By Emily-Rose Toohey
Last Wednesday evening, Warwick’s annual Safe Haven peace walk and candle lighting ceremony occurred.
In honour of May being domestic violence awareness month, the walk is a state-wide event recognised as National Day of Remembrance, raising awareness about those impacted by domestic and family violence.
Warwick Safe Haven committee president Bette Bonney said the group are highly honoured to host this event.
“With attendance growing each year and the community becoming more aware, we need to be the voice in our community,” Bette said.
“We’ve been part of this for 10 years all up, and our goal is to let people know it’s not correct or right and we need to make a stand.”
The walk started outside Town Hall and concluded at Warwick’s Uniting Church, where the candle lighting ceremony occurred.
But before the latter, survivor Judy Hefferan took to the stand and shared her personal experiences.
“This is an issue that deserves something more than its own month,” Judy said.
“Australian women are dying from domestic violence, and it’s absolutely imperative to raise the consciousness of it.”
Judy said that sharing her story helps her feel empowered and she does it for herself – she is re-claiming her narrative.
“When you suffer from domestic violence, it can lower your self esteem and make your feel that you’re not worthy,” she said.
“I suffered emotional abuse more than physical, and I used to feel that it wasn’t as bad and I shouldn’t speak of it in the same way – then I realised it was important to.”
Regarding last Wednesday night, Judy said she was grateful for the number of people in attendance.
“It was lovely to see the school students and a lot of people came up to me and said my words had really sunk in,” she said.
Judy has been an active member of the Women’s Advocacy and Action Team (WAAT) in the Southern Downs, and said she is a card carrying feminist.
“The cause is so close to my heart and I would like to do something about our lack of resources,” she said.
“The team felt their wasn’t enough local action on the ground and we decided to take up the mantle.”
Furthermore, Bette said she hopes the night may encourage someone to bring up the issue if they are experiencing it, rather than burying their heads and accepting it.
“It’s a continual ongoing issue that’s amongst us and bring we need to people’s attention to it,” she said.
“Make a stand and have a voice.”
