International Women's Day

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (16:57): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises International Women's Day (IWD) on 8^th March;

(b) recognises that IWD was originally called 'International Working Women's Day' as a tribute to the struggles of working women;

(c) celebrates and pays tribute to women's economic, political, cultural and social achievements to date;

(d) recognises that inequality in many areas of life and in regards to basic human rights, continues to exist for women across the globe today;

(e) recognises that IWD is a day on which we can reflect on the challenges ahead to achieving equality and commit to changing and furthering our actions for the advancement and equality of all women;

(f) notes that this year's IWD theme is 'Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it Up for Gender Equality'; and

(g) commits to doing what it can towards the achievement of equality for all women.

I rise today to speak about International Women's Day (IWD) which was marked and celebrated 2½ months ago, on 8 March. I was fortunate enough to speak about this important day during the grievance debate on that day, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak again.

As I said during the debate, International Women's Day, or as it was originally called International Working Women's Day, is marked each year on 8 March. It was first celebrated as a tribute to working women and it provided an opportunity to highlight issues about pay and conditions, as well as women's rights more generally.

In honouring our women's forebears, we can particularly acknowledge the union women who fought the earliest of fights for decent pay and conditions. Those women fought for those principles that underpin this day, and union women today continue to play a pivotal role in our women's movement. IWD must continue to be marked and celebrated for many reasons. It gives us an opportunity to recognise the past political, social, economic and cultural achievements of women and to renew our collective commitment to work together to achieve equality for women in all areas of life in our local communities and across the globe.

In my speech on International Women's Day, I spoke about our moving on from the grid girls, our Australian Labor Party's target of 50 per cent women in our parliaments by 2025, our ongoing fight to achieve equal pay, our ongoing challenges with and for women around the globe, the 'F' word (feminism), and why it is definitely not okay for federal Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton to refer to women journalists as witches.

Today I turn my focus not just to our achievements and the enduring opportunities and challenges that women face but to the pioneers of this place who paved the way for women of all political persuasions to come. In particular, I pay tribute today to the first two women in parliament: Joyce Steele and Jessie Cooper. Indeed, Joyce's presence via her magnificent portrait behind us graces us inside this very house. Whilst it—

The Hon. S.W. Key: Very big, too.

Ms HILDYARD: It is very big. Whilst it took our Labor Party a little longer to get our first woman into parliament—the formidable Molly Byrne—she made up for lost time, and since that moment we have continued to lead the way on women in our parliament.

Our South Australian example of women in leadership is an inspiring example of what we can achieve together. We are fortunate that here in South Australia we can draw upon an inspirational tradition of activist women who were fearless advocates for equality—women such as Catherine Helen Spence, the first woman to stand as a political candidate in Australia. It was thanks to the relentless efforts of Catherine Helen Spence and her fellow activists that, in December 1894, South Australia proudly became the first Australian state to allow women to vote. At the same time, women were granted the right to stand in state elections—the first place in the world—and women ratepayers were granted the right to vote in municipal and local council elections in 1861.

Susan Grace Benny was the first female local government councillor in Australia. She was elected to Brighton council in our southern suburbs in 1919. In 1986, South Australian senator Janine Haines became the first woman to lead an Australian political party, the Australian Democrats. Also in 1986, Labor's Anne Levy became President of the South Australian Legislative Council. She was the first woman to be a presiding officer of a house of parliament in Australia.

In 1994, when Carolyn Pickles was elected as Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, she was the first woman elected to lead a major Australian political party in any chamber. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is the youngest woman to enter the federal parliament, elected in 2007 at the age of 25. Elected in 2010 at 21, Kelly Vincent MLC from Dignity for Disability is the youngest woman to be elected to any of Australia's parliaments. Of course, we cannot forget that Australia's first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, also hails from Adelaide.

These women all achieved positional status, but their leadership started with speaking up and with supporting others. These were and are a brilliant cohort of campaigners who really knew how to take on a great cause, bring women and others together around that cause, and win. These pioneering triumphs for women's equality were the result of commitment and sheer hard work over many years by very determined women.

Their impressive legacy spurs us on to continue their inspiring example. It also spurs us on to deeply commit to using our own leadership to empower the leadership of others, of those around us now, and of those who will follow. One of the most important things we can do as leaders is to give others a voice, and that is what I strive to do in parliament, in my work with and for our community.

