Launceston-born champion boxer takes on domestic violence in new documentary

Launceston-born Bec 'Rowdy' Rawlings is, above all, a champion fighter, but she is also a domestic violence survivor and the subject of a new documentary, "Fight to Live."

The Australian Institute of Criminology's National Homicide Monitoring Program has found 34 women were killed by an intimate partner in 2022-23, an increase of 28 per cent on the previous year.

Ms Rawlings says she is a domestic violence survivor because she decided to leave an abusive intimate relationship.

The champion fighter said stricter sentencing for violent crimes could help stop perpetrators from being violent towards their partner if there was more risk of them going to prison for a longer time.

"I feel like right now, it's too lenient, and they feel like they can get away with it," Ms Rawlings said.

The MMA and bare-knuckle boxer said she has been speaking out on domestic violence for years and using her high profile to shine a light on the issue.

"Domestic violence doesn't discriminate. I'm a tough, strong, opinionated woman who fights people in cages and with no gloves, and it can still happen to me, " Ms Rawlings said.

She said by adding her voice to the domestic violence issue it "helps remove the stigma of weakness and that it is something to be ashamed of and that this can happen to all walks of life."

"I think that's an essential message because there's a lot of shame that comes with being in an abusive relationship.

"You feel ashamed and embarrassed, and you feel like you've done something wrong, or you're weak to put up with it, " she said.

The fighter mentioned she had all the tools you could give a woman to defend themselves and escape a bad situation, but even she couldn't leave easily.

"It just shows that there's a lot of mental manipulation that happens within domestic violence and that needs to be addressed," she said.

Bec Rawlings' life story is now the subject of a new documentary, directed by Tom Haramis, called "Fight to Live."

According to the film's website, the documentary chronicles "a young woman's journey from victim to the conqueror; from a troubled young kid in Launceston to a terrified mother protecting herself and her children from an abuser."

"We started filming in 2018, so it's really good to see it hit the big screens finally," she said.

Ms Rawlings said the film delves into the darkest and most vulnerable times of her experience in domestic violence and also shines a light on her fighting career.

"The producer has done an excellent job on showing everything within my career, the highs and the lows.

"And getting the message out there about how the inner workings of being stuck in a domestic violence relationship can affect you emotionally and physically," Ms Rawlings said.

The fighter said that she hopes more can be done in terms of early interventions and educating young people about how to spot the red flags in a toxic relationship.

She thinks what happens behind closed doors shouldn't stay behind closed doors.

"We all need to stand up and say something; if you see something, say something and hold your friends and family accountable," she said.

She stated that she doesn't think that all men should be vilified after the recent uptick in violence against women.

"I've got two young boys, and the last thing that I want them to think about is that they're a monster because they were born a male.

"I think we need to stop pointing fingers and blaming men as a whole, and I think it's more about looking at the issue as a mental health problem within society."

"Fight to Live" will be screened at the Angelika Film Centre in Hobart on May 15 and 16 and at the Star Theatre in Launceston on May 21 (Bec Rawlings will be present at the Launceston premiere).

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