Every year from 25 November to 10 December, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign calls on governments, workplaces and communities to confront violence against women and girls.

In Australia, the statistics are painfully familiar. Around one in four women have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15. Intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness in women aged 25 to 44 than any other preventable risk factor. More than 70 per cent of all calls to 1800RESPECT, Australia’s national domestic, family and sexual violence support service, are from women.

Then something else happens. We move from activism into the end of year rush, close offices, switch on out of office replies and talk about downtime.

For many women and gender diverse people, this is not a safe time at all.