Protestors March, Call for an End to Domestic Violence

Hundreds of protesters marched down Lambton Quay to Parliament today calling for an end to domestic violence. Wearing white facemasks, waving banners and calling for “safety” for the women and children of New Zealand.

Guest Shakti speaker Wendy Vyas discussed her experience of domestic violence, which resulted in hospitalization, at the hands of her ex-husband. “We don’t want to be invisible anymore, this needs to end here and now” she said.

A reoccurring theme amongst many of the speakers was a concern that The National government hadn’t made domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual abuse a priority.

Aussie, guest speaker from The Project: Pacific Island Safety and Prevention Project including Services, said that kiwi men need to “Stand up as men to end violence against women”.

Several Members of Parliament were also invited to talk including Hekia Parata whose promotion of The National Party’s recent crime and fiscal policies was drowned out by booing from the crowd. Parata finished her speech despite the hostile response.

Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei was met with applause as she called for a change in government saying the solution lay in “This National Government being voted out”.

Other speakers included Maori Party Candidate Marama Fox and Labour MP Carol Beaumont.

Statistics

-More than half of all reported violent crime in New Zealand is family violence

-Police estimate only 18% of domestic violence incidents are reported

- On average 14 women, six men and 10 children are killed by a member of their family every year

-Up to one in five women will experience sexual assault as an adult

-One in three girls will be subject to an unwanted sexual experience by the age of 16 years

-In the United Nations Report on the Status of Women published in 2011, New Zealand was ranked worst of all OECD countries in rates of sexual violence

ENDS

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