A group of women came together to organise the Sunshine Coast March4Justice on Monday in response to their anger at the “ongoing lack of respect and treatment by men“.
The marches kicked off after the March4Justice Founder posted on Facebook on Sunday 28 February expressing her anger about gendered violence in Parliament and asking for volunteers to join her to march on the Australian Parliament on the next Parliament sitting day, March 15.
A groundswell of anger about gendered violence resulted in parallel events around Australia supporting the national event.
Together with a group of women, Sunshine Coast resident Jo Justo organised the event at Cotton Tree Park for locals to have a place to take part in the movement.
Supporters gathered despite the wet weather, with a number of speakers addressing sexual violence in aged care, young women, First Nations women and others.
Jo said it was time for change.
“This is a moment in time where women are being very loud and clear in coming together, as they have done so many other times historically over the years, but I think there is a very clear determination to be heard and to not step back,“ she said.
“It’s about men hearing that it’s time for them to stop and if they realise that women are more than 50 per cent of the population and deserve to be respected and not to be treated in a violent way that they do, then that’s a very good reason for us to come together.
“It’s not our responsibility for us to change their behaviour but it’s certainly our responsibility to call it out.“
