THIS week there have been 40 marches around the country, including in Mildura, by women protesting for justice. I’m sorry I wasn’t in Mildura to hear their voices in person.
On Monday, in Canberra, I met protesters on the front lawns of Parliament House to hear their concerns, many of which I share, and to give support and pay respect to the many women who have suffered sexual assault.
The fact that one in four women in Australia will suffer some form of sexual assault is unacceptable. We all need to do better to ensure that women everywhere feel safe.
Women’s safety is not a political issue, it’s a human rights issue. Right now, women everywhere are looking to us to lead change for the better. Everyone has the right to feel safe and valued in workplaces and their homes. We must do better, and now is the time.
As parliamentarians, we need to seriously look at the culture of our workplace and ensure it is a model for all in Australia.
The government has taken a number of steps in the past few weeks to address the concerns raised by current and former staff and by parliamentarians.
We have established an independent and confidential 24/7 telephone service to support current and former Commonwealth ministerial, parliamentary and electorate office staff, and those who have experienced serious incidents in any Commonwealth Parliamentary workplace.
The Government has also announced an independent review into Commonwealth Parliamentary workplaces which will be led by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins.
Everyone has the right to protest and raise their voice. The fact that we as women still need to protest in 2021 is disappointing, to say the least. These are serious issues and the whole parliament is working through the response to the concerns that have been raised.
But this cultural change has to go further. It is meaningless if it stops at the doors of Parliament House. Women in our communities need to feel safe and protected wherever they are — whether they are at home or at work or out in the community going about their daily lives. We all have a role to play to make sure that happens.
