The male Kamilaroi Elders led the charge during the walk, sending a strong message to their fellow men and boys that it is not okay to hurt women in any way.

“I’ve seen violence against women ever since I was a child,” Kamilaroi Elder Bill Grose said.

“There’s lots of improvement going on but there’s still lots to do. Children see men hitting women and think it’s the natural thing to do but we must teach them it’s not. Violence against women must stop.”

With the Barwon Local Area Command having the second highest rates of domestic violence in NSW, Barwon LAC Superintendant Paul McDonald said it’s something that needs to be addressed.

“It’s good to see you all here today supporting the cause,” he said.

The White Ribbon Day event, organised by Moree Aboriginal Justice Group, featured a Walk for Women in south Moree, during which participants carried banners and signs saying “Swacks Off”.

The walk concluded at Burt Jovanovich Oval where the men and boys of Moree took a pledge to stop violence against women before local Aboriginal youngsters and police officers joined together in a Murri’s vs Gunji’s touch football match.

Local organisations and service providers also attended the day to help educate the community about what services are available for victims.

This was the first year the Moree Aboriginal Justice Group has organised the White Ribbon Day event and organiser Jaki French said she was very pleased with the number of people, particularly men, who turned up to support the cause.

“I’m proud of all you Moree men here today; it just indicates what sort of community we have here in Moree,” she said. 

“The whole community have come on board today, so I want to thank you all. White Ribbon is about the community coming together to stand up against domestic violence, in particular violence against women, so I’m very proud of all these men here today.”