One of the things that gives me the greatest pleasure in that work is empowering the voice of other women. Wherever I go in my southern community, there are women that I see who volunteer at their local football or other sporting club that I then see volunteering at their school governing council, and then at Meals on Wheels or elsewhere, and then rushing in to help when another community member falls on hard times. In them, I see an extraordinarily selfless kind of leadership, and I do what I can to support them, and, on the issues that they care about, to connect them and to empower their voice. One of the things that I have been committed to doing over the past few years is to publicly recognise those women for what they do, so often without an expectation of recognition.

I have continued a local community women's dinner and awards night to recognise those contributions. We have a ball there. As well as much fun and frivolity, however, we also discover the most extraordinary stories of selflessness, of relentless focus on a cause, and leadership which is truly about the achievement of a greater good. Through that event, we truly recognise that leadership is not always undertaken from the front of a room, from a structured position in power. Of course, leadership is not always in politics. Professor Amanda Sinclair from the Melbourne Business School argues:

Our interest in Australian women's leadership should change understandings of what is recognised as leadership: not just 'adding women in', but shifting public images and imagination about what good leadership is.

The contributions of women across our state in so many areas are impressive—in the arts, business, sports, sciences, and every area, with names like Maggie Beer, Moya Dodd, Julia Farr, Sia Furler, Mary MacKillop, Ms Gladys Sim Choon, Dr Helen Mayo, Dame Roma Mitchell, Mary Beasley, Susan Margarey, Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, and Gill Hicks. There are so many wonderful leaders in our day-to-day lives that are still breaking glass ceilings and pulling up other women behind them. It is an impressive legacy for our state.

I have long been committed to seeing more women in senior positions in all areas of our community. As a community activist and a politician, I have learnt that it is important for women to support each other but, more than that, it is vital that we do not let women's issues fall off our radar. We must continue to push to ensure that women's voices are heard and remain on the agenda for all of us. As Dolly Parton said, 'If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, to learn more, to do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.'

As I have spoken about, we have had an extraordinary run of extraordinary women grace our parliaments. Their impressive legacy spurs us on to continue their inspiring example, but our work is not yet done. That is why at our Australian Labor Party National Conference last year and our state conference this year I was very proud to advocate for, vote for and move affirmative action changes to our Australian Labor Party rules to ensure that 50 per cent of our delegations to state and federal parliaments will be women.

We are all mature and wise enough in this place to see that there are real reasons that women are structurally excluded from leadership roles in our communities and in our parliament. It is, of course, absolutely not that merit is somehow only found in men or that women are somehow not up to the task. There are just as many meritorious men as there are women but, given our lack of equal representation in parliament, we must use the tools of quotas and affirmative action to bust through the structural barriers and ensure that this equality is reflected in our parliaments.

I am proud to be part of a forward-thinking party that has prioritised women's representation in our parliaments. There is more to be done, but I intend to be at the forefront of this fight. We must recommit to ensuring that our community make-up is reflected in the make-up of our parliaments, in all leadership positions and in all other places so that girls and young women are able to aspire to and succeed at doing whatever they have their heart set on. Social and economic change for women has nearly always been hard won and it takes individuals making deep decisions to lead, step up, speak up and act together for as long as it takes to win, and that is more important than ever around International Women's Day. I am proud to be able to speak here today and to speak up for all women in our South Australian community; it is truly an honour and one of which I am extraordinarily proud.

This year's International Women's Day theme, 'Planet 50-50 by 2030: step it up for gender equality', speaks to the issues I have addressed today, so it is fitting that we talk about these issues in our peak decision-making places. I look forward to working with all of my parliamentary colleagues on ensuring that all women have the chance to achieve their dreams, whether they be in the parliament, on the sporting field, in the boardroom or anywhere else they may choose.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before I call the next speaker, you did mention Muriel Matters, didn't you, and I just didn't hear you?

Ms HILDYARD: Of course.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will be checking that Hansard, member for Reynell. The member for Adelaide.

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (17:07): I rise to support the motion recognising and celebrating International Women's Day. I would like to start by acknowledging the work of Muriel Matters, who is a very, very important woman, a strong woman and a role model for many of us. While I am on a roll, I would also like to thank Joyce Steele, our first female member of the House of Assembly, for leading the way and really showing how it is done.

