Motions

International Women's Day

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (11:31): I move:

That this house—

(a) notes that 8 March 2025 is International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is March Forward;

(b) acknowledges that while significant strides have been made, there is still much work ahead to close the gender pay gap, ensure women’s safety, and fairly value both paid and unpaid care work;

(c) notes the achievements of the Malinauskas Labor government in advancing women’s safety and equality, including through the establishment of our Gender Pay Gap Taskforce, promoting diversity on government boards and establishing the successful Women in Business program; and

(d) notes the role of the Australian Services Union to achieve portable long service leave after a 10-year campaign.

This Saturday is a day to celebrate what has been achieved, recommit to fighting for equality and acknowledge that women still face significant barriers in our society, including sexual harassment and domestic, family and sexual violence. Australia's first International Women's Day was held in 1928 in Sydney. Organised by the Militant Women's Movement, women called for equal pay for equal work, an eight-hour working day for shop girls, and paid leave.

As a feminist, I am always proud to move a motion such as this and be part of a government that is committed to tackling inequity in our society. However, this is not a women's issue. For too long, it has been only women in this house and outside of it calling for equality, and they deserve more. Our male colleagues have offered words and now we need more action. We know society is filled with toxic behaviour and women being harassed and abused in homes and workplaces. We need more.

The UN Women Australia theme for 2025 is March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls. Thirty years ago, the world committed to a bold vision for gender equality when 189 countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for gender equality in 1995. This was a key global policy document on gender equality. Since then, we have seen women break barriers, reshape policies and ignite global movements, yet despite significant progress the promises made remain largely unfulfilled for millions of women worldwide. We are simply not where we should be. It is time to turn promises into progress. We need to march forward for a gender equal future. The world cannot afford a step back, and it is time to accelerate action through our collective efforts. World-renowned feminist, Gloria Steinem, reportedly once said:

The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.

Today, the gender pay gap is very much open. Women's safety is far from guaranteed, and the lowest paid jobs are still mostly undertaken by women, mostly in the caring industries. Compounding this, the majority of unpaid care work is still largely undertaken by women.

In Australia, to earn the same average annual salary earned by a man, a woman must work 50 more days after the end of the financial year. Research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency shows the top three reasons contributing to the gender pay gap are gender discrimination, care, family responsibilities and workforce participation, and gender segregation by job type and industry—all of this 56 years after Australian women earnt the right to equal pay for equal work in 1969.

In fact, the 100 highest paid athletes in the world, taking into account salaries, bonuses, prize money and endorsements—the list of these 100 people includes eight different sports across 27 countries. Of these top 100 highest paid athletes there are no women in that list. It says a lot about how we are valued by this society. On top of this, last week we had those comments made by Marty Sheargold with regard to the Matildas.

Honourable members: Shame!

S.E. ANDREWS: I share the words from an article in The Guardian that speaks to it, 'It was just a joke.' How many times have we heard these words being uttered over the years, after self-proclaimed good blokes slip up and make comments that appear to reveal their real views.

There was a sense, particularly after the success of the Women's World Cup on home soil in 2024, that women's sport had finally overcome the last of its barriers. But comments like this, and the surrounding hilarity by others cheering him on, bring to light the very real beliefs that lie just below the surface, ready to unveil themselves as soon as women have the nerve to put in a sub-par performance. None of this is to say that women are above criticism. No doubt the Matildas themselves would understand the valid critique that has been levelled at them for their losses so far in the SheBelieves Cup.

There are, however, many analytical well thought-out articles that have been published over time which have not drawn such ire. The issue comes from these comments because they are unnecessarily gendered. By putting the Matildas into the realm of 'girls' Sheargold was trying to—whether consciously or unconsciously—take away the little power they had after dragging women's sport into the spotlight. It gives rise to jokes that have wider consequences for the health and wellbeing of teenage girls as they continue to drop out of sport because their very presence is seen as farcical.

I have been proud to chair the South Australian Gender Pay Gap Taskforce that has provided advice to the Minister for Women and will present our report this week. Data released just yesterday revealed that 79 per cent of businesses are still missing the gender pay gap target, although I do note that 56 per cent of businesses with over 100 employees have improved in the past year, and I suggest that this is because they are now obliged to have public reporting.

Nevertheless, the national average gender pay gap is still 21.8 per cent. Companies that have a less than 5 per cent average pay gap between men and women in their workforce, in either direction, are considered to have effectively eliminated their pay gap. However, only 21 per cent of Australian employers have achieved this. In fact, there is one Sydney business that still has a gender pay gap of 88 per cent in favour of men.

Whilst companies with over 100 employees are required to report in Australia to value women equally, and hopefully feel obliged to change their practices once it becomes public, I fear this is actually at risk. Trump is removing diversity targets, and we are already seeing this impact here in Australia. The company Accenture, with approximately six and a half thousand staff in Australia, will start sunsetting their diversity and inclusion goals. They are using the merit card, which in reality, as we all know, is a policy which favours the status quo. Then we have a recent report in The Times, which states there is a crisis as young men are earning less than young women. I do not recall this ever being a crisis when it was the other way around.

I have discussed family, domestic and sexual violence many times in this house and, sadly, this violence continues across our nation. Seven women have lost their lives through gendered violence in this year alone, including one South Australian. These figures are from Counting Dead Women Australia, researchers of Destroy the Joint.

While we speak of domestic, family and sexual violence, we need to look beyond sexual harassment, online abuse, coercive control, and violent and abusive behaviour towards others. It is rare for domestic, family and sexual violence to occur without warning signs and rare for it to be a single incident. This is another issue that is not just a women's issue. Women are the victim in most cases of family, domestic and sexual violence, but it is on all of us to call out unacceptable behaviour, act when it occurs and acknowledge that no-one is immune from its reach.

