Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Last week we observed the United Nations 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign against what is, sadly, the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide. This is a topic that's important to my community of North Sydney and to me personally as a woman, a mother, a sister, a friend and a proud citizen of our nation.

Australia is often recognised as an international leader in women's rights. In 1902 we became one of the first countries in the world to grant women the right to vote. In 1924 we elected our first woman to parliament: the iconic Edith Cowan. In the 1970s, under Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, we passed a series of legislative reforms to improve women's access to contraception, equal pay, early childhood education and divorce which, ultimately, laid the groundwork for the fairer society we see today. We have fought to promote and defend women's rights on our own shores, as well as advocated for women's rights overseas, through our foreign aid programs, peacekeeping contributions and engagements with bodies like the United Nations.

Despite our ambitions and some progress towards equality, the reality is that we still have a long way to go. Statistics show that gender based violence in Australia is widespread. Fifty-three per cent of women have experienced sexual harassment. Take a moment to look around this room or to think about the women that you know. That means that over half of us have been made to feel unsafe or humiliated by unwanted sexual advances and behaviours. This reality is staggering. Disturbingly, the normalcy of this type of behaviour has often made it more difficult than necessary not only for it to be called out but even, at times, for it to be recognised.

From my own personal experience, I know the feelings of self-doubt and shame that come when you're faced with harassment or abuse. The immediate question that is all too easily asked is: 'What did I do to deserve this?' And the damage in this mindset or this frame of mind is that it often melts across generations. So it is that mothers pass it on to daughters and mothers pass it on to daughters—thus, abuse has intergenerational consequences. This is compounded by the capacity of people to now harass and bully with impunity via social channels—something that has become far too frequent an occurrence since I took on this role. We know that not all disrespect to women results in violence, but all violence against women—indeed, all violence—starts with disrespect. As a public figure, I've now been subject to gender based bullying and harassment online, as I suspect many of my colleagues have. I believe we'd all be subjected to a similar daily barrage of abuse from cowards hiding behind their keyboards. But even knowing this as I took on this role, some of the messages that I've received during this time have been truly breathtaking, with one of the more recent—and I'll apologise in advance for offence—saying, 'You fucking ugly big nosed slut. And you're a fat cunt. Climate change is bullshit.'

Public awareness of sexual violence has grown in recent years, thanks in part to brave women like Grace Tame, Brittany Higgins and Chanel Contos, who have opened up about their experiences and inspired others to do the same. In the words of the indomitable Grace Tame:

When we share, we heal, reconnect, and grow, both as individuals and as a united, strengthened collective. History, lived experience, the whole truth, unsanitised, and unedited, is our greatest learning resource. It is what informs social and structural change.

It was Brittany Higgins's courage that resulted in the Jenkins review, whose recommendations are now playing out in the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022 that passed the Senate last week.

A survey conducted as part of that review found that one in three people working in this building had personally experienced sexual harassment at work and that over half of us had experienced at least one incident of bullying, harassment or assault. Those numbers are absolutely unacceptable, particularly when you consider the example we are setting in this house for workplaces around the country. As the highest office holders in the land, federal politicians must be held to the highest standards. We in this chamber must take the lead in putting an end to gender based violence in Australia with our words, thoughts and deeds by working with specialist organisations, states and territories to support and protect vulnerable women; strengthening our justice system, responses and services; and identifying and addressing problematic cultural norms that still stand in the way of true equality.

The war against gender based violence has many fronts, and I'm proud to represent a passionate and compassionate electorate that is contributing significantly to positive change. In 2016, a group of North Sydney residents came together to open Mary's House, a dedicated women's shelter for victims of domestic violence. As the shelter puts it:

Mary's House is symbolic of the community's commitment to say no to domestic violence, to reduce risk of harm from domestic violence and save lives.

Most recently, I met with the organisers of a new grassroots effort to teach hairdressers how to recognise signs of domestic violence and help victims get the support they need. As many of us know, hairdressers not only cut hair but sometimes also fill the role of de facto therapist and confidant for women visiting the salon. This makes hairdressers uniquely well placed to help educate the community about gender based violence and support potential victims of abuse. It's a brilliant idea. The Northside Baptist Church and Crows Nest Centre, who are spearheading this effort, deserve all our thanks.

I spent much of my career working with advocacy groups towards a better, fairer, kinder society for all. I've seen the tremendous impact community led initiatives like Mary's House, the Delvena Refuge, Northside's hairdressers education campaign and others like them can make to individuals in our society. Truly, people can do amazing things when we are united behind a common purpose. Today, as we observe the United Nations 16-day campaign, we in North Sydney call on our fellow Australians to unite against gender based violence. Violence against women is a scourge on our civilised society. It's time to push forward to end violence against women and girls, here and everywhere.

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