In the last sitting week, a rare occasion occurred. There was a joint parliamentary friends group. Both Parliamentary Friends of Women's Health, of which I'm a co-chair, and Parliamentary Friends of Endometriosis Awareness came together to hold an event. I'd like to thank my co-chairs: Senator Marielle Smith, Alice Jordan-Baird and Julian Leeser. I'd like to acknowledge Sarah White, the CEO of Jean Hailes for Women's Health; Victoria Bowring, who is the General Manager of Endometriosis Australia; and Deanna Flynn Wallis, an Endometriosis Australia ambassador.

Deanna is a young woman who shared her extraordinary story with us, and it takes a huge amount of courage to stand in front of strangers and share your story. We all sat around the table, and Deanna opened up to us. She first experienced symptoms of endometriosis at 13. She experienced 'debilitating pain, extraordinarily heavy bleeding, nausea, fatigue, excruciating bloating, bowel symptoms and nerve pain to name a few.' She said:

My body changed and I lost the energy for much of what I loved.

But perhaps one of the most damaging parts wasn't happening inside my body—it was what happened when I tried to tell people. I wasn't believed.

It was another six years until Deanna was diagnosed. She had a hysterectomy, but the endometriosis continued. She said:

There is physical exhaustion, but also the exhaustion of appointments and constantly proving your pain is real. Then there is grief—for your body, fertility, pregnancies and the future you imagined.

She says that medical gaslighting has left some of her deepest scars. Now Deanna says:

Sometimes I wonder what 13-year-old me would think if she could see me now. Maybe she'd ask—Wait, they believe us now?

And I think I'd tell her—more than they did then. Enough that one day, your dear friend the member for Mayo will invite you to the federal parliament to tell them about it.

…   …   …

I cannot change what happened to 13-year-old me. But all of us in this room have the opportunity to change what happens next

I'd really like to acknowledge the work that the government has done with respect to endometriosis and pelvic pain. It is huge, what's been done, but we are so far behind and we have so much more to do. It is still so difficult to access for so many women, particularly in regional areas. So many women go to their doctors, and their doctors still do not believe them. They think that you're just having a heavy period, when it's so much more. Thank you, Deanna, and thank you to everybody involved.