It was deeply moving to be a part of a powerful tribute this morning, paying our respects to the lives of the 60 Australian Women who were murdered in 2022. As a Specialist in Special Needs Dentistry, I have cared for women who have experienced domestic violence, who fear for the safety of their lives and/or their children’s lives, and so thank you to Gillian Lewis and Stacey Nelan for bringing women and men from all walks of life together for this event to honour the lives lost and shine a spotlight on the important issue of violence against women. I held the placard representing the 60th Australian woman who was murdered last year, and it was heart-wrenching to hear the stories of each woman before her who lost their lives. Even just one life lost is one too many, as every human holds value as a unique person who is irreplaceable, in addition to the ongoing impact on those who have lost a mother, daughter, granddaughter, grandmother, sister, niece, cousin or friend.
By promoting respect and equality for every person, we can prevent violence against any person, not only women, and work toward a future where we no longer have to mourn lives lost to violence.