Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I want to celebrate the incredible contributions women have made to our country and our parliament. We're fortunate to follow in the footsteps of courageous, determined women like Dame Enid Lyons, Doris Blackburn and Cathy McGowan. I'm so proud that women now comprise 38 per cent of this chamber and 44 per cent across the parliament—more than that number has ever been. It's a tremendous improvement from the year when I was born, when zero women stood in the House of Representatives. However, we have a long way to go. This progress will only continue if we continue to support and empower the next generation of women in public life. We must work together to overcome the barriers that women face and ensure every woman has the opportunity to succeed.

I want to highlight some of those groups in my electorate that do make a huge difference to women, including the B Miles Women's Foundation, Bondi Cottage, the National Council of Australian Jewish Women as well as the surf lifesaving clubs, who are promoting women, and groups like Chief Executive Women, who also encourage women to be their best.

On this International Women's Day, I'm committing to empowering women in my community who can make a real difference in public life, tapping them on the shoulder and telling them they can do it because they're capable, qualified and ready, and because we all need people to believe in us and to get behind us. This is how I will honour the legacy of my predecessors. I hope many others here will join me and do the same in their own communities.

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