Friday 25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the first day of the UN 16 days of activism which raises awareness and calls for action to eliminate domestic and family violence.

The numbers are confronting - one in three women experience physical violence in their lives and one in six women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner[1]. Given there are over 134,000 women and girls living on the Northern Beaches, it is very sobering to think how this issue affects our local community. Everyone has the right to live without fear and violence.

We’re supporting the Northern Beaches Domestic Violence Network and jointly hosting a memorial at 10am on Friday 25 November at the Manly Town hall Forecourt to honour the memory of those we have lost to domestic and family violence.

Our local police, paramedics and community services also have a message for our community today:

You can find local support services and resources on our website. If you are in immediate danger, please call 000.