In South Australia, the Labor government is taking action. The Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, initiated by the Malinauskas Labor government, is scheduled to complete its work by 1 July. Commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja AO is hearing from South Australians across the state, and we await her findings. Our government is also taking action on coercive control with the Criminal Law Consolidation (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill.

As I have mentioned earlier, women are more likely to work in caring industries, cleaning and health care. These industries are largely represented by my comrades at the Australian Services Union, who have led many fights for women's rights in the workplace and society. Whether it be menopause leave, flexible working, maternity and parental leave or their current campaign for reproductive health leave, they have advanced the cause of women and men in the workplace and were instrumental in pushing for the SA domestic and family violence royal commission.

However, one of their most significant campaigns has been the 10-year portable long service leave campaign, where the Australian Services Union, led by Abbie Spencer, has delivered portable long service leave for community and disability sectors across South Australia. Finally, after years of campaigning, community and disability service workers in South Australia will be able to take their long service leave entitlement with them between employers, enabling them to finally access long service leave. The majority of these workers, as we know, are women, and some have gone more than 20 years in this sector without a break from their work, as due to the short funding cycles, workers are constantly moving between employers, never having the opportunity to stay with one service provider long enough to take long service leave.

I have referred in my speech to sexual harassment. Last week, I was sexually harassed in my workplace by a contractor. So I ask: if in 2025 a member of parliament finds herself in this situation, what has really changed? I implore you—all of you—to stand up, speak out and demand the changes we all need.

Ms PRATT (Frome) (11:44): I rise to support the motion. I want to thank the member for Gibson on behalf of us all for introducing a motion that allows us to recognise that on 8 March we recognise International Women's Day, the theme being March Forward.

Before I move on to some remarks that are localised to my electorate, I just want to recognise the member for Gibson for the points that she covered today in terms of the seriousness of coercive control, the impact it has on women and the royal commission that we are seeing into domestic and family violence. The seriousness and financial implications of the gender pay gap is really important for our chamber to debate and I cannot imagine anyone here has an alternative view to that.

I think if we reflect on the statistics of the history of that pay gap, then across two governments—the former Liberal government and the current one—it shows perhaps a high watermark that perhaps we were starting to drive down; however, the workplace gender equality scorecard shows it is bubbling up a little bit. That is not a criticism; it is a challenge to us all that we do need to speak up, we do all need to work towards it and I join the government in that pursuit.

I want to bring a perhaps more optimistic, positive outlook to opportunities for International Women's Day and I want to reflect on the women in my own electorate. What better organisation to demonstrate the contributions of rural women in my electorate of Frome than to reference the role that the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award plays across regional South Australia. It is an award that recognises the significant contributions of women in rural business, industries and communities.

Across Australia, of course, we have state-by-state finalist winners and then the national resolution or awardee. It is open to women over 18 and what I am really proud to share with the chamber today is this legacy of women from my area, the Mid North, or connections to it, that keep smashing the glass ceiling and demonstrating to all of us, including myself, what it looks like to work hard, to be a sacrificing mum or partner in a family business, or trying to be a startup entrepreneur and to do that in the face of the cost of doing business, or the red tape that might be a barrier.

So in reverse order from this year working backwards, I am going to take an opportunity to hero, or heroine, the women who are really leading the way in my community. This year, of course, we see as a state finalist the dynamic, charismatic, warm and bubbly female Annabelle Homer, (nee Ottens), who is out and about in our community in so many different ways. A former ABC journalist, her credentials speak for themselves. She is articulate, compassionate, thoughtful and insightful, but she brings that back to the community. We have a working relationship at the Clare Show where we invite young people, not for a popularity contest but more to demonstrate their speaking skills, and Annabelle takes the tiny tots through to the teenagers with great aplomb.

Annabelle runs a podcast called Voice It and there are some stories that stick in my mind as I am driving the nine miles and driving around my electorate. Her ability to ask insightful questions and extract from the interviewee their life story is extraordinary. She also uses those podcasting skills to support the Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council. I am really excited for Annabelle. I know the district is with her and we really wish her well as a South Australian finalist and hopefully she makes it all the way.

Annabelle was the 2025 finalist for South Australia, but last year the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award winner was Nikki Atkinson. She is just up the road around Booleroo Centre, but I claim everyone within cooee of Clare. She runs her own business called Horrocks Vale Collections which is just a beautiful, elegant wedding dress line, but it is the sustainability and her use of merino wool and the local fibre that she sources that really makes her stand out in the field.

Last year we got to celebrate with her at Bungaree Station, where hundreds of women gathered for a long lunch—we do that well. It was organised by the Sevenhill CWA ladies, who do a brilliant job of pulling together significant, unique events like this that allow us to step away from our work, come together, celebrate women, have a good time and support local businesses. And it makes a pretty good tourism destination too, if I do say so myself.

We have to go back another 12 months to 2023: the South Australian winner was Ali Paulett, a bubbly, vibrant, charismatic, knock-it-out-of-the-park, hardworking mum, partner, advocate and environmental champion. At Pauletts wines' Bush deVine Winery Restaurant, Ali has established an Indigenous native garden that not only supplies ingredients to the restaurant—I highly recommend it—but is going to be a garden that educates, that will allow people to come and visit, to taste, to sample, to learn, to be on country and to understand what native bush tucker adds to our health. I do not hesitate to say that that award was well deserved back in 2023, and she continues to get involved in local projects that really give back to the community.