I would like to acknowledge the strong women who have been instrumental in my life and who have made me who I am. I especially acknowledge the hard work of all the women who fought for a woman's right to vote and a woman's right to be in this house, because I am obviously a recipient of their hard work, being here as I am now as a woman in parliament, so I thank them for all their hard work.

Although there is more work to be done, because apparently many women are still not paid equal rates of pay that men are for the same jobs, I have been very fortunate to always work in industries where I have never actually come across that. In the modelling industry, men and women were paid the same rates. In fact, women had lingerie loadings that it was harder for the men to get, so women in some ways were actually paid more. In hospitality, we were paid equally. In retail, at places such as Myer, we were paid equally. There are certainly industries where people have to fight it out, and potentially some people fight for flexibility of hours instead of money, so who knows. I know there are a lot of people who are still fighting for equal pay for equal work for women.

As for being a member of parliament, I found no barriers to entering parliament just by being a woman, and I found no barriers to any jobs or in anything I have done in my life. Other than maybe reaching for things that are high up or lifting heavy things, being a female has never been a disadvantage to me. At the International Women's Day breakfast, I note that a guest speaker spoke a lot about feminism and feminists, and the movement and the importance of that movement. I have never really been one for titles or phrases: I just am, I just work, I just do what needs to be done and I do not need a title for it.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are an activist.

Ms SANDERSON: Yes, and I note that the guest speaker went to great lengths to talk about the wonderful work that federal Liberals Julie Bishop and Michaelia Cash were doing, and about all their work as strong women and how they have acted on behalf of women. She then went on to say how disappointed she was that they did not call themselves feminists, and I find that offensive. You do not need a title to do good work. You can do the work of a strong female who empowers other women without needing the title or the support that is there.

I would not call myself a feminist; I call myself an equalist, in that all people are equal in my mind; whether you are female, male, LGBTIQ, it does not bother me. I would work as hard and equally for any person. I find that difficult to swallow or to hear. I think that there are many men who are disadvantaged now. There are certainly many cultural groups that are disadvantaged, or people with disabilities who, as a group, are far more disadvantaged than women. Potentially, we should be talking about equalism rather than feminism.

I grew up in an all-female household, so at no point did it ever occur to me that as a female there was anything that I could not do; I was never around that and no-one was ever telling me that. I also went to a girls school in senior school, and again nobody ever told me that I could not do something simply because I was a female, so I assumed I could do anything I put my mind to, including winning the seat of Adelaide, which many also thought was not possible. I think it is your mindset.

I started my own business at the age of 25—a modelling agency and training school—and one of my purposes was to empower women, in particular, but also all people. Ninety per cent of my students, my models, my staff, my lecturers were women. However, I think the whole point of that business was to help people see that we all have potential—potential to be anything we want. Although people do not associate the modelling industry with strength, many of the people I trained—and I see them nearly every day I am out in my electorate—went on to become schoolteachers, doctors, lawyers, and nurses. They are everywhere I go—they are businesspeople, they are starting their own businesses.

I was recently at a Women in Law lunch and four of the women at the table were past models and students of mine whom I had taught and shown by example that all things are possible—go out there and do it, be strong and do your best. I acknowledge that International Women's Day is about supporting women and recognising working women, and I acknowledge that there is further work to be done as far as equal pay is concerned. In the areas of domestic violence, women are definitely more likely to be the victims in that instance, and there is more to be done. I support the motion, and I commend the member for bringing it to the house.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (17:13): As we often say in here, I was not going to say anything, but I now find myself on my feet. This is a very important motion, and it starts off talking about International Women's Day which, of course, is the beginning of the eight-hour day and those sorts of things. In my work researching the Muriel Matters' story, I have come across some wonderful glass slides of the Eight-Hour Day March in Adelaide prior to the turn of the century, so we are talking around about 1898 or something like that. So, Adelaide has always been at the forefront of this sort of movement.

Apart from Catherine Helen Spence, we have on our tapestry Mary Lee who, along with Augusta Zadow, went into those factories and into those workplaces to make sure that the women in Adelaide, who were, as the member for Adelaide said, often in the worst jobs with the worst conditions and the worst pay, were protected as much as they possibly could be in their workplaces. Our early research on Muriel Matters came up with an expression that I had not heard, because Muriel had worked to abolish 'sweating'. I was not sure what all of that meant until my good friend, the member for Ashford, let me know that that was the term used for sweatshops. Of course, those sorts of places that we think only exist in Bangladesh are still here in Adelaide today, where pieceworkers are probably locked up in sheds somewhere now making shirts and trousers for a pittance that we see sold in shops all over Adelaide for much higher prices.

