Advocacy groups are demanding the government declare violence against women a national emergency after three women were allegedly killed by men known to them this week.
On Friday, West Australian police said they believed a 30-year-old woman, whose body was found in the bedroom of home after a fire, might have been murdered.
Earlier this week, two other women, 49-year-old Emma Batesin regional Victoria and 28-year-old Molly Ticehurst in regional New South Wales, were both allegedly killed by men police believe were known to them.
The events have fuelled anger across the nation, where 25 women have died this year due to gender-based violence,according to data interpreted from Counting Dead Women.
Eleven more women have died violently in 2024 compared to this time last year.
Rallies against gender-based violence took place in Hobart, Sydney and Adelaide, and on Sunday there will be rallies in Melbourne, Bendigo, Geelong, Coffs Harbour, Perth, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
Ballarat and Newcastle hosted gatherings Friday night.
Sarah Williams, from advocacy group What Were You Wearing Australia, is one of the organisers. She said more action was urgently needed.
"Australia is definitely in a time of a national emergency with men's violence," she said.
"Just simply not being enough done and it's really devastating that it's three years on and we're probably in a worse situation than we were in 2021.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will walk in the march in Canberra on Sunday.
In a statement posted to X, Mr Albanese said a woman had been killed every four days so far this year.
"Violence against women is an epidemic," he said.
"Governments need to do better and as a society we need to do better."
He wrote that violence against women was not a problem that women should have to solve.
"We know there is so much more to do. And we will keep working."
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus told media Saturday morning the rallies reflected the current distress in the community.
"About the number of women who are dying, who are being murdered at the hands of those who profess to love them," he said.
Mr Dreyfus discussed measures the government had put in place to address men's violence, such as a national plan and reviewing coercive control laws.
But, he said: "We've got to do even more than we have been doing."
Issue close to home for Sydneysiders
In Sydney, the issue of gender-based violence was close to home for some protesters.
"My younger sister was close friends with Lilie James, who was murdered last year, and a work colleague of hers was murdered at Bondi Junction recently," attendee Julia Robinson said.
"That's two women personally that were in our lives and we've crossed paths with in our close circle."
"It's heartbreaking, frustrating, and it's unacceptable."
Friends Mel Robin and Eliza McGillivray said they felt compelled to attend after hearing about the Bondi stabbing attack, as well as other domestic violence-related deaths in the media.
"After everything has happened in the last in the last few months, the numbers are too high and it needs to not be ignored," Ms McGillivray said.
Mel Robin said she knew people who had experienced domestic violence.
"I'm lucky enough to not have experienced that personally but I have had people in the peripherals of my life that have gone through that kind of stuff and have come through it, and it [domestic violence] is just not going anywhere at the moment," Ms Robin said.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull were also at the Sydney march.
"We need legislative changes, we need legal changes," Mr Turnbull said.
"But above all, we need cultural change, and that's why I've always quoted the words [my wife] Lucy said, that not all disrespect against women leads to violence against women but that's where all violence against women begins."
'All women should be safe'
In Hobart, hundreds gathered at Parliament Lawns for a "stand still" rally.
Victim survivor, Luisa Mejia, addressed attendees, speaking about the importance of education.
"By education, I don't mean telling someone do not kill women, do not be violent," she said.
"By education, I mean education itself about the power dynamics of abusive relationships, about the intersectionality of this issue, how someone's race, someone's religion, someone's background, socio-economic status, how that affects them and makes them more vulnerable
"All women should be free and safe. That of course includes women of colour, women with disabilities, trans women, sex workers, elder women, migrant women, all women."
She called on governments to recognise the seriousness of the issue and act immediately.
"We know the numbers, we're just not doing anything with them."
In Adelaide, protesters spoke of the importance of men attending Saturday's rally.
Colin Codlin and his wife attended the event. He said he hoped the nationwide protests would shift attitudes about violence against women.
"It has just got worse and worse unfortunately and we need change, and hopefully rallies like this around the country can bring a voice to people that need it," he said.
Another attendee, Louis Pitt, agreed with Mr Codlin's sentiment.
"It's really important that men come out and support these rallies as well and stand up in their communities, talk to their friends, make sure to call out things as they happen," he said.
"Men are the ones perpetrating these crimes, if men aren't supporting a solution, it's only going to get worse."
Speaking at the event, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for Mr Albanese to declare violence against women an "urgent national emergency".
"This is an epidemic that requires the full resources of government at all levels across all departments," Senator Hanson-Young said.
"We need everything we can get our hands on to stop this scourge and this epidemic."
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