Three years before that—on a roll we are—was Steph Schmidt in 2020. I have to take you back to COVID times where Steph Schmidt as the winner was denied access to travel as part of the award, so she really enhanced and honed her social media profile, her online profile, while she was restricted in her movements. From a farm she shares with her husband and her children at Worlds End in the Eudunda area, Steph Schmidt is trending right now because her Farm Life Psych contributions to the mental health and the mental distress that many of our farmers are experiencing right now are very timely. Many people are reaching out to me and sharing her contact with me as the local member and the shadow minister for mental health because she has a really important message to share.

She makes herself vulnerable, her content is unique to her and it is so easy to relate to the contributions Steph makes on the impact the drought is having and the devastation families feel when things are out of their control, when the banks are circling and when the pressures are increasing. This is another female in our region leading the way for men and women on an issue that really is it the heart of how we live and how we feed ourselves and what is important about our economy.

A final contribution is about Alex Thomas, who was a winner in 2018. She was nominated and won because she is a fierce advocate for the prevention of work-related serious injuries and fatalities in primary industries, the fatality rate of which remains eight times higher. Alex believes that rural women are a catalyst for change, and she is still driving that through her Plant a Seed for Safety social media presence. I really recommend that people find her and listen to her message. Part of her platform was to interview 100 women to tell their story, and she has certainly done that. She is juggling family demands, a father who is living with renal dialysis and the challenges we see in the regional health system. She is just another champion I am happy to celebrate as part of women who are doing great things in South Australia.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence) (11:54): I thank the member for Frome for sharing those comments and that story. I thank the member for Gibson for this motion and also for her enduring commitment to celebrating the achievements and contributions of women and to ensuring that well beyond the events we enjoy this week, beyond the celebrations of progress, we must continue to take impactful, sustained action to advance equality and to urge those who are not yet active to play their part.

I am really proud to have called the member for Gibson a friend for more than three decades and so proud of everything she brings to this place. For decades I saw her empower the voice of some of the lowest paid workers in our state, workers in the early childhood education sector who are largely women. The member for Gibson is steadfast in speaking truth about all that women continue to confront and about empowering the voices of other women. On the issues that women confront that we should never compromise on, she is rightly uncompromising.

The member for Gibson is strong, articulate and courageous, and I applaud her commitment to ensuring that all women are treated with dignity and respect, empowered to live their lives free from violence, engaged, equally able to participate in our economy, and I applaud her commitment to calling out disrespect and poor behaviour and her strength in doing so. I particularly thank her for her strength today in sharing her own experience, an experience that is absolutely not okay, that women are tired of and that speaks to how much more we have to do.

International Women's Day is an opportunity for reflection on women's achievements globally, while emphasising the urgent need for accelerated progress toward equality. This year's theme, March Forward, in light of the 30-year anniversary of the United Nations Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, calls for decisive action to turn conversations into tangible results, and decisively act we must because, despite progress made, millions of women across the globe still face barriers that impede equality.

The progress on sustainable goals, the Gender Snapshot 2024, showed that at current rates it will take a staggering 137 years to lift all women and girls out of poverty, that 119 million girls do not go to school and 48 million more women than men experience food insecurity. Here in Australia women returning to work after a break often do so in lower paid roles, and across the first five years of parenting their first child their earnings are reduced by 55 per cent on average. During the same period men's earnings remain unaffected.

Despite girls and women making up 53 per cent of SACE subject enrolments, in particular subject areas they are well under-represented with gender norms continuing to influence behaviour and ultimately resulting in gender segregation in job type. Sadly, we know and we feel that terrible fact that one woman every four days is murdered by their current or former partner in this country, that one in four women experience sexual, emotional or physical abuse, with consequences for their health, wellbeing and economic independence across their lifetimes. We know that there are new insidious ways of demeaning and harassing women, including online, with the likes of Andrew Tate attempting to undo every respectful relationship education session that we run faster than we can convene them.

These horrific facts compel us to do more and ongoing recent examples call us to intensify our action. As the member for Gibson has spoken about, we still have to put up with ridiculous and demeaning commentary about women, uttered by high-profile men. We still check ourselves when we run at night, we all jump or scream when we hear someone running behind us, we check that we have our phone ready to dial for help and our keys in hand when we walk to our cars. I do, and I have agency. For many women who do not, their fear is intensified.

Our South Australian government's agenda highlights the collective effort required to create an equal future for women and girls, an equal future that will benefit all, an equal future that will only be created if we all march forward together and urgently shift attitudes about women and their experiences.

Alarmingly, the National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey, which is a periodic representative survey of the Australian population, benchmarks community understanding and attitudes about violence against women and gender inequality. Its most recent survey findings showed that a majority of Australians do not think violence against women occurs in all communities, that 41 per cent of respondents mistakenly believe that family and domestic violence is equally committed by men and women and, shockingly, that two in five Australians believe that women make up false reports of sexual assault in order to punish men—two in five.

These reports highlight that we must continue to improve understanding and attitudes regarding violence against women and gender inequality, and the importance and the urgency of the task ahead for every single one of us. Our government is deeply committed to playing our part in this task. During our first ever South Australian Women's Week, we celebrate the contributions of women and girls, spark dialogue and want to inspire real action to advance change.