Adelaide has had the same history every other place in the world has had, but we have a proud history of highlighting these things and doing the good work to make sure these issues are brought to the surface and rectified wherever possible, and it is because of these women: Catherine Helen Spence, Mary Lee, Elizabeth Webb Nicholls and the women involved with the Women's Christian Temperance Union, which is a whole story we could talk to you about as well today because they were very much involved with making sure, again, that women had the best outcomes they possibly could in those terrible days.

These women were supported by dozens of other women. While we only know three or four names, that is not to say there were not other activists, which is what these women were. They were feminist activists because they were women being active in their space. This is why Muriel was able to do what she did. She came from a colony that was a free colony where women were shown they could be anything and could do anything. It is through that example that she was able to take her sort of activism over to England and help those women who were struggling for the vote because, as we know, she had voted here twice before she went to London.

So, 'feminism' is merely a term that expresses that women are working together. I do not think anyone doubts that women do work together or should work together, not only for themselves as women. In those days, they worked to make sure that men as well had equality of access to education and all the sorts of things we are aspiring to ourselves. It is really important to remember, when we look at our heroes who go before us, the women who inspire us. We hope to be the ones who inspire the next generations. People like Joan Kirner have inspired us and many of the women on our side. I am also reminded again by my friend, the member for Ashford, of Amanda Vanstone. One of her best quotes was, 'We will have equality when parliament is full of mediocre women.' I think that is a beauty because it is not about—

Mr Duluk: You have got a long way to go because all the women here are fantastic.

Ms BEDFORD: But it is really important to remember that, while some women feel that affirmative action is an enemy and merit will just float to the top, it does not. It is good to see that women on your side of parliament, your side of politics, are now beginning to see it is not easy to have happen naturally. While affirmative action may have been the thing we relied on early in the piece, it was just a starting point for us. As you say, as we all say, it is a matter of making sure that we lift everybody up.

One of my other favourite stories before I close is about Frederick Pethick-Lawrence who supported his wife, Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, in the British struggle for women's rights. Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence was a fantastic activist organiser. She could raise £15,000 in a weekend in 1904, and £15,000 then was a fortune. He knew as soon as he saw her that she was the woman for him because she smoked cigarettes, rode a bike and did not wear gloves. If that is the sort of thing we have to look for—

An honourable member interjecting:

Ms BEDFORD: There was even a thing in those days called the 'rational attire group' because women were trying to get rid of corsets. You have no idea of the sorts of things women had to resort to to have equality. We certainly did not see men strutting around in corsets. I think that might be something we should bring in—for true equality, men in corsets! Let's see the movement start here today. I commend the motion.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (17:19): I rise today to support the motion. I have the great honour of being the Minister for the Status of Women for the South Australian government. I thank the member for Reynell for putting this motion forward and the support that we have from both sides of parliament.

I think feminism is about choice, and you will only get real choice with true equality. That is equality through education opportunities, it is equality in the workplace, it is equality for superannuation and entitlements, and the list goes on. I think we are in the right space and that we are going there. Rather than looking for the divisions between genders, we should focus on wellbeing and resilience for all of us and for all South Australians.

When I think of the Office for Women, some of the portfolio areas and some of the areas that we are concentrating on, it is about leadership, it is about equality, it is about equity. Most recently, I announced a project looking at equal pay rates in the Public Service. Some of the issues that were raised with me include things like unconscious bias when advertising a position. It is about mentoring in the workplace, both mentoring up and mentoring down, and how we support people. Much has also been said about workplace flexibility. This is an area of particular interest to me because my reason for getting involved in politics was about economic participation.

I think that part of government's role is to partner with people to make sure that they have the choice, when they are in the workforce, to work and earn decent pay for a decent amount of work, and so that you can also have a balance between work and family. Some of the more practical ways that we are doing it include a project about equality and equity within the Public Service, but it is also about STEM subjects. We know that there are quite a lot of gender divisions in particular work, and that is along traditional lines.

