Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Similarly, I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Moore also sponsors this motion. I, and also on behalf of Senator Moore, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) this week there has been a groundswell of people sharing on social media their #MeToo accounts of harassment, intimidation and violence by men,

(ii) according to research in 2015, 87 per cent of Australian women have experienced at least one form of verbal or physical street harassment, and 40 per cent of Australian women do not feel safe when walking alone at night in the area where they live, compared to 17 per cent of men,

(iii) one in three Australian women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15,

(iv) at least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner in Australia, and

(v) women should not have to publicly share their stories of personal trauma and distress in order for our society to act on these issues;

(b) calls on all parliamentarians to support and model meaningful cultural change in Australia that values and respects women, so we can eliminate sexism and misogyny from our society; and

(c) calls on the Government to take decisive action to properly fund and support frontline services for women fleeing violence, as well as primary prevention programs to address gender inequality and other drivers of violence.

Question agreed to.