Throughout the week, which culminates on International Women's Day this Saturday, groups across South Australia are convening events and discussions. These activities will bring people together in different ways and provide platforms for women to share their stories, connect, contemplate all that we confront, inspire others and showcase their talents and help advance change. I encourage everyone to celebrate but, also, to deeply consider what role they can play in driving real change. There are so many actions that everybody can take. You can:

educate yourself—learn how to recognise the signs of all forms of domestic violence and how to start conversations to support those experiencing it;

call out disrespect toward women every time, even when it is uncomfortable to do so;

advocate for women's voices to be included, heard and acted upon;

assess women's representation in decision-making bodies and make change if women are not equally represented;

volunteer with women's services;

donate to women's organisations;

support initiatives and discussions or start a discussion that raises awareness about inequality;

support women-owned businesses;

immerse yourself in a woman-led Adelaide Fringe show and avail yourselves of the $10 discount that the government is providing for particular women-led shows; and

reflect deeply this week on the scourge of domestic, family and sexual violence and the once-in-a-generation opportunity we are presented with through our Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence.

We have a moment ahead of us to help shift the landscape of violence, prevention and response in this state in a profound way. Find out more about it.

Our South Australian government's broader agenda to support women's equality extends beyond the events of this week. This Women's Week, and always, our government acknowledges the urgent need to eradicate violence against women and create a safer environment for all. Again, we encourage everyone to think about the part they can play in creating that environment.

Our government has committed to a multifaceted approach that recognises that achieving equality requires collective effort across all sectors of society, across government, the private sector and community. At the heart of our agenda are strategic actions aimed at improving women's economic participation, ensuring equal representation, challenging stereotypes that limit women's opportunities and empowering girls and women to equally, safely and actively participate in every aspect of community life and our economy.

Through creating opportunities for women to thrive, and addressing the barriers women and girls face, together we pave the way for an equal and inclusive future for all South Australians.

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (12:04): I thank the member for Gibson for bringing this motion to the house. It certainly gives me a great opportunity to talk about some wonderful women in my community and how we have been celebrating them in that community. It has been 12 years now that we have seen the VIEW Club in Victor Harbor working in conjunction with the member for Finniss (me), and Michael Pengilly, my predecessor, in delivering an event, a breakfast, every International Women's Day morning or thereabouts.

This year it is on Friday rather than on the Saturday, but it is there to celebrate the women of the Fleurieu. It certainly has given a great platform to celebrate those women. Nearly every year is a sellout and this year's sold out last week. It is fantastic again to see those people being celebrated.

I will reflect on some of the winners over the last couple of years. There are three categories that we have awards for: the young ambassador, the inspiring businesswoman, and the community volunteer—all very important categories that we are there to celebrate, and it is great that we have been able to do that. As I said, we have had some great winners.

In the inspiring women category, last year's winner, Ticcanum Jumpee, or TJ as she is affectionately known, was a wonderful winner, and what she has done in our community is quite amazing. She actually studied economics as an international student in Sydney. She fell in love with the Fleurieu on a visit to the region that resulted in opening THAi Days restaurant in Cadell Street in Goolwa. THAi Days is extremely popular with locals and visitors and very much requires you to book in advance.

It was from very humble beginnings in a city in northern Thailand that TJ came to Sydney as an international student to study economics. An entrepreneur at heart, she soon found herself in partnership with a restaurant in Sydney. During that time she learned a great deal about business through the many challenges that she had to overcome. Keen to learn and grow and not one to shy away from hard work, she moved to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales to the prestigious town of Bowral.

TJ had successful restaurants in Bowral and nearby Mittagong. After visiting friends on the Fleurieu, she and her partner, now husband, Nick, saw an opportunity to open a restaurant in our beautiful part of the world. On 21 June 2021, THAi Days was opened and started trading on Cadell Street, Goolwa. TJ took an enormous risk, selling her restaurants in New South Wales and starting again in South Australia, especially at a time when there was uncertainty about how COVID would affect our communities long term.

Staff from New South Wales followed TJ to South Australia. They wanted to work with her because she cares for them all and treats them like family. TJ has employed numerous local staff and they love working with her. Her interaction with her staff is as genuine and caring as she displays to her customers. Her team is a family to her and they speak extremely highly of her. TJ is also a great supporter of the community, quick to give more than is asked for fundraising events.

THAi Days, due to its stunning food, warm and welcoming environment, and high standards, has been supported by the local community since the day it opened. It is extremely popular with locals and visitors, and it is necessary to book a week in advance, if not more, for Friday and Saturday nights. TJ has made her restaurant a huge success and had exciting plans to expand to a second restaurant, which has recently opened in Victor Harbor—Siam Seaside—and it is again another fabulous restaurant in our community. What an inspiration she has been to many in being able to actually deliver for the community.

Back in 2023, Kirsti Knowles was a winner. She is the founder of the Recreation & Active Disability Support business near Victor Harbor. She identified a demand for quality and consistent in-home and community support work, and in less than three years she employed 50 local support workers. RADS has supported over 60 NDIS participants living on Fleurieu Peninsula and provides a space for not only their clients but the clients of all providers and independent support workers. It provides a safe space for individuals and social groups and hopes to make the Fleurieu as inclusive and accessible as possible.

Both of those women were truly wonderful winners of the Most Inspiring Business Woman award at the International Women's Day Breakfast on the Fleurieu. I am looking forward to announcing the winner of this year's award on Friday. I was part of the judging panel, so I know who the winner is, but I will not say it now. It is a fantastic businessperson in our community, so again another worthy winner.

We then get to something that is really important to the community, and that is community volunteers. We have seen wonderful community volunteers, particularly in an ageing community. There are a lot of people who have time on their hands, but the amount of work the next two people I will mention have done for the community is amazing.

