Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Raise Our Voice campaign is working to increase the number of young women and gender diverse voices from all backgrounds who lead conversations in politics, domestic policy and foreign policy. This year, Raise Our Voice Australia posed this question: what do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years, and what can the next parliament do to achieve that? Lei from my electorate of Durack submitted a speech, and it is my pleasure to read that now on behalf of Lei:

My name is Lei, I am a 16-year-old girl in northern regional WA. I am also the member for Kimberley for Western Australia's Youth Parliament 2024.

One of my speeches was my adjournment debate. I was scrolling through the news to find something to talk about.

I had come across an article published in February.

12 women came out to sue their previous employer company for counts of sexual harassment and assault. It broke my heart reading it and I had decided that this is what I was going to talk about.

So I will echo what I said in Western Australia's Youth Parliament.

Sexual harassment and assault has had a lifelong negative impact on 1.3 million women and nearly half a million men in the 5 years leading up to 2022.

Sexual harassment and Assault is not only inappropriate touching but also comments on one's gender, body or, worse, actually making advances on the victim.

I call the Federal Parliament a call to action. I want EVERYBODY in Australia not only my community in 10 years or sooner to feel safe working for their living especially in these trying times where our cost of living has been growing exponentially.

Educate our Youth on what is sexual harassment, what to do if you become a victim and that it's okay to speak out. There is a lack of education on this topic in the curriculum all over the country. I want there to be promotions on this topic at every careers class, health class and even in a generalised topic to talk about. It breaks my heart that this topic has to be normalised to break the stigma around it because we cannot stop predators.

If we have to normalise this topic so that people are not afraid to speak out then so be it. Speaker and the Members of Federal Parliament, I am a Year 10 student and I am afraid.

I am afraid that when I enter the workforce as a YOUTH will I be subjected to being one out of three Australians who experience workplace sexual harassment.

This is such an important issue. Thank you, Lei.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives

Sitting suspended from 16:38 to 16:51