Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week was Raise Our Voice Australia, and I had a number of excellent submissions. There is still one that I wanted to read and didn't get the opportunity. It reads:

My name is Dipika Choudhury. I'm 16 years old and go to Perth Modern School which is in the electorate of Curtin.

Every morning, 4 out of 10 Australians wake up and look in the mirror feeling unsatisfied with their looks. Particularly today with social media being paramount, many young people, myself included, often feel pressured to look a certain way and fit into increasingly unrealistic beauty standards that are portrayed by the media.

In a time where the isolation felt by many due to COVID-19 restrictions is already damaging people's mental wellbeing, we cannot afford to lose young people to their internal conflicts regarding their appearances.

In 20 years, I aspire for Australia to be a frontrunner in the international quest to help those struggling with insecurities. Whilst it may seem like an impossible task, I believe if we ourselves seek small change, it is achievable.

A kind caring voice can be all it takes to slice through a person's mental torment. So, I would like to encourage everyone to compliment those around them, because as Mother Theresa once said, 'kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless'.

In 20 years I hope the endless echoes of compassionate Australians will create a society where we can live free of anxiety.