The 2024 winner was Julie Irwin. She has been actively involved in the community for nearly 40 years, and she has done that while facing family challenges as well as being successful in her working life. She has certainly been heavily involved in community groups such as Zonta, and she has been the president of the Rotary Club of Victor Harbor, so she has done amazing things. Her role as president of Rotary at Victor Harbor was during the particularly challenging time of COVID, and she tried to keep the connection of the club going when they were not able to actually meet. That was a big challenge that she faced during her time.

Julie has also been the instigator of local initiatives, including the Birthing Kit Foundation, which supplies kits to women having children in the South Coast District Hospital; Breast Care Cushions; the Zonta Says No and the Zonta Says NOW campaigns; the Amelia Earhart Fellowship program; International Women's Day; Bradley's Place; and the Nangawooka Flora Reserve. These are things that she has been involved in, and we have seen success in that.

The 2023 winner was Lesley Rumbelow. The Rumbelows are a long-time family of Victor Harbor, and Lesley has been an outstanding volunteer, particularly at the Encounter Bay Football Club. She has been active there for 35 years and is still volunteering there. She started out by originally volunteering to wash the Mini Colts guernseys at the end of their games, but she has certainly done much more. She has been a co-canteen manager to prepare meals for the players on training nights and at home games, and she helps cater at functions and events. She is a life member of the Encounter Bay Football Club.

She is also an outstanding contributor to the Victor Harbor Yacht Club, where she has been involved for over 30 years. She also volunteers in the Art Gallery and has been a group leader there for approximately 20 years. These are a great couple of women involved in volunteering who are very much stars within our community.

We also have the Young Ambassadors category. It is quite fascinating to see the people nominated in this category. Last year's winner was Evie Gray, who started volunteering with Riding for the Disabled Southern Fleurieu in 2021, soon after she turned 12. That gives you an idea of how young she was when she won this award in 2024—she was only 15. She goes to school at Yankalilla, plays netball and football for Victor Harbor, and loves doing work for Riding for the Disabled. She brings joy to the clients and the volunteers by making special cards, colourful name tags and remembering and acknowledging others with care. She has a great attitude, commitment and community spirit that is amazing in someone so young, and the work that she is doing is fantastic.

Back in 2023, the Young Ambassador winner, Nellie Langford, was completing year 12 at Mount Compass at the time. She is 19 now. During her time at school, she was school captain and she founded the school running club. She competes in race walking at local, state and national levels and she received multiple medals in 2022: seven gold and two bronze. She was also awarded the South Australian under-18 female road, cross country and walks award in 2022. She does all of this while balancing her education as well as a part-time job, so there is fantastic work being done by young people in my community as well.

I am very much looking forward to the announcement on Friday of this year's winners. To me, it is such a great way to celebrate. I am really proud to be a part of this event which has now been going for 12 years on the Fleurieu, and I do not see it stopping going forward. It is such a great way to celebrate the women of our community.

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (12:16): It is my pleasure to rise to support this motion from the member for Gibson this morning on International Women's Day and to share a few observations personally but also to talk about some of the things that we are doing as a government in my portfolios of education, training and skills which, of course, are incredibly relevant in terms of the motion that we are discussing but also in terms of the challenge ahead of us, to particularly increase women's participation in the workforce but specifically a lot of those traditional male-dominated professions and occupations.

One of the comments I make at a lot of skills and training events or graduation nights where apprentices or trainees are receiving their parchments after having been through their four-year apprenticeship and graduating is that we need to do more not just as a government but as a society to encourage women and particularly young women into in-demand, in-short-supply occupations that have been traditionally thought of as being only for men.

The observation that I often make is that we are really pushing up against it, particularly in terms of how we encourage more people to consider a future job in a VET area. Whether it is an apprenticeship, a traineeship, a certificate II, a certificate III or a diploma, it does not matter because we are pushing against the tide of history on two fronts: one is, we have told generations and generations of young people in Australia, and I would count myself as one of those, that a VET pathway is a second-class option to going to university.

That is what I was told, despite the fact that I went to a public high school that had been, up until two years before I started there, a technical college, a technical school, and still had a very strong trade program. Despite that, we were still very much told in more subtle ways by our teachers and the school but in probably not so subtle ways by those people around us—parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles—that what you wanted to aim for was a good ATAR score, or entry score as it was then, and then go to university.

On top of that, we have compounded the problem by disincentivising even further young women from considering a future in these roles because we have very much characterised them and used language which has reinforced that they are not jobs for them, not jobs that they either would necessarily be proficient at or jobs that they should be interested in, and that as a society we would judge them in negative ways for putting their hand up to do jobs that we have thought of as jobs just for blokes.

This morning I have come from Osborne where I joined the Deputy Prime Minister, the Premier and the Deputy Premier at the Osborne Naval Shipyard where the sod was turned on the training and skills academy, which is a fantastic announcement for our state and will play a huge role in training the workforce that we need to build the subs, but the challenge that we have and the cold hard truth is that if we are not able to encourage more women to take up some of the roles that will be on offer and needed at Osborne, we are likely going to be unsuccessful in reaching our workforce targets.

I give the example of the building and construction industry. Because of workforce shortages over a number of years, which the industry, government and training providers are very interested in trying to close, there has been a lot of focus by training organisations such as Master Builders on what can be done to actually grow the female participation rate in what is a very, very large workforce from the current level, which is only about 2 per cent, up to something higher.

Work is being done by the industry, with support from government, in the knowledge that quite simply if we are to meet the targets we have in terms of more sparkies, plumbers and carpenters, all those trades, if we just keep on sourcing 98 per cent of the workforce from 50 per cent of the population, we are going to fail. It is just not possible. Putting aside all those altruistic reasons I know people in this place share around why we should see more equal representation of genders and diversity in that sector, it is actually just not statistically possible to grow the workforce we need in those areas if we do not start increasing the representation from particularly young women.

