Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, another day of significance in our calendars where we as First Nations women try desperately to have our stories heard, heard here in this place, heard in the media and heard in the courtroom. It's a day where a lot of us can only hope that our blak lives and our blak bodies matter, too.

I pay my respects and I honour our women and the struggles and the trauma we face every day. I particularly honour those who have lost their lives. First Nations women are the backbone of our communities—strong, staunch and loyal. Our women care and fight for country, keep our families together and keep our communities grounded and strong. First Nations women bear the brunt of colonisation in a way like no other. We face a greater risk of domestic and family violence in this country. The statistics paint a heartbreaking image. That image like a mirror, really.

When I see the statistics, I think of the physical violence, the broken teeth, the bruised blak bodies and the sexual violence and harassment. I think of those calls all blak women know too well, of our sister girls wailing down the other end of the phone. I think of the mattress coming into the lounge room, for the woman who is now homeless. I think of our women being demonised by child protection services. I think of our babies being removed, torn from their mothers' arms. I think of the police not viewing us as the 'right type' of domestic violence victim. And I think of our women sitting in intimidating courtrooms, seeking safety from the same system that on every other day is violent and unjust towards our blak bodies. We know that violence against our women continues after the assault, through systemic racism. Domestic violence is crippling for all victims-survivors, and I acknowledge this. The sad reality is that our voices, our pain and our solutions are not heard or taken as seriously as those of white women.

We need a holistic approach that addresses not only the immediate problem we face but also the historic, political and socioeconomic factors which we did not cause but which contribute to this violence. We need a self-determined, standalone plan designed and delivered by First Nations women. First Nations women have cared for and sustained this country for thousands of generations. Our leadership will only strengthen this country for all.

The Albanese government have said that they support a standalone plan to end violence against First Nations women in this country, but they haven't given us any detail or funding commitments to get this critical work done. This is urgent and overdue. We need to work together to make it happen. Today and every day I will fight for the lives of black women in this country. I will not allow our pain, our struggle and our survival to go by the wayside.