Why an Aussie mum took her daughters to March 4 Justice protest

"We are here because it's unfathomable that we are still having to fight this same stale, tired fight," Brittany Higgins declared at the Women's March 4 Justice rally outside parliament in Canberra today.

It's a relatively new organisation, but the March 4 Justice has drawn huge crowds around our capital cities today.

"We all deserve equality and I'm glad there's so many people here," 13-year-old Mia told A Current Affair.

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Mum Anna Talko took her daughters, Esther and Harriet to the Melbourne event – driving three hours to be there.

Ms Talko said their family drove from Bairnsdale in Country Victoria because it's important for her girls to understand the issues women face.

"We here as a family, I work with ... survivors of family violence, and the news lately has made us sad," she said.

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"I'm really quite blunt and honest, because that's what they're going to be confronted with, so I … ask them to speak up, and speak up for their friends."

It's a lesson Year Three student Harriet said she had drawn on recently at school when a boy made a scene over the shoes she was wearing, saying they were boys' shoes.

"It made me feel like I didn't have any respect or choice," eight-year-old Harriet said. 

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Retired nurse Sue, 68, from Melbourne's East was also at the march today and said it was a personal milestone for her.

"This is the first rally I've ever been to … cause I think that it's time women stand up and stand by each other and call this out, and try and get this message out to the federal government," she said.

There were large crowds found in the heart of Sydney today.

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And in Canberra there was a crowd of 20,000 standing behind surprise speaker Ms Higgins, the former staffer who alleged she was raped in a ministerial office.

Ms Higgins had returned to Parliament House with a message for the nation's leaders.

"It's time our leaders on both sides of politics of avoiding the subject and sidestepping accountability. It's time we actually address the problem," she said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was inside Parliament.

After deciding not to attend, Mr Morrison praised the march as a strong sign of democracy, though some took issue when he compared Australia to Myanmar.

James O'Connor, 25, who attended the march with his mother Helen in Melbourne said he approached today with an open mind and encouraged other men to do the same.

"There's two sides, one sides worrying about being affected themselves, and the other side is crying for help … Why worry about something that "might happen". Let's worry about something that is happening," he said.