In my own portfolios, there are a number of things that we do, but in terms of the intersection between training and skills and education, there is some work we are doing to support particularly some of those training providers. Again, I would point to organisations such as Master Builders, Motor Trades, PEER and ATEC, who are very keen on doing what they can to encourage women to work in those areas, to be able to get into our high schools at years 7, 8 and 9 age groups to start having more detailed conversations with young people around why they should consider a career in one of those areas, whether it is plumbing or carpentry or electrotech or whatever it might be.

There is some really good work being done as well to make sure that where we can we have women from the workforce going into schools to have those conversations. It is something I see that has been a real learning curve for me with my own three young daughters around the impact your words as a parent have on them when you are discussing what they might do when they are older. Currently, mine are nine, nine and just about 11, so what they want to do changes every week. There will be a new one next week and that is totally fine.

I have seen that often they will come to my wife, to me or to their grandparents to let us know what they want to do when they are older and it really is for them about seeking the reaction from us around how we respond in terms of saying, 'That's a great idea. You could do that. Absolutely you should aim for that,' or whether it is that kind of subtle comment that actually disincentivises them and gets them thinking that maybe that is either something they should not do or something that will not gain the respect of their family and people around them if they choose to do it anyway.

I hope to become much better at making sure my daughters are exposed to other opportunities that might have been outside their field of vision and then, when having those discussions with them, really reinforcing not only their ability to go and do it and the opportunities that lie in those areas—particularly in South Australia at the moment: fantastic job opportunities, well-paid work, long-term work, great career pathways into doing other things—but making sure they understand all those opportunities that are there for them and making sure they understand that if they did go on to do that I would be proud, their mum would be proud, grandma and grandpa would be proud, and the state would be very thankful too because that is where we actually need them to go.

All those things are important and, on a day like International Women's Day and in my portfolios, these are the things I try to focus on. If we look in this place, in the almost seven years that I have been privileged to be a member, we have gone from 11 women in total in this chamber to having 15 on this side alone, which is something of which we are very proud. There is still more work to do.

I have watched with great interest—particularly I will give a shout-out to the members for Newland and King, who I obviously spend a lot of time with out in the north-eastern suburbs, but this does not just apply to them—the way in which I have seen young women respond to them doing the job of a member of parliament.

I saw this with my own daughter, Rose, upon the election of the member for Newland and the member for King. She had a father who was a member of parliament already, but she was far more excited really when the members for Newland and King were elected, because there were these other young women doing this thing. I saw how powerfully that spoke to her that it was something she might be able to do as well. It was something you had to see to truly understand the impact.

It is a real cliché now, but you cannot be what you cannot see. It is absolutely true for all of us. It was certainly something that I felt very acutely growing up on a farm in a very small country town around the things you thought you could actually possibly do and what felt impossible. It is true of attracting women into these areas and giving them opportunities. I am very pleased to support the member for Gibson's motion on certainly an important topic today.

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (12:26): I also rise in support of the motion. I want to thank the member for Gibson for bringing it to this place. International Women's Day is an important opportunity to celebrate the achievement of women today while also recognising the challenges that remain.

We were discussing this motion in my office, and it really led to some robust discussion, particularly around wage disparity. I found it very beneficial to have that group discussion and talk about some of the issues and inequities that do exist. It certainly increased my knowledge, listening to Ilana and Denise in my office, and some of their experiences. The bit that perhaps I did not fully understand was wage inequality. Coming from the government sector, I thought a wage was blind to gender, in that you are paid an ASO 3 or 4 whatever level that may be. Hearing their experiences on who achieves some of those higher band levels predominantly, being males to the exclusion of females, and their private sector experience and the real disparities that exist there, certainly increased my understanding of the issue. I found the discussion that evolved from a motion that was sitting on our desk very beneficial and came away with a greater depth of knowledge, so I do want to thank the member for that.

I also want to take the opportunity to highlight some of the remarkable women in the electorate of Mount Gambier who have forged pathways in their respective field and also forged pathways for future generations. I want to talk about Wendy Fennell, who is a pioneer in the Australian forest industry. She leads Fennell Forestry, one of South Australia's largest logging contractors, with over 30 years' experience in a traditionally male-dominated field. She has expanded her business to employ around 80 staff. Her commitment to sustainability is evident through initiatives like the electric log truck—the electric truck, as we call it. I also need to give a shout-out to the minister involved in terms of providing a $200,000 incentive, which was matched by Fennell Forestry, to transition from diesel trucks to electric trucks, which are quite suitable for short-haul runs and then building up to longer haul runs. Most of our transportation of logs is to the port of Portland, which is about an hour and 15 minutes away from Mount Gambier and the electric trucks certainly are providing great feedback to the government and Wendy on the suitability of that. As Wendy said herself:

We should not be afraid to acknowledge that women and men operate differently. I think personal characteristics are a greater barrier to career success than gender.

Toni Vorenas exemplifies transformative leadership and community commitment in Mount Gambier. After a distinguished 30-year career in education—and I have had the privilege of working with Toni Vorenas at Mount Gambier High School and saw her genuine commitment to young people, in particular disadvantaged young people. If you go into the Metro Bakery and Cafe down in Mount Gambier, you will see an eclectic group of young people predominantly, who Toni certainly offers opportunities to, and guidance, mentoring and support. Toni's dedication to fostering a culture of respect and diversity has not only propelled her business's success but also enriched our community. Her journey from educator to entrepreneur is a testament to the power of adaptability and leadership.

