Our vigil at the beginning of the year commemorating the lives of women and children killed to violence in Australia in 2025 marked my fourth Bonnie’s Vigil. The first vigil I attended, I was responsible for compiling the list of names of all the woman and children killed in 2022. It was one of the toughest jobs I’ve ever had. Reading the stories of so many women and children who came from all different walks of life, on different journeys but connected by the same terrible violence that robbed them of their lives.

One could be forgiven to think that over time it might get a little bit easier to listen to the names, but it doesn’t. Hearing the names of so many women and children killed in Australia is not just heartbreaking it is enraging. So much violence and loss, it’s hard to not be overwhelmed by it all. Despite this, I believe the Annual Bonnie’s Candlelight Vigil is a shining testament to the power of a community that cares about making a difference.

The theme for our vigil was ‘Truth, Action, Change’. When we came together as a community, speaking the truth and committing to action, we proved we can enact meaningful change so that one day we will no longer need to hold a vigil.

As a frontline DV worker, I have had the privilege of walking alongside so many survivors who are kind, loving, smart, ambitious, courageous and so much more. How are these women different from all the women whose names were read out during the vigil? Luck. When we live in a world that enables violence against women on a personal, community, and systemic level, luck can be what separates victims from survivors. However, it is the job of every single person to make sure that luck plays no role in the conversation.

We need to ensure that services are adequately funded and staffed. We need to ensure workers are receiving adequate training. We need to ensure that every single woman and child who seeks help is able to access it. These are all system-based goals that we should all be working towards, but there are also important and simple things we can all do as individuals. We can speak up when we see or hear something that isn’t acceptable. We can reach out to friends and family who we think might be experiencing violence to check in and offer help. All the little actions that can make a big difference in the lives of the people around us. 

Almost 6 months after our vigil, the number of women killed due to violence in Australia in 2026 sits at 30, including 2 women who were killed on the day of our vigil, and the number of children killed sits at 11. We grieve all of these women and children because we have lost something we love, and every single person whose name has been read at our vigil and will be read out at a future vigil was, and is, deeply loved.

The road to a better tomorrow is a long one but it is undeniable we have made progress. 100 years ago, the road hadn’t even been built yet but today, not only are we heading in the right direction, but we are gaining speed every single day. When we stand up, speak the truth and take action, change will happen. But it is going to take all of us to make a real difference.

Click here to view a video of the Candlelight Vigil.

— Kate