The call is made in an open letter signed by more than 40 women including Helen Clark and Dame Jenny Shipley, former governor-general Dame Silvia Cartwright, business leaders Theresa Gattung, Joan Withers and Dame Trelise Cooper, along with stars from the arts, science and media.
The letter, which will be sent to the Prime Minister's office today, makes a promise to Millane "to do better as a nation". She was last seen alive on December 1 on the eve of her 22nd birthday. A 26-year-old man was charged with her murder on December 8 before her body was found the following day.
Signatories in today's letter ask the Government to adopt a comprehensive and cross-party strategy aimed at preventing violence against women and to run public awareness and behavioural change programmes involving teachers, media and social media.
They ask men to respect women and to challenge men who discuss women in a degrading manner and to step in if they see a woman being harassed or abused by a man.
And they ask men not to be defensive.
"Women going on solo adventures or meeting new people on dates are not the problem here. Men who commit acts of violence against women are," the letter states.
Organisers Laura O'Connell-Rapira, director of campaigning organisation ActionStation, and Weekend Herald columnist Lizzie Marvelly said they wanted to ensure positive change followed.
"We don't see this as an isolated incident," O'Connell-Rapira said. "We saw it as the outcome of a culture in which violence sadly is far too prevalent."
They were pleased but not surprised so many people backed the letter in such a short time.
