Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to begin by saying how important it is to have men stand up for women. On International Women's Day, it's a celebration of women's achievements and what women can do, but critical to that is making sure that men have the courage and capacity to stand up, and will not be derided for standing up, for women. We know International Women's Day has been celebrated since the early 1900s. The advancement of the interests of women and fighting for their rights, for gender parity, has been critical, but no more critical than having incredible role models. I have the great privilege of being able to represent an electorate that is named after one of Australia's most significant women, Vida Goldstein.

In 1984, the division of Goldstein was founded to honour a particularly courageous woman, Vida Goldstein, who was instrumental in winning the right to vote for Australian women, two decades before the United Kingdom. Vida Goldstein's legacy was not just as a suffragette; she was one of the first women ever to stand for parliament in the entire British Empire—for the Senate for the great state of Victoria. She fought for the right for women not just to vote but also to buy property and enter into marriages on the same terms as men. Some might say that she was the marriage equality advocate of her times. Today we have female CEOs, prime ministers, soldiers and astronauts. Progress is visible. Female success, through freedom, choice and empowerment, is there for all of us to celebrate on International Women's Day. But we must continue to press for more progress.

In acknowledging the progress, 8 March was also about recommitting ourselves to smashing the remaining barriers to true gender parity in society—in particular, the high rates of domestic violence, sexual violence, and harassment that many women still endure. A recent ABS survey of 21,000 women shows, tragically, that as many as half of all women in Australia have been sexually harassed. Many other statistics still have alarming numbers. Globally, each day, 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Women also make up 64 per cent of the world's illiterate population.

A century ago, Vida Goldstein fought for these foundational rights and freedoms for women in our country. Today, in the same vein, we must take up the battle, and it must be about men and women working together to advance the interests of women. It isn't just a fight by women. We have to fight for women's domestic safety, as well as for their economic health and reproductive freedoms.

In the Goldstein electorate we are lucky to have many female role models to celebrate, many of whom we acknowledged with Australia Day honours this year: Beryle Campbell Foster OAM, from Brighton, for her service to women in Victoria, including legal service, the National Council of Women Victoria and the League of Women Voters Victoria; Faye Haskin-Dubrowin OAM, from Caulfield South, for service to interfaith relations and to community as the first female president of B'nai B'rith Victoria; and Hatice Basarin, from Hampton, for her dedication to the preservation of Australian and Turkish military history.

Featuring in the Bayside City Council awards this year we had Millicent Roper and Stevie-Lou Answerth, who are new, up-and-coming women trailblazers. They were the recipients of the 2018 Young Citizen of the Year award for their work to develop an inclusive culture at Bayside schools, including for LGBTI students. Meren Reid received the City of Bayside's 2018 environment award for her longstanding volunteer contribution to Bayside's wonderful natural environment.

Similarly, in Glen Eira, we had Cara Morgan, from McKinnon, who won the Young Citizen of the Year award as chair of the 5th/6th Central Moorabbin Scouts Group's Venturers. That was along with Lital Weizman, from Caulfield South, who volunteers with Stand Up's Encounters Mentoring Program and tutors year 8 Sudanese students while also assisting with Sudanese youth and culture events.

I'd also like to give a special mention to Martine Harte, a fierce women's advocate who was awarded a prestigious Melbourne Press Club Gold Quill award for excellence in journalism. Martine also received a Logie award nomination and is judging this year's Telstra Business Women of the Year awards. We're very proud to have her as part of our community. She was described by The Age newspaper as 'an ideal general for the growing female army'. Martine uses new media to challenge thinking about the rights of women and girls, and I'm proud to be able to say that we're working with her to try to advance and celebrate women in the Goldstein electorate and the capacity they can have to influence and shape the future of our community, our state and our nation.

I'd also like to acknowledge Michelle Ayyuce, from Black Rock, who is another leading voice working towards a future where women are able to successfully manage career breaks and family commitments and to recognise the modern reality that women need to be able to make choices and continue with their careers without disadvantage.

Lastly, to finish on an optimistic note—and I say this with difficulty as a Melbourne Football Club man—the Western Bulldogs took home the AFL women's 2018 premiership over the weekend. It's great to see so many talented young women finally given the opportunity to inspire on our sporting fields.

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