Illawarra community called to action to bring end to gendered violence

Women Illawarra is hosting an open event in a bid to create cultural change to create a safer community for women and children as the death toll from gendered violence continues to rise.

Most recently two-year-old boy Rowan was murdered in Lismore by his father James Harrison, who then took his own life.

Harrison was subject to an apprehended domestic violence order put in place to protect Rowan's mother, Dr Sophie Roome.

Michelle Glasgow, general manager of Women Illawarra, said the community event was born from the horror and grief she felt over what was happening in the community, particularly in the wake of the Bondi Junction attack and the death of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes.

"For me, it just felt incredibly overwhelming as a frontline service provider," Ms Glasgow said.

"So I thought it must be feeling overwhelming for people in the community as well."

She said recent rallies across the country were important but could trigger victim-survivors, so she thought about how to bring attention to the issue in the Illawarra in a safe and trauma-informed way.

"It's an opportunity to bring our community together, to demonstrate to those victim-survivors that as a whole of community we care about their experiences, that we are horrified by the violence, and that we want to commit to making a cultural change in the Illawarra to make it a safer place for women and children," Ms Glasgow said.

There will be speeches from those working on the frontline, as well as harp music, poetry, and a drumming performance.

The flower installation honours the lives of the women and children lost to violence in the past three years, with a bloom for each individual.

Community members can purchase a flower for $10 to contribute to the display, or to take home in honour of a victim-survivor.

Healthier Illawarra Men, an organisation dedicated to men's health with a significant focus on preventing gendered violence, has already purchased 100 to give to those who cannot afford to contribute.

Ms Glasgow suggested people bring a picnic and invited everyone - especially men - to attend.

"I really want to see a strong male presence because I know that there are really good men in our community who are just as horrified about the violence as we are, but their silence or their wariness to get involved sort of limits their capacity to have an impact on it," she said.

It was also an appropriate event for children, Ms Glasgow said, so she would like to see families attend, too.

"This is a whole-of-community issue and we need a whole-of-community response," she said.

The event will be held in Lang Park on Marine Drive, Wollongong from 12.30pm on Saturday, May 25.