Wendy Richardson is another distinguished business leader in Mount Gambier, celebrated for her enduring contribution to the local fashion industry as the owner of Redgum Country. She has dedicated over three decades to providing exceptional customer service, transforming her store into a destination for locals and visitors alike. Her commitment to excellence was honoured with the influential businesswoman of the year award in 2011 and in 2023 Redgum Country was inducted into the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame, a testament to Wendy's unwavering dedication and the store's significant impact on our community. Beyond her business acumen, Wendy is deeply involved in community initiatives, having been part of raising over half a million dollars for charity through fashion parades and other fundraising events.

Maureen Klintberg is a longstanding community health advocate for our region. In the early 2000s Maureen played a pivotal role in fundraising over $300,000 to establish a hydrotherapy pool for Mount Gambier. She then served as presiding member of the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Advisory Council, spearheading the community campaign for the redevelopment of the renal dialysis unit at Mount Gambier.

Maureen has also been instrumental in enhancing palliative care services in the region. This began with the establishment of In Home Hospice Care and, more recently, as part of a steering committee that has seen funds raised for a hospice feasibility study, eventually leading on to a hospice in its own right. Her unwavering commitment to improving the lives in our community, reflects a broader impact that strong, determined women have in shaping our society.

I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of Lynette Martin and Kylie Boston, both mayors of Mount Gambier and Grant district council respectively. Both women bring strength, vision and dedication to their roles, ensuring our communities continue to thrive. Their leadership is yet another example of the valuable contributions women make at all levels of our society. Each of these women represent the strength, resilience and innovation that drive our community forward. From industry leaders and entrepreneurs, to those shaping health care, local government and community services, their contributions are invaluable.

Beyond those I have already mentioned, many more inspiring women continue to shape our region's success, including Jacinta Jones, Tahlia Gabrielli, Lisa Attard, Sharon Tufnell, Gail Richards, Kelsie Prowse, Liz McKinnon, Kate Hill and countless others. Through their leadership, dedication and entrepreneurial spirit, they are not only building thriving businesses but also enriching our local economy and creating opportunities for future generations. On this International Women's Day we celebrate these remarkable women and commit to marching forward together towards a more inclusive and equitable future. I commend the motion to the house.

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (12:34): I also rise today to join the celebration of International Women's Day, a global observance that not only honours the remarkable achievements of women throughout history but also serves as a catalyst for accelerating our efforts towards gender equality. This day provides an invaluable opportunity to recognise and celebrate the diverse contributions of women from all walks of life. Whether in corporate boardrooms, classrooms, homes, or on the frontlines of social movements, women consistently push boundaries and break barriers. But we need to acknowledge that many women worldwide and here in our own communities continue to face significant challenges, including violence, economic disparity and discrimination.

Today, though, I wish to highlight and celebrate some of the extraordinary women doing incredible things within my community. Firstly, our community is fortunate to have some excellent principals leading our schools: Sarah Magnusson, Marion Coady, Kylie Eggers, Tracey Thomson, Donella Munro, Paula Skinner, Erika Dixon and Sharon Willoughby. These trailblazers lead with vision, passion and an unwavering commitment to student success. They are shaping the lives and inspiring the young minds of students, demonstrating that leadership transcends gender.

It is also important for me to recognise the emerging female leaders in our schools: at Aberfoyle Park High School, school captain Hannah and vice-captains Lacey and Matilda and at Seaview High School both captains, Sienna and Lily. These young women exemplify leadership and serve as brilliant role models for their peers.

In fields traditionally dominated by men, women like Tammie Ingelton, President of the Happy Valley Football Club, are redefining leadership and paving the way for future generations. Emma Murray of Hub Gymnastics has made a profound impact in our community, coaching countless young people and advocating tirelessly for improved facilities. Her efforts, alongside support from the Malinauskas Labor government as well as the Albanese federal government and council have led to the development of a new facility on Candy Road, ensuring that every child eager to participate in gymnastics can do so. I believe there are about 700 kids on the waitlist, so I am very excited for it to open in the next couple of months.

Bev Langley from Minton Farm Animal Rescue Centre in Cherry Gardens has been rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned and injured native wildlife since 1992. Her tireless efforts ensure that these animals are cared for and given the opportunity to be released back into the wild. Wendy Perry, author, educator, entrepreneur and Managing Director of Workforce BluePrint, mentors local and international businesses and professionals. Her work with Bhutan, the only net-zero city in the world, demonstrates her commitment to global sustainability and innovation.

Councillor Marion Themeliotis of Thalassa Ward in the City of Onkaparinga is a force to be reckoned with, an unwavering advocate who always puts her community first. While others may take the easy road, Marion is never afraid to stand alone, challenging decisions that do not serve her constituents and holding the council to account. Whether it is fighting against the removal of playgrounds across the city, standing up for better local services or ensuring ratepayers' voices are heard, she puts herself out there, even when it means going against the majority. She is a fierce, hardworking leader who genuinely listens, acts and delivers for the people she represents.

Associate Professor Mary-Louise Rogers, my hero, is leading world-class research right here in South Australia at Flinders University. Her groundbreaking work in motor neurone disease (MND) research is giving hope to thousands of families affected by this devastating disease. Associate Professor Rogers and her team have pioneered the discovery of biomarkers that can help track MND progression, an essential breakthrough that could speed up the development of new treatments. Her dedication, innovation and relentless pursuit of answers are changing lives, and I know firsthand how much this research means to families impacted by MND.

