Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 25 November 2025 marks the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, beginning 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence;

(b) in Australia, it has been publicly reported that approximately 40 women have been killed by acts of violence so far this year;

(c) one in three Australian women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a man since the age of 15;

(d) violence against women and girls impacts everyone, of all genders, ages, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds, it does not discriminate and is almost always committed by men; and

(e) there is no excuse for violence against women and girls;

(2) commends the work that the Government has done so far in taking immediate and practical steps to support women and children to escape violence through significant investments; and

(3) recognises that there is still much more work to be done to prevent violence against women and children and create lasting change, which demands a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing, alongside strengthening the justice system and addressing issues like financial abuse and online safety.

It is with a heavy heart that I rise to speak on this motion marking the 16 days of activism against gender based violence. Gender based violence manifests in many ways, from coercive control to physical assault and, at its most devastating, the loss of women's lives. Since I last read the names of women killed by violence, 52 Australian women have lost their lives through acts of violence. Every year, I read this list in the hope that it will be the last, but, heartbreakingly, that day has not yet come.

Today, as we begin the 16 days of activism, we must recommit ourselves to ending this national emergency of violence against women and children   , and we honour the women whose lives were stolen this year. Let us honour and remember Sandra Dobrila, aged 41; Pauline Slater, in her 40s; Heang Kim Gau, aged 68; Zhuojun 'Sally' Li, just 33; Charlyz Hayter, aged 19; Khouloud Hawatt, aged 31; an unnamed woman aged 32; Chloe Mason, just 23; Yvonne Beres, 59; an unnamed woman aged 51; Merril Kelly, age unknown; Lilian Donnelly, 88; Rachel McKenna, aged 35; Rachel Moresi, aged 55; an unnamed woman aged 41; Crystal Beale, aged 49; Kara Weribone, 27; Irene Herzel, 78; Audrey Griffin, just 19; Cecilia Webb, aged 79; Czarina Tumaliuan, aged 42; Louise Hunt, age unknown; Thi Kim Tran, aged 45; an unnamed woman, 39; an unnamed woman, 28; Pheobe Bishop, aged 17; an unnamed woman aged 48; Muzhda Habibi, aged 23; Lauren Hopkins, 47; Norma Dutton, aged 85; Krystel Paul, aged 41; an unnamed woman aged 22; Leanne Akrap, aged 47; an unnamed woman aged 81; Amanda Rahman, aged 62; Shafeeqa Husseini, aged 41; Zoe Walker, 38; Athena Georgopoulos, aged 39; Summer Fleming, aged 20; Anu Kumar, aged 32; an unnamed woman aged 30; Carra Luke, aged 48; an unnamed woman aged 31; an unnamed woman aged 23; an unnamed woman aged 52; Irene Selmes, aged 84; an unnamed woman, age unknown; Jordana Johnson, just 36; an unnamed woman aged 58; Lisa Ward, aged 55; Rhukaya Lake, aged 39; and Marcia Chalmers, 86.

These are not just names on a page; they're daughters, sisters, aunties, mothers, grandmothers, friends and colleagues—women who should still be here today. We know their names and their stories because of the tireless and painful work of Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy the Joint, who maintain the national register of women killed through violence. They in turn rely on the responsible reporting of journalists across the country whose work documents this epidemic and makes sure these women are not erased or forgotten.

Ending gender based violence is a national priority for the Albanese Labor government and, I hope and I sincerely suspect, every single member of this parliament. It is something we all commit to. We can honour those women we have lost with action now, with urgency and with the unshakeable resolve that every woman and child has a right to live free from violence.

See this speech in context