On April 10, the “She Matters” mural in Hosier Lane was removed due to building repairs on The Forum Theatre’s emergency exit doors. The memorial was one of three across the country, with this one showcasing 207 women at the time of the mural’s removal.

The She Matters murals are visual representations of the women killed in Australia from violence, including as a result of murder, manslaughter, neglect or other unlawful acts.

Approximately 60 per cent of the women on the wall died as a result of domestic violence, 25 per cent were killed by men unrelated but known to them, and five per cent were killed by strangers.

Sherele Moody, founder of The RED HEART Movement and Australian Femicide Watch spoke to Farrago about the removal of her organisation’s mural.

Moody believes removing the entire memorial could have been avoided, as The Forum claimed they needed to repair the exit doors, which housed only a small portion of the mural. Moody commented that she was never told the entire project would be removed.

Melbourne City Council stated that the materials used to create the mural were blocking emergency exits to The Forum, creating a significant safety risk for patrons.

“We will look to work with the mural's artists to find a new home for She Matters. We are treating this as a priority, balancing the theatre’s restoration with ensuring the mural remains visible and impactful,” said Lord Mayor Nick Reece.

However, Moody claims she hasn’t been in contact with the council, who she understands were the ones to highlight the issue with the exit doors.

“The Lord Mayor then told multiple media outlets the council would work with me on restoring the project - the council has not spoken to me at all and appear to be avoiding me,” Moody said.

Moody is planning to move the mural, but has hit a brick wall when it comes to finding a replacement location.

“Hanging it again in Hosier Lane is problematic - the ongoing vandalism causes significant damage to the cards that make up the mural,” Moody stated.

“The destruction of the mural has an impact on the families and friends of the women on the wall - it is deeply unfair for me to subject them to a roller-coaster of emotions around instability of the project.”