Violence against women was splashed across the Brisbane Times homepage on Thursday morning - a stark reminder of just how pervasive this crisis has become.
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"Woman shot dead at McDonald's"
'Woman rammed, chased with a machete"
"Woman dies…"
"Woman shot…"
"...crash beating"
"[female] surgeons 'obliged to give sex'"
The six front page stories that appeared on the site, owned by Fairfax Media, the publisher of this website, detailed the brutal, menacing, calculated and rage-filled alleged attacks on women over the past 48 hours.
"I want to cry," writer Alan Vaarwerk wrote as he shared a screenshot of the homepage on Twitter.
the front page of @brisbanetimes right now. i want to cry pic.twitter.com/RDyS6CqfoV— ∆L∆N (@alanvaarwerk)
September 10, 2015
His tweet took off.
As violence against women dominated news headlines, an impassioned response on social media was - in its own way - attempting to administer an antidote.
We know #familyviolence is a national emergency. This pic of @brisbanetimes homepage sadly shows the harm it causes. pic.twitter.com/FM0jfzNXF3— Fiona Richardson MP (@FRichardsonMP) September 10, 2015
The image of the Brisbane Times homepage triggered an outpouring of grief, shame and anger, not least of which was for the woman shot dead at a McDonald's restaurant on the Gold Coast by a man who was purportedly known to her, or Tara Brown, the mother of a three-year-old girl who died in a hospital after she was allegedly brutally bashed by her estranged partner Lionel Patea.
Another woman http://t.co/WNhKTb7vsR #StopViolenceAgainstWomen #countingdeadwomen— Dr Naomi Barnes (@nomynjb) September 10, 2015
And news stories detailing the alleged abuse of women weren't restricted to that patch of sun on the Queensland coast either.
A damning independent report commissioned by the Royal Australian College of Surgeons found bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment are rife in the surgical profession where sexism was endemic, and women trainees reported feeling obliged to give their superiors sexual favours to keep their jobs.
Ms Brown's story in particular struck a chord with Today show co-host Lisa Wilkinson, who posted a deft plea on her Instagram account, urging her followers not to let the 24-year-old's death become another overlooked statistic.
"This country is in crisis. Real crisis. Domestic violence has reached epidemic proportions. And this is all happening against a backdrop of shelters being closed, and helplines losing funding," Wilkinson wrote as she published an image of a smiling Tara.
"Let's get #TaraBrown and#StopViolenceAgainstWomen trending. Let's put REAL pressure on our politicians, our beaurocrats (sic) and a "system" that turns women like Tara - and her young daughter - away in their moment of greatest need. And please, please spread the word with a double tap," she wrote.
Plea: Lisa Wilkinson. Photo: Jacky Ghossein
Wilkinson's post sparked an immediate response on social media, with the hashtags #tara #tarabrown and #prayfortara joining #brisbanetimes in the top trending topics on Twitter in several Australian states.
This photo is so heartbreaking, no one should have to grow up without their loving mother #prayfortara #ruok pic.twitter.com/OleaKkQURL— hannah (@hclaire29) September 10, 2015
Sad to wake to news of another young woman dead as a result of domestic violence In Australia @dlwilson777 http://t.co/yMZADKrbwb— Prof Debra Jackson (@debraejackson) September 10, 2015
As momentum steadily built, Mr Vaarwerk made a practical suggestion. Awareness alone was not enough.
I feel weird about the attention this has got, so if you've seen & RTed this please join me in donating to DVConnect http://t.co/SuR3nLDBrY— (@alanvaarwerk)
September 10, 2015
Fairfax wins award for domestic violence campaign
Fairfax Media has won the 'Our Watch' best journalism campaign award for its reporting on violence against women.
The award, presented on Thursday night, recognised Fairfax Media's 'Shine a Light' campaign that aimed to expose and erase the dark underside of home life, while helping victims find the warmth and optimism they deserve.
The year-long campaign began in March 2014 to "illuminate the public and our leaders on what remains a national tragedy for a country that purports to be civilised, tolerant and safe", according to The Sydney Morning Herald editorial that launched it.
Propelled by the deaths of 24 women in NSW as a result of domestic-related incidents in 2013, journalists Amy Corderoy, Jo Tovey, Rachel Olding, Nick Ralston and Rachel Browne, with the support of the entire editorial team, endeavoured to draw attention to the stories of these women.
Journalist Jess HiIl took home three awards, including the highest honour, the Our Watch Gold Award, as well as the 'best longform' journalism award, for her coverage of the costs and causes of domestic violence in The Monthly, and 'best series or special' for her work with The Monthly and ABC Radio National's Background Briefing.
The team behind Destroy The Joint won the 'best use of social media' title for their 'Counting The Dead Women Australia' campaign.
For support and information about suicide prevention or domestic violence, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800 737 732
Other guidance and support resources for women can be found here.
