Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

It is a privilege to speak on this motion today, but I think we would all prefer to live in a world where such motions weren't necessary, a world where violence against women wasn't such a widespread danger. But we don't live in that world, and we won't live in that world until we change our culture.

This is a global problem, but violence against women is tragically common in Australia. The Bureau of Statistics has found that one in three Australian women, 15 years or older, has experienced physical violence—one in three—and one in five Australian women have experienced sexual violence. We've all heard stories from our friends and our families. We know how prevalent it is. We know that the majority of this violence is the product of men who are known to the victim. I represent the community of Wentworth in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. We are a relatively wealthy electorate, and many people wonder if this is a problem in our community. It is a problem in our community. I have spoken to the commander of the police in our community, who says that 50 per cent of police time in our area is spent on domestic violence. It is everywhere, in every part of this country.

I also want to acknowledge the work that some incredible people have done, particularly activists like Grace Tame and Chanel Contos, who is also from my electorate. They have done so much to share their stories and shine a light on a shameful part of our culture and how prevalent these issues are in our community, particularly among younger women. Like so many people in Wentworth, I have read their stories and the stories of others they have shared, and it has broken my heart. It is simply overwhelming, but I deeply admire what they have achieved. They have put a spotlight on something we have ignored for far too long, and they've driven real change. Grace Tame bravely led the way in changing the laws in Tasmania so that survivors could speak out. Chanel Contos led the way in changing the laws in New South Wales to require affirmative consent and to embed consent education in schools. Both are continuing to drive vital changes in our laws. But it's not just changes in our laws we need. We need changes in our culture, our attitudes, our behaviours, our values and the power-imbalance between men and women in this country.

We can start with the little things such as the language in our classrooms, our locker rooms and especially in our parliament. It's small but it matters. It matters because small things lead to big things. Children learn from what they see and hear. If they see disrespectful attitudes, they will think that's what is acceptable and that is how they will behave. We also need to improve the education of our children so they understand respect and consent from an early age. We teach young girls to support each other, to be careful and to defend themselves because they have no choice, but let's make sure we're teaching the young boys the attitudes and behaviours that will make them responsible members of the community. With strong, positive role models, I believe this is possible. Everyone should see themselves as role models for young people in their lives. Men who are caregivers, teachers, coaches and others in similar roles have a special responsibility to teach boys how to handle their emotions in a mature, constructive way. This won't solve violence against women today, but it is a really important step.

It is also absolutely critical that we acknowledge the impact of the economic imbalance between men and women and the impact that that has in terms of violence against women. We must empower women economically because that is about empowering women in terms of power, and that makes a difference in terms of violence against women. I acknowledge the government for their work on increasing parental leave and I strongly advocate that we make sure that this ensures that men take up a significant care role within their families because it is absolutely critical for men to play that role, but also for women to be, and continue to be, economically empowered. It is absolutely critical.

There is so much more that we need to do. The work of Grace Tame, Chanel Contos and many others show us that change is possible and change can be achieved. So much has changed in the last five years because of strong female leadership from across the community, particularly women of all ages who are standing up, and wonderful services like the Bondi Beach Cottage which provides the grassroots services that are so critical for those in need. I'm sure much more will change in the next five years. It has to.

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