Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We stand at a critical point in our nation's history. As thousands gather not far from where we are right now, the message being sent is loud and clear: we are not doing enough. When one in six women experience physical and/or sexual violence from a live-in partner from the age of 15, we must ask ourselves: what are we doing wrong? When 25 per cent of women experience emotional abuse from a current or previous partner, we must ask ourselves: what are we doing wrong? When one woman is killed every nine days at the hands of a partner, we must ask ourselves: what are we doing wrong? Clearly, we are doing something wrong.

Living free of violence is everyone's right, and reducing violence is everyone's business. We must continue to make reducing violence a priority. All forms of violence against women and children are unacceptable in any community and in any culture. Just over 100 years ago, women were not allowed to be parliamentarians. That was until, after much campaigning, a change to the law and a successful election in 1921, Edith Cowan became the first woman elected to any parliament across Australia. It is so important that women are represented at all levels of government because women can bring a broader range of issues to the table and research suggests that women use different methods to problem-solve. That can only make us stronger. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said:

As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we'll all be better off for it.

While Cowan's time in parliament was short, her contributions still benefit women today, for it was Edith Cowan who pushed legislation allowing women to be involved in the legal profession. She was one of the first people to promote sex education in schools, and she succeeded in placing mothers and fathers equal in the eyes of the law in relation to wills.

I entered parliament to make a difference. I gave up a successful career as a psychologist, with a small business and a healthy work-life balance, to be in this place. I am away from my four children more often than I want to be. I did not come to Canberra to protest. I came to Canberra to legislate. I came to advocate, but, ultimately, I came to improve the lives of people. Since being elected, I have been advocating strongly for the issues affecting women. As co-chair of the parliamentary friends group for ending violence against women, I understand that we must be having these conversations, not just with adults but with young children too.

Edith Cowan was the first to push for sex education to be taught in schools, and she was right to do so. However, 100 years on we must keep going. Children should be taught about protective behaviours in preschool. It should be compulsory. Consent, relationship skills and awareness of coercive control should be taught to school-age children. Just over 100 years ago, women could not even be members of parliament. Now our parliament, government, ministry and cabinet are richer because women who stand in this place are contributing to our nation. Only recently Senator Payne achieved a significant milestone as the longest continuously serving female senator, a milestone I am sure Edith Cowan knew to be possible but certainly a long way off when she entered the parliament. Today the gender pay gap is at a record low and female participation is at a record high. Sixty per cent of all jobs recovered, after being lost during the lockdowns at the height of the pandemic, have gone to women.

I sometimes wonder what Cowan would make of today's parliament. Would she be critical? Would she have suggestions on how to do things better? I'm sure she would. But there is no doubt we have come a long way. Today, girls can grow up knowing they can be anything, because Edith Cowan was told she couldn't but she did anyway. As Margaret Thatcher said, don't follow the crowd; let the crowd follow you. It's time we got moving.

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