The repetition of stories of domestic misery and unchecked violence in the home can feel like being caught in a irreconcilable vortex. Certainly for those who have become engulfed in pain and poison in a place where they once sought security and happiness there is no easy escape. But before readers simply turn the page or dismiss it as someone else’s problem, it might be worth reflecting on the upsides of this campaign. The Courier has proudly championed the cause against violence perpetrated on women for more than three years and the startling thing is just how much has changed in that time alone. This is not to say there is not much more to be done but the success of this incremental change; a Royal commission, a prime minister speaking openly about it and a thousand more voices willing to speak up, should add hope to what can seem a dire cause.
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The biggest change of all has been in attitude - even if this has been both slow and piecemeal. We have come a long way from the punch and Judy show mindset. Community attitudes once prone to excuse, diminish the crime and blame the victim now increasingly see the power games, cowardice and brutality for what they are.
This has only been possible because courageous people have been willing to stand up and voice their stories. Dire examples of human misery told through tears and anguish have helped us tell the story that this suffering is real and preventable. Individuals like Rosie Batty stand out as heroic examples of courage but the only way these campaigns can work is we must honestly say violence is not her problem but all our problem. She has made us feel her tragedy and we must stand alongside her. More than that, she has challenged the intrinsic problem of attitudes toward women in our society that must underpin an end to violence and a revival of respect.
It is also in the family, the groundwork for so many relationships, where this can start. As Malcolm Turnbull noted; "The single most important thing each and every one of us can do as parents especially, as fathers and as mothers, is to make sure that our sons respect their mothers and their sisters," he said.
There is the hope here we can all make a difference in every small step toward change in our world.
