This International Women’s Day let’s commit to raising our voices, not just in words, but in action.
“It starts with us.”