Science technology, engineering and maths are ways to make a difference, so we support several scholarships in that way and also some internship programs. It is a great honour for me to have the role of Minister for the Status of Women. Maybe one day this role and this ministerial position will not be necessary, but we still have some way to go, particularly on wage equality and equity as we go through the years. I commend the member for Reynell, and the other speakers, on this motion. I commend the motion to the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Colton. This will be a bravura performance.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (17:22): Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I would say that I am not properly prepared, but you do not need to be properly prepared to speak on such an important issue as this, that is, recognising the contribution of women over a long period of time and the advances that still need to be made with respect to the role that women play. The best way we can advance the role that women play in our community, in our state, in our nation and at a global level, is by making sure that we recognise in the first instance and then support and advocate for the work and the role that women play. I am married, and I love my wife very, very much. Her name is Annabel. She is not only the best person I know but the bloody toughest person I know.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: When is your anniversary? How many years has she been tough?

The Hon. P. CAICA: Our anniversary is 5 September, the day to remember, Deputy Speaker.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: How many years has she had to tough it out?

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well, the only difference between me and Annabel is that I remember it and she does not, but that is irrelevant—that is irrelevant.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You were going so well until then.

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, it does not matter, it does not bother me. Every year on 5 September, I come up and wake her up and say, 'Good morning, darling. I've got something for you,' and she says, 'I've forgotten again, haven't I?' I say, 'Yes, you have, but it doesn't matter.' Through the interjections—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You need a calendar.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I don't need a calendar. Through the interjections of the chair, and interjections, Deputy Speaker, are disorderly—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Not from the chair.

The Hon. P. CAICA: —even if they are coming from the chair. As I said, she is more than just a decent woman; she is tough, she is strong and she epitomises what women are about. I look over here and I see Joyce, the first female to be elected to this parliament, as I understand it, almost simultaneously as a woman from the Liberal Party was—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Jessie Cooper.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, Jessie Cooper was elected to the upper house, and that was a great thing. In 1959?

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: 1959.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: 1969.

The Hon. P. CAICA: 1969? I thought it was 1959.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Have a look.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I thought it was 1959, but it was a while ago. I have a look at this parliament and I think our side is doing well. We have a long way to go. We have a system where merit is at the basis of how people enter into this parliament, but have a look at the other side. They should be very proud of the fact that they had the first woman in both the lower house and the upper house elected to this parliament in South Australia, but they themselves still have a way to go. They need to adjust the way by which they do things to make sure that there are more women in this parliament.

It is easy enough to say that we have a system by which merit is recognised, and that is an easy cop out for some people because they are not actually recognising that particular merit; they are making out like they do. I have often said that this world would be a much better place if women were in charge, and I say that for the reasons that I outlined with respect to my wife. I am not saying that everyone needs to be a Margaret Thatcher, because I am not sure the world would be a better place if that were the case, but the simple fact is that I have always found women to be stronger and as good, if not better, advocates than men.

The member for Ashford was probably at this meeting I remember going to when I was secretary of the firefighters union. I was there with Blinky (Quinten) and we were the only two blokes at this meeting that had women unionists there. There was a debate on something and I think Leena Sudano might have been the chair at that particular stage and she said, 'Right, is everyone in favour?' I lent over to Quinten and said, 'You would have to be pretty brave to go against this particular matter.' Leena looked at me with this death stare and said, 'What did you say, Paul?' I told her exactly what I said and she said, 'Well, that is alright then.' It was pretty frightening for a young trade unionist at that stage.

This was a very well-organised group of women who were advancing not only the interests of women within the trade union movement, but in doing so they were also advancing the interests of the trade union movement at that stage. It was a really good meeting to be at. It would be 20-odd years ago and I remember it as if it was yesterday because it showed me, not just the role that women play in the trade union movement but the leadership they were showing within our movement. I am very pleased to be standing up and speaking to this motion here this evening. It goes without saying, I do not know how many men have spoken tonight but—

Ms Digance: You're the first.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Am I the first? I am sure after this I might not be the last, but who knows? It is not that I am a SNAG. I come from a background where my mum and dad taught me that everyone is equal irrespective of gender, race or anything else. We still have, as I mentioned, a long way to go, maybe not as long as we had 20 years ago because we have made some good advances, and we should recognise that, but we still have a way to go with respect to ensuring that women are properly recognised and accepted. Through that acceptance, we must ensure women are utilised for the skills they have for the betterment of the communities in which we live and the country in which we live.

There is no doubt that that needs to be the case. There is a lot of rhetoric going around. This might be a bad analogy. I am renowned for giving bad analogies and bad examples but I am going to do it anyway. You ask people: do you care for the environment? Yes, I care for the environment. It is like a fatherhood, or motherhood, statement.

