Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The issue of violence against women has garnered quite a lot a attention recently. While the immediate context may be the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, I would like to think that we as a community are becoming more able to discuss the issue of violence against women more openly.

In 1975, Take Back the Night was started in the US after the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed while walking home. This was a protest in response to violence against women. These are now called Reclaim the Night rallies and are held in over 30 countries. We are now well into the second generation of publicly fighting for the same thing: the safety of our women and girls. I can only hope and pray that my daughters, who are now aged 14 and eight, are not attending these rallies when they are adults. Heartbreakingly, as a mother, I must admit my general feeling is that, sadly, they will still be fighting to end violence against women. I was, however, grateful to support the recent Reclaim the Night rally in my own electorate organised by West Connect Domestic Violence Services, and I said then what I say now: violence against women has to end.

In sharing my own story last week as a survivor and as a victim of domestic violence, I told the stories of so many women—too many women, too many children. I have been humbled since and legitimately overwhelmed by the support shown to me since. One of the most overwhelming elements of giving my speech and telling my story last week is realising just how many people have been touched by domestic and family violence. These are men and women, people from every walk of life, in every part of our community and indeed from all over the world. This has just reinforced to me how crucial it is that we tackle the scourge of family violence once and for all. It has also provided me with renewed energy in making sure that this is something that we will not still be trying to solve in 20 years from now. As parliamentarians, we are in the privileged position of being able to make a difference to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by domestic and family violence—and we should.

Labor's recent announcement and commitment to end the cross-examination of domestic violence victims by their perpetrators is an important step, and one I hope the government takes on board. I will use my time here to again call on the Prime Minister to back in Labor's commitment and stand up for victims and survivors of domestic violence. Subjecting women and children to this form of hostile questioning, re-traumatises and creates brand new trauma for victims. It can also be why a case is dropped and a perpetrator gets off, and this is not acceptable. Sadly, there have been promises to address this but, with most things, the leader of this country has failed to act. We often hear of the bi-partisan support on ending domestic violence, but where is the action that backs up this rhetoric?

One of the more shocking cases of domestic violence is a woman I have come to know whose story is so horrific that it is amazing she and her children have survived. Her former husband is now tucked behind bars for what I hope will be a long time, however not before she and her eldest daughter were subjected to cross-examination. Her story is:

On one of the court hearings, my abuser attended court unrepresented which in turn gave him the privilege and legal right to represent himself and hence cross-examine myself and my daughter. That was such a horrific experience and defeats the purpose of court rooms having a safe room for women and children ....

Of course, this is one of many thousands of examples of women who have had to endure this kind of experience at the hands of the perpetrator. This reform to end cross-examination has been called for years by survivors like this woman and her child. It is a failure by this Prime Minister and his government to deliver. In fact, the woman from whom I quote has gone on to create a petition on Change.Org calling on the state government to change legislation in domestic violence court proceedings. This petition has garnered over 18,000 signatures of people who want to see an end to traumatising cross-examination. By allowing an alleged perpetrator of domestic violence access to this ability to cross-examine their victim, it has the effect of perpetuating the violence through a court-sanctioned and court-endorsed procedure. The perpetrator has the opportunity to continue the fear, intimidation and undermining, exercising control over their victim in a courtroom setting. This can no longer be accepted.

Tackling domestic and family violence is a priority for Labor in government and in opposition. I will continue to work towards changing legislation and advocating on behalf of the thousands affected by this. Changing legislation in family law is just one step governments can take in helping to end family violence. This is a crisis that is going to take a whole of society to change. It cannot just be left to governments alone to end this rampant behaviour. Society, corporate Australia, schools, unions, workplaces, media outlets, police and law enforcement all have a role to play. There is not one single person in this country who should feel excluded from the efforts to end domestic and family violence. We all have a role to play. Not one single person is exempt from the responsibility of protecting their mothers, sisters, daughters, aunties, grandmothers, colleagues, neighbours and friends. We all ought to feel obliged in helping to end all forms of violence against women.

It is worthy of pointing out here respecting women and valuing women equally in all areas of society would go a long way in demonstrating an understanding of how and why violence against women has reached epidemic levels. Broad gender inequality is a root cause of men's violence against women. Indeed, there is a clear link between issues of gender equity and domestic violence. And, so, in our efforts to reduce violence against women, we should seriously consider what it is that we can do to reduce the markers of gender inequality that stubbornly remain in our society and in our economy even today.

While I do note that it has taken us 113 years to appoint the first female High Court judge, the gender pay gap, the lack of women in corporate positions of power, the lack of women in political positions of power, the lack of support for working women with children and the lack of support for older women in our communities all contribute to a broader sense of powerlessness that maybe is difficult to understand when you are not on the receiving end of it. But the correlation between this sense of powerlessness and the fear, anxiety and despair many victims of domestic and family violence feel are obvious. We have to have a serious discussion about what it is that we are doing to reduce gender inequality alongside the discussion we are having about what we are doing to tackle domestic and family violence. The fact is these things go hand in hand.

On a personal note, I would like to place on record my thanks to those people who have reached out and shared their stories with me, from the top end to Tassie, from Oklahoma to Thailand: violence against women, domestic and family violence knows no boundaries. I am privileged and honoured to have been able to give a speech that held significance for so many women. I will continue to use my position in this place to advocate on their and on their children's behalf.

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