"I think it's just marvelous to see so many people, both men and women, come out to talk about these issues."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Griffith woman and president of Soroptimist International NSW, Sonia Casanova, has praised the efforts of Australians who spent Monday calling for gender equality.
March 4 Justice rallies took place across the country today, including outside Parliament House and in Wagga Wagga, with thousands uniting to condemn sexism in Australian society.
Ms Casanova said the rallies "send a clear signal" that it is time for things to change.
"Women don't want to be silent anymore. They want to have their voices heard and they want real change," she said.
Everything that people are complaining about in Canberra, Hobart, and Sydney - it's all relevant in Griffith.
- Sonia Casanova
"Everything that people are complaining about in Canberra, Hobart, and Sydney - it's all relevant in Griffith."
"All the comments that people are making that 'enough is enough, now is the time for change' are relevant in Griffith and we want to see those changes here."
Ms Casanova suggested changing laws was not enough to fix the issue, and a cultural shift would be required to truly achieve gender equality.
"While we have legislation that says violence against women is illegal and gender equality is mandatory, what we actually need to see is the community living up to these standards," she said.
"We want to see changes in workplaces, we want to see changes in the community, we want to see changes in our homes."
"Changing the law is just the first step, it's actually about people and how they behave which is where the change needs to happen."
IN OTHER NEWS:
The majority of people taking part in rallies across the country were women, but Ms Casanova said men have an important role to play in helping achieve gender equality.
"It's not enough to just be the man who doesn't do it, you also have to be the man who steps in and says 'that's not right'."
"If you're a man and you see gender inequality taking place, you need to speak up."
Soroptimist International is a worldwide volunteer service organization for women working towards improving the lives of women and girls.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.areanews.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News