Violence against women is not, and never has been, a 'women's issue'. It is an epidemic that affects all members of society.
According to the White Ribbon Campaign – a global movement to put a stop to male violence against women and girls – 'one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them'.
Ahead of domestic violence awareness day, White Ribbon Day, on Friday 25 November, Australian Labour party MP Emma Husar took the opportunity to stand up in the House of Representatives and speak up for victims of domestic violence, having herself being a survivor of abuse from her father.
She opened her speech: 'I will use my story told in this place to advocate for the change we need. I will use the eve of White Ribbon Day on Friday to shine a light into the darkest corner of my own life.'
In her impassioned address on Wednesday, Husar revealed that for the first 13 years of her life, her mother and siblings had suffered physical violence from her 'drunk and abusive' father.
'It's taken me a long time to overcome that trauma, to get to where I am today,' she said.
'My father had been raised in a home where violence was the accepted norm, at a time where society said these things were private matters. Whilst the blows that landed on my mother during my childhood didn't land on me physically, they might as well have,' she added.
The politician continued to say that her father's apologies didn't seem to affect the ongoing violence her family endured.
'Dad would apologise, promise to be different, and that would work for just a short time,' she explained, before revealing that her sister and mother were forced to find safety in several women's refuges, but were regularly found by her father.
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At the end of her emotional speech, Husar said she hoped her honesty about her own suffering with domestic violence would encourage more victims to come forward and be unfraid to speak up about abuse.
'I hope the blame that was launched at my mum during the '90s for not leaving is no longer part of 'the solution' to domestic violence.
'Mostly victims don't talk about domestic violence, because other people don't talk about domestic violence.
'For many years, I was embarrassed, and I was ashamed. I know that I shouldn't be,' she concluded.
Husar's speech has received a torrent of support from Twitter users who commend her bravery in speaking up about her own experiences with domestic violence.
To take a stand against domestic violence, you can sign the White Ribbon Campaign's personal pledge here.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
