Letter sent to the Prime Minister April 25th

Dear Prime Minister Albanese,

My name is Ali Saoirse, and I work in domestic violence shelters here in Australia and I am also a survivor of violent domestic abuse.

In June 2018 I started a petition calling for a Royal Commission in the violence against women in Australia and the ongoing murders of women through this intimate partner terrorism. It has gained 50,000 signatures. You can view it here https://www.change.org/stopviolencewomen

Nothing has changed. There has been very little progress by governments in stemming the abuse – social, financial, legal, psychological and physical, of women and children Australia.

I see this both as a survivor and in working in the shelters with hundreds of survivors like me. My abuse happened 3 decades ago, but I hear the exact same stories from new survivors every week.

I started a second petition in 2021, calling for an immediate increase in the adequate funding of frontline domestic violence services in Australia.

You can view it here https://www.change.org/p/urgent-campaign-for-federal-government-to-immediately-adequately-and-generously-fund-domestic-violence-services-to-protect-women

Again, the results speak for themselves. The rates of abuse and murders have stayed stubbornly the same, in many states it has increased.

Both these petitions are specific, informed, have tangible proven solutions outlined in them and come from years of research from both someone who work in domestic violence shelters and who is a survivor. It is possible to radically reduce the violence against women and children in a short space of time.

What we need the will of politicians like you to make this Royal Commission happen, a commitment to implementing all recommendations, and most critically adequately funding these. Previous Royal Commissions at a state level have had positive, far reaching effects, and I note the effectiveness of the Fed RC into institutional child abuse, both in making real wide spread change amongst the perpetrators and allowing victim survivors a forum where they are heard, listened to, and most importantly substantial, tangible action is taken on a systemic basis.

The greatest threat to the women of this country is not a foreign power, it is not a terrorist organization, it is violent, controlling Australian men, in our own homes. This is domestic terrorism on an enormous scale. If we can spend $350 billion on submarines to protect us from long distant foreign threat, why can we not spend the tens of billions required to address the threat that is happening now, right here in Australia, to half our population?

I am asking you call a Royal Commission into the violence against women immediately, with a specific spotlight on the perpetrators.

Thank you.
Ali Saoirse