Thousands of people have rallied on the streets of Melbourne calling for an end to gender-based violence.
Friday’s demonstration followed new details about the alleged murder of 19-year-old Isla Bell in early October. Members of Bell’s family attended the rally.
The rally comes amid national and international developments around gender-based violence awareness.
This week, South Australia held its first hearings at a Royal Commission into domestic violence. Next Monday, a UN campaign against gender-based violence will begin.
Melbourne rally against gender-based violence
Thousands gathered in Melbourne’s CBD on Friday for the Walk Against Family Violence. The walk was organised by Respect Victoria, a family and gendered violence prevention organisation.
Chair of Respect Victoria Kate Fitz-Gibbon said on X: “At least 66 women have been killed in Australia in 2024 allegedly by male violence. This violence is preventable.”
This rally comes after Victoria Police released further details about the alleged murder of Isla Bell this week.
Isla Bell
19-year-old Isla Bell was seen on the evening of 4 October leaving her home in Brunswick, according to Victoria Police. The next night, Bell was seen on CCTV entering the apartment of a man named Marat Ganiev.
CCTV footage presented to court this week appeared to show a fight in Ganiev’s apartment on 7 October. Police have alleged the footage shows Bell falling to the ground.
Further CCTV footage appeared to show Ganiev and another man, Eyal Yaffe, moving a fridge out of the apartment on 17 October.
Police allege the fridge was wrapped in plastic. A witness then found the fridge on a street corner and put a bag stored inside it into the rubbish.
Detectives later found the bag at a waste facility. On Wednesday, Victoria Police said they had found human remains at the facility which detectives believe to be related to Bell’s disappearance.
Police have since charged Ganiev, 53, with murder. 57-year-old Yaffe has been charged with assisting a murder offender.
Royal Commission
In South Australia this week, a Royal Commission into domestic, family, and sexual violence held its first public hearings.
The commission heard evidence about the link between housing instability and domestic violence. Hearings also focused on the response from health and legal systems to sexual violence.
CEOs of organisations including Womens Safety Services South Australia and Nunga Mi:Minar spoke at the hearings, alongside representatives from government organisations including SA Health and Police.
16 Days
Each year, UN Women runs 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign against gender-based violence. It starts on 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on International Human Rights Day.
According to UN Women, globally, a woman was killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family in 2023.
This year, Australian advocacy group Our Watch says it will focus on engaging with men to build “a culture of respect and equality” during the 16 Days.
