There are 67 in total and seeing them all together is quite powerful.

Newcastle women’s activist group AWE is behind the project aimed to bring awareness to the devastating toll of women in our country being killed through violence.

Seeing all 67 dresses together is “a kick in the stomach”, says AWE spokesperson Fiona Whitton.

AWE wanted to do something that would have impact during the 16 days of activism for the elimination of violence against women, a United Nations recognised period of time between November 25 and December 10.

November 25 is the international day of violence against women and December 10 and is the international day of human rights.

AWE put a call-out to the community to help make the dresses, which bear the name and age of each woman who has been killed.

They have been overwhelmed by the response.

Ms Whitton was also overwhelmed by the emotional process of making a dress herself.

“I didn’t want to represent her as much as remember her and bear witness to the fact that she’d been here and had all of the opportunities in the world but that had all been taken away from her,” Ms Whitton said.

“A few people I have spoken to who have made dresses have been surprised by how difficult it was and how confronting it was. Saying you’ll do it is one thing but then spending hours thinking about them and being with this woman and reading their story … then seeing them all together is like a kick in the stomach.”

When AWE started the campaign six weeks ago 49 women had been killed through violence in Australia.

The count is now at 67 and every time another woman is murdered AWE ask for interest from the community to make a dress to remember her.

Every dress is unique and although most have been made in Newcastle, some have also come from the places including the Blue Mountains, Tamworth, Melbourne and Queensland.

All so far have been made by women.

“We didn’t know any of the women, so it’s not us saying, ‘This is who this woman was’,” Ms Whitton said.

“We really want to respect the families of all of these women. We are not saying this is our representation of them, this is us remembering them.”

The dresses will be at several community events, including the Hunter White Ribbon Breakfast on Friday and Walk a Mile Koori Style at King Edward Park on December 2.

“We weren’t expecting people to create them as beautifully as this,” she said.

“A lot of thought and care and compassion have gone into creating all of these dresses and … It has also prompted that opportunity to have a lot of conversations that wouldn’t have happened because they were making the dresses.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing violence or sexual assault, phone 1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732.  

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