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Advocates Geraldine Bilston, Phil Cleary, Grace Donato, Tarang Chawla and Sunila Chawla will speak at this online event, as monuments around Victoria are lit in purple in remembrance.  

Flinders St Station in Melbourne lit by purple lights.
Image: Penington Institute

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Update: Watch a recording of the online Candlelight Vigil

Victorians are invited to remember the women and children who have died as a result of family and domestic violence by joining an online Candlelight Vigil at 6pm on Wednesday May 5, 2021.  

The online vigil will feature speakers including Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Diane Kerr, advocates Geraldine Bilston, Phil Cleary, Grace Donato, Sunila Chawla and Tarang Chawla.

The vigil will be presented by journalist and author Jess Hill, whose documentary series See What You Made Me Do is currently airing on SBS.

Flinders Street Station, the Melbourne Town Hall, Bolte Bridge, the Sound Tunnel, the Melbourne Star and landmarks in regional Victoria are among the monuments that will be lit up in purple to mark the night of the Vigil.  

Vigil marks the first week of Domestic Violence Awareness Month 

On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner in Australia. On any given night in Victoria, 104 women and children experiencing family violence will be in protective hiding through Safe Steps.   

CEO of Safe Steps, Rita Butera, has urged Victorians to join the May 5 Vigil:

“This is an evening for mourning, for remembering the devastating loss of so many women and children to family violence. I hope it also serves as a reminder that we must do everything in our power to end this trauma, together.”

How you can support the Vigil

Please feel free to download and share the below material with your friends and networks. If you’d like more information, contact comms@safesteps.org.au

This vigil will give victim survivors, their families and the Victorian community time to pause and remember the women and children whose lives have tragically been cut short through someone’s choice to use violence. - Safe Steps CEO Rita Butera
Candlelight Vigil

If your partner, or any other family member, is behaving in a way that makes you fear for your safety, or the safety of your children, 24/7 support is available.   

Specialist services like Safe Steps and 1800RESPECT can help you understand your family violence risks, explore safety options and make referrals to services that exist to meet your specific and individual needs.   

Safe Steps Flags

Safe Steps respectfully acknowledges and celebrates the Traditional Owners of the lands throughout Victoria and pays respects to their Elders of past, current and future generations. 

Safe Steps is committed to ensuring diversity, inclusion and equity are embedded throughout our organisation for the benefit of our clients and our staff. We are committed to a focus on recognising and eliminating discrimination in the services we deliver. Read our Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Statement here.

Safe Steps is committed to creating and maintaining a Child Safe Organisation; ensuring obligations to meet the Child Safe Standards and Reportable Conduct Scheme requirements, as codified by the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic). You can read more about this commitment in our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy here.

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Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre is supported by the Victorian Government.

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