Dr Anne Aly, a prominent figure within the Labor party, made a poignant statement at Parliament’s Midwinter Ball on Wednesday night by donning a meticulously crafted gown paying tribute to victims of domestic violence.
The gown, adorned with intricately designed flowers, serves as a symbolic representation of the lives lost to domestic violence in Australia. Each flower on Dr Aly’s attire symbolizes a unique woman whose life was tragically cut short. Emblazoned across the back of the dress are the words “End Violence Against Women,” a stark reminder of the urgent need for societal change.
In an interview with ABC, Dr Aly expressed her hope that the gown would provoke reflection on the staggering toll of domestic violence. “When we look at each of those women as an individual and recognize what we have lost as a society, that’s what I want people to see,” she remarked. “I want people to see a visualization of just how many women, how many beautiful souls, we lost last year.”
According to Destroy the Joint, 64 women fell victim to violence last year alone, with 39 lives lost already this year—a sobering statistic that underscores the urgency of addressing this issue.
Reflecting on the creation of her gown, Dr Aly emphasized that no amount of effort could adequately compensate for the lives lost to domestic violence. “It doesn’t matter how many hours went into it,” she commented, “it’s never enough to make up for the hours lost for every woman who’s died.”
The inspiration for the gown stemmed from the Australian book and TV series, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which poignantly portrays the impact of domestic violence. Dr Aly noted, “[It’s] a beautiful show with the theme of domestic violence, and when you watch the show, you realize that the lost flowers are actually the women who are survivors or victims of family and domestic violence.”
Dr Aly’s attention to detail in crafting each flower ensured that each one uniquely symbolized the individuality of the women it represented. “As I was crafting each flower, [I was] thinking about each woman who was taken from us and what that means,” she explained. “Each flower is kind of a homage to the women who have died.”
Her message is clear: these women are not mere statistics. “Each woman was unique in her own way,” Dr Aly asserted. “Each woman was a beautiful soul who we lost to needless violence.”
The Midwinter Ball, an annual Canberra event held in the majestic Great Hall of Parliament House, provided a platform for Dr Aly’s gown to resonate among politicians, media figures, and other influential guests, amplifying awareness of the ongoing crisis of domestic violence in Australia.
