“While men can laugh off any strategies as alarmist or amusing, these are everyday realities for women, and the strategies we put in place to keep ourselves safe in a world where violence against women is at crisis levels,” said Fitz-Gibbon, a business and economics lecturer at Monash University.
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Violence against women has been described as a problem of “epidemic proportions” in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2016 Personal Safety Survey, one in three women had experienced violence by a partner, other known person or stranger since the age of 15.
The actors appearing with Ronan have been called tone-deaf on social media, while Centre Against Violence chief executive Jaime Chubb said their stunned reaction was common.
“They may see themselves as good men, and would honestly never hurt a woman, but being confronted with women’s reality can leave them feeling like they don’t know what to say,” Chubb said. “The men on the couch seemed taken aback, but in a way that reflected how much the comments impacted them.”
Chief executive of Safe and Equal Tania Farha said Ronan’s comment was succinct, but it resonated with women across the globe, reminding audiences that women’s safety was everyone’s responsibility.
“To be the only woman in the room, the only one to speak up, can be frustrating and exhausting,” Farha said. “These conversations can make men uncomfortable, but we have to find a way past this … Men have a role to play here, and we encourage all men to be part of conversations and action around family and gender-based violence.”
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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