More than 200 people marched from the United Service Station down the Stuart Highway.

The event wrapped up at the Lindsay Street complex, where the crowd listened to speeches from local men and women who had witnessed the impact of domestic violence in Northern Territory communities.  

The community linked arms and took the pledge  never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

Across Australia, one woman will die every week at the hands of a current or former partner.

Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory are 36 times more likely to be victims of domestic violence than anyone else in Australia. 

Peak affordable housing and homeless body NT Shelter said more work needs to be done to provide appropriate crisis accommodation for victims of domestic and family violence,

“Today we pause to reflect on the critically important work that women’s shelters play across the Northern Territory in providing safe refuge for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence”, NT Shelter executive officer Peter McMillan said. 

“Sadly, there was a two per cent increase in reported domestic and family violence assaults on the previous year.

We know that this is a significant cause of homelessness in the Northern Territory, accounting for an estimated 44 per cent of vulnerable women and children seeking homelessness services”.

Mr McMillan said it was critical that safe and suitable accommodation options were available to people fleeing abuse.

The NT does not have sufficient capacity to meet the short-term refuge needs of women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Last year Alice Springs Women’s Shelter assisted more than 4200 women and children seeking shelter from domestic violence. However, given the shelter is almost always full they had no option but to turn away 2400 women and children.

“Shelter provides much needed respite for victims to escape immediate danger. It is unacceptable that vulnerable women and children have no option but to stay at home in a highly dangerous environment or enter into homelessness for lack of short term crisis accommodation,” Mr McMillan said