Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In a week where we reflect on International Women's Day and its theme of balancing the scales, I've felt an enormous depth of pride to be part of the labour movement that has stood at the forefront of fighting for gender equality in Australia. Of course, under the Whitlam government, no-fault divorce was introduced, tax was removed from the contraceptive pill and women were awarded equal pay for equal work. The Hawke government introduced the Sex Discrimination Act, making sexual harassment illegal and ensuring women had access to the same jobs, services and accommodation as men. Under the government of my friend Julia Gillard, Commonwealth paid parental leave was introduced, 1800RESPECT was established and the first national plan to reduce violence against women and children was introduced.

It is now our turn and our responsibility to build on these nation-changing Labor reforms. Women are at the heart of the Albanese Labor government's agenda, and that's more than evident in what we have delivered so far, including our expansion of paid parental leave to six months. Of course, we're also paying superannuation on that leave. We've expanded access to the single-parent payment, and we've made record investments to end gender based violence. We've published the gender pay gaps of big businesses in Australia for the third year in a row, with the gender pay gap now at a record low. Something I am especially proud to have fought for is our record investment in women's health, offering more choice and better health care at a lower cost. Our investment in women's health includes opening 33 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics across Australia. It includes new contraceptives and MHT on the PBS for the first time in decades and the introduction of Medicare funded menopause health assessments. It is no coincidence that this comes at a time where we have the first majority-woman government in our history. The labour movement and the Labor Party have always delivered for women, and we always will.