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March4Justice: Thousands march through Adelaide protesting sexual violence against women

They came with stories of abuse, harassment, rape. They came in their thousands to the CBD, joining other protests across the country, demanding an end to violence against women.

Kathryn Bermingham and Elizabeth Henson
5 min read
March 15, 2021 - 6:08PM
March4Justice protest in Adelaide

Thousands of women of all ages and backgrounds flocked to the centre of Adelaide on Monday to unite in a clear and powerful message: enough is enough.

Organisers said up to 8000 people attended the March4Justice event at Victoria Square, making it one of the biggest rallies in South Australia in recent decades.

More than 40 separate marches took place across the country, after the high-profile public rape allegations of recent weeks sparked a national call for action.

Those at the Adelaide rally, which included a large group of men, heard from prominent local women about the need for urgent change.

“Every single woman who is here today is here because she knows and she has experienced the pain and suffering that comes from being treated unfairly,” barrister Claire O’Connor said.

“We’ve had enough. Enough is enough.”

Abbey Kendall, director of the Working Women’s Centre of South Australia, called for a feminist, survivor and worker-led “re-education”.

“In my job, every single day, I hear stories about sexual harassment, sexual assault and rapes in workplaces,” she said.

“The system is broken. This is not just happening in Parliament House – this is happening in every type of workplace.”

Women head through Adelaide for the March 4 Justice protest. Picture: Kara Jung
Women head through Adelaide for the March 4 Justice protest. Picture: Kara Jung
March 4 Justice photos gallery artwork

The movement is calling for an end to gendered violence and change in workplaces, as well as the political and criminal justice systems.

Natasha Stott Despoja, chair of Our Watch and former senator, said she was marching because of the “confronting challenges” that remain before equality is achieved.

“We must take positive actions to create equal and respectful workplaces, including in our parliaments,” she said.

“This is not women’s problem: this is everybody’s business.”

While a petition for change was delivered to the federal parliament, local organisers also compiled a list of demands, which included a call to strengthen workplace laws and establish a code of conduct for members of South Australian parliament.

Many attended the rally with signs that referenced the accusations involving the federal parliament, while the crowd passionately chanted “enough is enough”, and sang 4 Non Blondes’ anthem ‘What’s Up?’

Those gathered in the square, including schoolchildren and several politicians, were asked to check in on arrival and wear masks but social distancing was not enforced.

Following the rally, the protesters marched down King William Street towards North Terrace, before returning to Victoria Square.

The March 4 Justice heads along King William Street. Picture: Brenton Edwards
The March 4 Justice heads along King William Street. Picture: Brenton Edwards
Brittany Higgins speaks at March 4 Justice rally

Georgina Jones, 10, who attended with her family, said she came because she believed “we should all be treated equally”.

“I came today so the government can hear us and so it understands that girls should be the exact same as men and boys,” she said.

“It made me feel happy that everybody else has come out and I’m very joyful.”

Peta-Anne Louth said recent events left her feeling angry and disappointed that such inequality still existed in 2021.

“The same marches I was attending in the nineties are the marches that I’m attending today,” she said.

“I want to show my boys how to be good allies – it was really important that we came.

“I’m so proud of Adelaide … it’s so awesome to see a diverse amount of genders and people representing today.”

SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros said the focus should be on future generations.

“This is not the day to hear from politicians – they have failed us for long enough,” she said.

“Today we’ve heard from a sea of women – many of who have remained silent for too long – that enough is enough.”

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has vocally called out sexism in the federal parliament, called the movement a “social reckoning”.

“I think it is a turning point for how women are treated,” she said.

“The community is streets ahead of the parliament and our government.”

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston, SA’s most senior female Liberal MP, said action on sexual violence and disrespect towards women “must be above political point scoring” and should “unite us all, not divide us”.

Senator Ruston did not attend the Canberra march but said she was choosing to stand up for women by “putting every effort into doing my job” because she was in a position to affect change as a senator and a member of Scott Morrison’s Cabinet.

“My sincere hope is that the words spoken by the survivors of sexual violence will create real and lasting change to ensure that every woman, young and old, is not only safe but also feels safe whether that be in their home, school, public places or in their workplace,” she said.

Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth said people at the rally were “demanding real change from the government to better protect women”.

“Many were frustrated that still too many women are still subjected to sexual violence and harassment,” she said.

Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said women had a right to expect action from their government and for their political representatives to “show up and listen”.

Three of The Advertiser/Sunday Mail’s top female columnists have written about the importance of today’s march, and why they’re going.

STOTT DESPOJA: In her own words, her shocking experience in parliament

I was 22 when I first worked in parliament and the male power and privilege were palpable.

The liberties and entitlement of male colleagues was pervasive: from the married MP who pursued me as a staffer and then bullied me as a Senator; the ire of male MPs if you rebuffed their overtures; and continual comments about appearance or sexual allusions.

As a relatively young Senator, the sexism and double standards I encountered played out in the media and the parliament.

READ MORE HERE

KARA JUNG: Nearly every woman has ‘that’ story. It’s time we were heard

It was the late ’90s when I attended my first protest in support of ending violence against women, Reclaim the Night.

I knew some of those girls I walked beside were survivors of sexual assault. One in four was the number always spouted back then.

As my Doc Martins pounded down Hindley St we shouted “My body, my rights” and a man thrust his pelvis at us from a pub and shouted “you know you love it”; his mates laughing and slapping his back.

More than 20 years later, that one in four seems like an under count. An assault on an overnight train, sexually abused as a child, a vagina grope at a club, raped at a house party, sexually assaulted at schoolies at Victor.

Then there’s the stories of harassment at the office: a more senior married employee sliding his hand up her thigh during work drinks, a colleague making demeaning comments and then defending it with the old “it was just a joke”, being sidelined after rejecting the boss’ advances.

READ MORE HERE

LAINIE ANDERSON: In any other year, I’d miss the march. Not this year

Women will take to the streets in Adelaide and across Australia tomorrow to March 4 Justice – and in any other year I’d have left my sisters to it in their fight for equality and an end to gendered violence. Not this year. And here are 10 reasons why …

1. I’m marching because I cannot get my head around Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying he did not read a letter detailing the historical rape accusation against Attorney-General Christian Porter, but that he had personally asked his cabinet minister about the allegations and he “absolutely” denied them.

2. I’m marching in opposition to double standards around mental health that portray Mr Porter in a sympathetic light because he’s taken mental health leave, yet the woman at the centre of these allegations who took her own life is portrayed in a diminished light because she suffered mental turmoil.

READ MORE HERE

More Coverage

In her words: Stott Despoja’s shocking experience in parliament
Natasha Stott Despoja
Nearly every woman has ‘that’ story. It’s time to listen
Kara Jung

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/march-4-justice-thousands-march-through-adelaide-protesting-sexual-violence-against-women/news-story/fc6aec1faba23d0a4b5f09be52ea41a3