Ms Digance: Generic.

The Hon. P. CAICA: A generic statement.

The Hon. S.W. Key: Parenthood.

The Hon. P. CAICA: A parenthood statement. You are going to try to confuse me again. The member for Ashford is trying to harass me, Deputy Speaker—not harass me, but confuse me—and if I ask her she will say, 'You can do that by yourself, Paul.'

The point I want to make is that it is really easy for people to espouse the virtues of equality, gender equity and all those types of things, but actions speak louder than words, and that is why on this side we have certain processes in place that make sure that not only do we recognise the role that women can play and do play, but we have things in place to make sure that the hurdles in front of them in other areas do not exist. As I said, we might even say that, from our perspective, our party still has a way to go, but I think we are a long way down the track. It is about time the rest of society accepts that, all things being equal, women have much more to contribute than most of the men I have ever met.

With those few words, I am very pleased to support this motion that recognises International Women's Day, and I commend the motion to the house. I am very thankful and pleased that it is being brought before this parliament. Collectively, if we are really committed, we know that we can do a lot more to make sure that International Women's Day in the future does not even need to be celebrated because it is just part of what exists.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Any excuse for a party.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I am the first one to say, 'Any excuse for a party,' Deputy Speaker. If the only reason to continue it is to have a party, I will be there, but what I want is a society that does not distinguish between men and women in regard to all aspects of the way—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Except in some areas.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I do not know whether you are trying to provoke me, but you know what I am saying. I am going to leave it there, and I am going to say I commend the fact that this motion was brought to the house and I, like everyone in this house, ought to be and must be celebrating International Women's Day.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hear, hear! I must just correct what I said earlier. Mrs Cooper and Mrs Steele were elected in 1959. Of course, South Australia was the first place in the world to let women stand, but it was the last state in Australia where a woman was elected.

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (17:32): I was not necessarily planning to contribute, but I cannot help myself but contribute after the gallant effort of the member for Colton. I really appreciate his contribution. He is the only male in this house at this point who has contributed to this motion as put by the member for Reynell, and it is a very important motion at this particular point in time.

As the member for Colton said—and I support his sentiments—over time I hope that we do not need to have special days, such as International Women's Day, that recognise such pivotal events. I too would like to think that at some point the inequalities disappear. But I do appreciate that at the heart of this what I think we see is respect, and I think respect prevails in its entirety. I would like to draw your attention to Justin Trudeau, who is the president of Canada.

An honourable member: The Prime Minister.

Ms DIGANCE: The Prime Minister, thank you; you are quite correct. I was getting a bit carried away. One of the bases of why he was elected was that he afforded respect to women and his attitude towards women was quite outstanding because of his history which had shaped his thinking. But he has also come out strongly saying that he is a feminist and asking why we should be afraid of using the word 'feminism'. It really just describes the basic respect of men and women, so I applaud his courage in how he is approaching these issues.

It would be wonderful to think that we do not need to have such a day to stop and think about women and women's issues but, sadly, we still do need to think about these issues. When we look at the horrific statistics on domestic violence, we certainly need to stop and recognise International Women's Day. When we look at the fact that in the caring professions there are a majority of women—nursing, child care—a lot of these women are then also working to care for their families, and they are often the people who are the carers of the elderly and the disabled in their families as well. Gratefully, some of this is starting to change, but change in some areas is coming very slowly. So, we still have some way to go.

I would also like to draw your attention to what is happening at the other end of the spectrum: we do not have equal pay yet in all areas and we do not have equal recognition. There is an article today in The Advertiser that points to Australia's top companies, and the number of women in leading positions in Australia's top companies has not changed in the last five years. We need to ask ourselves the question why. Why has this number of women in the top Australian companies, in leading CEO and chief operating officer positions, not changed? I would suggest that there are many reasons behind that. I will not speculate, but I am sure that some of this would be cultural and attitudinal.

I think in our world, as we see it on our side of the house, we embrace having women members. I know that I value my female colleagues as much as I do my male colleagues. Women and men contribute quite differently to debates in many ways and I think it is of value to have women recognised. With those few words, I remind the house that at the core of this is respect, equality, gender equity and also challenging and working towards respecting and championing women's rights. I commend the motion put by the member for Reynell and recognise International Women's Day.

Motion carried.