Australia’s leaders will convene for an emergency meeting to tackle violence against women after mass marches across the weekend. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would hold a national cabinet meeting on Wednesday to address the issue.

The announcement came after Mr Albanese joined demonstrators in Canberra on Sunday alongside Minister for Women Katy Gallagher and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth.

“We will talk about what we can do including as part of the national plan to end violence against women and children,” Mr Albanese said. 

A national cabinet involves the prime minister and each state and territory premier or chief minister meeting to work collaboratively on an issue.

It comes after Mr Albanese received a hostile reception at the end of the Canberra march when he, Ms Gallagher and Ms Rishworth were booed and jeered. 

This included the crowd yelling “we want action”, “do your job” and “what are you even doing here?” after they failed to declare a national emergency to tackle the problem.

Mr Albanese rebutted by telling the impassioned crowd that governments at all levels needed to do better, including his own.

“We need to change the culture, we need to change attitudes – we need to change the legal system,” he said.

“It’s not enough to support victims. 

“We need to focus on the perpetrators and focus on prevention. 

“I know we must do better, but I know this as well… it’s not just government’s problem – it’s a problem of our entire society.”

At least 27 women have allegedly died by male violence so far in 2024, according to Destroy the Joint.

Event organiser Sarah Williams put the number at 32, including the five women killed in a stabbing attack at Bondi Junction that police said targeted women. 

Mr Albanese said the term “national emergency” carried legal connotations and was usually used to unlock funding and services for natural disaster responses.

Ms Rishworth said violence against women “has been a crisis for some time”.

She said she hoped the renewed focus on the issue would catalyse change.

“What I hope is this national conversation will mean that there is sustained attention and sustained resolve across all areas of society, community, to say enough is enough,” she said.

A national plan that included early intervention and prevention programs with young men and boys who have experienced family and domestic violence in a bid to break the cycle of violence would take time to yield results, Ms Rishworth said. 

In total, 17 rallies were held across Australia at the weekend including an estimated 15,000 people demonstrating in Melbourne, about 10,000 in Sydney and thousands more in Brisbane.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said after attending the Melbourne march that Australian women had “enough of being sad and outraged and angry”. 

“There were women at the march today, like me, who have been marching on this issue for decades and decades,” she said.

“We’ve had enough.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Queensland Premier Steven Miles also attended marches in their states on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

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