Thousands to join No Excuse for Abuse March

​The message is loud and clear at this year’s anti-domestic violence walk, there is no excuse for abuse.

The No Excuse for Abuse March, now in its sixth year, will take place on Friday 23 November at 5.30pm, for a 6pm start.

The walk will start at Gillies Street, Lakemba and finish at Parry Park, Punchbowl, where there will be food, performances and activities.

Australian Cook Islands Community Council NSW representative, Margaret Nekeare-Cowan, has been on the No Excuse for Abuse committee since it began, and said it was events like these that kept domestic violence in the spotlight.

"In our community, domestic violence is still considered a taboo subject, so coordinated events like these that involve community groups, Police and Council, really bring it into focus," she said.

"My Cook Island community has been a part of the march since the beginning and has watched it evolve into thousands of people attending, which goes to show just how effective the event is."

This year, the group will walk and also take part in Cook Island drumming.

A couple of years ago, Ms Nekeare-Cowan’s community was rocked by tragedy.

"One of our own was killed in 2016. She was only a 24-year-old girl and she died at the hands of her partner," Ms Nekeare-Cowan said.

"This single death had a huge impact on our community because it showed us that it could happen to anybody, including someone that was a part of our own family."

City of Canterbury Bankstown Mayor and White Ribbon Ambassador, Khal Asfour, said he would be front and centre at this year’s No Excuse for Abuse March.

"I have never been one to be silent when it comes to stopping domestic violence and providing victims with help and support," he said.

"The statistics tell us, domestic violence in our City is on the decline with a four per cent drop in the number of reported incidents over the past five years. This is good, but it’s not good enough. Until there are no cases of domestic violence, there will always be more work to do."

Earlier this year Council, in partnership with the Canterbury-Bankstown Domestic Violence Liaison Committee, launched the Canterbury-Bankstown Says NO to Domestic Violence campaign. In addition, a Canterbury-Bankstown Domestic Violence Service Directory was also launched in 2017 as a part of the It’s Time To Talk campaign, which can be found at cbdvsd.com.au

For more information on the No Excuse for Abuse March, visit cb.city/LakembaMarch