Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Hansard source

Today, on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we confront the truth the UN has made abundantly clear: digital violence is violence. It is a real form of violence and is rising at a terrifying pace. Around the world, almost one in three women experience physical or sexual violence. Here, in Australia, the urgency is unmistakable, as 74 women have been killed by domestic violence in just the past year.

Now this abuse has moved into the digital realm, where AI tools, anonymity and weak regulation have created new weapons like deepfake pornography, image based abuse, online stalking, doxxing, hate speech, grooming and coordinated campaigns to silence women with an online presence. These attacks don't stay online; they spill into real-life fear, coercion and, in worst cases, physical violence and femicide. The burden falls heaviest on women of colour, women with disability, young women and those of us in politics, journalism and activism. I've spoken in this chamber about the deepfakes, racist abuse and threats I've personally endured. Too many women in WA, across Australia and globally know this to be a reality.

The UN's message is clear: governments must end impunity with stronger laws; tech companies must remove harmful content and build safer platforms; and we must properly fund organisations supporting survivors. Australia cannot fall behind. We must strengthen the Online Safety Act, lower the barrier for action, enforce platform accountability and recognise digital violence as the gendered human right violation it is. There is #NoExcuse for online abuse.