Last Monday Prime Minister Minister Malcolm Turnbull committed $100 million worth of measures aimed at providing a safety net for women and children, including money for frontline support and services, innovative technologies to keep women safe, and community education programs in the the Women’s Safety Package to Stop the Violence. 

Last Thursday evening in Ryrie Park, over 70 people gathered for Braidwood’s second Reclaim the Night march down Wallace Street.

The twofold activism and art event was arranged to ring out the message that women should feel empowered and that they have the right to feel safe at night and at any time. Merrilyn Simmons led the songs and there were plenty of drums, percussion instruments and placards as everyone joined in and followed Maggie and Merrilyn‘s lead to the Braidwood Community Arts Centre for the opening of the Women’s Art Exhibition.

The Women’s Art Exhibition is a celebration of  the achievements of the wonderful and talented women artists in our community.

Local Braidwood lady and a women’s refuge worker for many years, Carol Willis was the guest speaker. Carol outlined the challenges faced at the coalface of domestic violence and was keen to hear how the $100 million package was going to be allocated at the State level into women’s refuges.

Carol attended her first Reclaim the night in 1978, 35 years ago and sadly, she says, “we still need to raise the awareness that women should be safe, no matter where they are.”

Carol opened the ‘Not Alone’ exhibition and said “We have always looked to art to bear witness to the times we live in, and this exhibition does just that. We can be proud of the Braidwood people and how they respond.

Carol pointed out the alarming statistic that “Australian police deal with an estimated 657 domestic violence matters on average every day of the year. That's one every two minutes.” So far this year 63 women have been killed as a result of domestic violence.

A proportion of the funds raised from Women’s Art Exhibition will be donated to the Louisa Refuge in Queanbeyan, which provides support to women in crisis in the Palerang region. The Exhibition closes on Monday 5th October at 3pm.