Jo Watkins, along with her family, has significantly elevated our region's reputation on the global stage. As the Export, Sales and Marketing Director of Watkins Wine, Jo spearheaded the company's entry into the US market, achieving remarkable success by selling 15,000 bottles in their initial order. This accomplishment not only showcases the quality of their wines but also highlights Jo's strategic vision and dedication to expanding their international presence. Under her leadership Watkins Wine has become a prominent exporter, sharing the excellence of South Australian wines with the world.

Finally, I acknowledge a special group of young women who my team and I affectionately refer to as the daughters of Davenport: Lara, Zara, Bonnie and Georgia are not just active members of our local community, they are our own daughters and the daughters of myself and my colleagues, who have grown up surrounded by public service and community advocacy. Whether it is working the popcorn machine at local events, handing out water at community fun runs or engaging in discussions about important local issues, they are developing their own independent voices and opinions.

It is inspiring to see them take an interest in the world around them, standing up for equality and fairness with a passion that gives us hope for the future. They are a great reminder that the next generation is ready to take up the fight for respect, equal rights and a better community for everyone. So today let's make a commitment not just in words but in actions. Let's amplify women's voices in every space, making sure they are heard and valued. Let's call out stereotypes and biases that hold women and girls back.

Let's lift each other up, knowing that when one woman succeeds we all move forward. Let's keep pushing for equal pay, equal opportunities and an end to violence against women. Finally, let's create a future where our daughters can dream big and our sons grow up knowing that gender equality makes the world better for everyone. I commend the motion.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (12:40): I rise to support the motion. Of course, International Women's Day has been a recognised day of significance by the UN since 1977 and, as might have been observed in the course of the debate, 30 years ago was a key moment as well, when in 1995 the UN pressed forward with what is remaining the bold vision for achievement, particularly to be focused upon on this day and captured by the theme of this year's International Women's Day, March Forward, in so many of the ways that have been addressed by others in the course of the debate.

As a practical matter I want to highlight that there are many key occasions for recognition celebrations of International Women's Day, not just on this coming Saturday 8 March—the day itself—but, perhaps because it falls on a Saturday, significant events will be held particularly on Friday 7 March. They include Zonta, which is very active. I want to highlight in particular a breakfast Zonta will be hosting at Norwood. Mount Barker council will be hosting an afternoon tea, a free event, where many of those who have been recognised—women in all walks of life in the local area—will be celebrated, including among them Deanna Wallis, who was recognised on Australia Day this year as Young Citizen of the Year for the council area.

Perhaps chief among the occasions to be a point for people to come together on that day is the committee breakfast. I will be along for that, once again hosted by the foreign minister, Penny Wong, and this year the guest speaker is Rachel Perkins. We will very much look forward to what Rachel Perkins will say to, I expect, a gathering of many hundreds of people on Friday morning.

I pick up and endorse and emphasise the Minister for Education's contribution just now in terms of the practical necessity for there to be training and vocational opportunities. In that regard it is good to see the involvement in key events over these coming days, including by the Property Council, Civil Contractors, SA Business Chamber, SA Unions are out and about, business gatherings at Victor Harbor—the list goes on at length. The Strathmore Hotel is hosting Women in Wine. So a wideranging nature and character of events will occur over these days ahead. I look forward to participating and continuing to learn as we improve going forward.

I recognise that this occasion has a long history. I also recognise that the vital work that is done, perhaps headlined by the events on the day and around itself, is very important indeed, so I commend the motion and I look forward to those events that are to come.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services, Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well) (12:45): I am rising to speak on the International Women's Day motion, moved by the member for Gibson. I could not rise on an IWD motion without just taking a moment to reflect on the sad passing of Dr Rosemary Crowley AO, former Senator for South Australia, trailblazer, incredible woman and dear friend to so many here in this place.

As the Premier reflected here yesterday, Rosemary was a trailblazing woman and the first woman the Labor Party sent to the Senate from South Australia—quite the achievement. We now have a few and all at one time. A passionate advocate for the affirmative action changes that have fundamentally changed the culture of our party for the better, and consequently the community, Rosemary believed fervently in holding women across all areas of our society but particularly in parliamentary chambers in high regard, and in the highest of positions.

Rosemary showed us that changing the make-up of our structures of power changes outcomes for women. Leading the charge to restore Medicare, advocating for child care, income support programs, maternity and disability support—these fights are ones that we see the echoes of today in the work that I and my colleagues do and, while some of the words have changed, some of the fights continue.

I was so proud to know Rosemary. Her count for the Senate took about a month. My count for the seat of Fisher took two to three weeks. It was tough, and Rosemary was a huge support during that time and since that time. We had that thread in common, and I always enjoyed bumping into Rosemary at so many events that we attended. I will miss her strength and fortitude. I have the great privilege of having known her, and she is part of the reason why I and so many others are here. In fact, she is really the reason why so many on our side of politics are definitely here.

It was only at the last election—and I think many members have already reflected on the election—that we had seven new women elected to parliament. Previously, in parliament, I have reflected on the fact that almost 90 years have passed since law said women could stand to run for parliament and vote at the same time. It took that long for seven women in total to be elected, so to do that in one day on one side of the house was quite incredible.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is March Forward, to remind us that progress is not just about reflection but about taking decisive and bold steps to turn our commitments into action. Of course, this is the same for many other people in marginalised or minority situations. In this place, I am really proud that Labor have actually taken many commitments that we have made and turned them into positive and affirmative action.

We have different conversations in this place and we have different conversations in leadership across all of our members because of the presence of women. We do it differently. We are stubborn, insistent and persistent in our battles, we reflect on the struggles of the past and we have decisive and determined conversations which make sure we lead to a future where it is not such a struggle or a battle for our daughters, our nieces, our grandchildren and other community members.

Finally, as often comes up when we talk openly about these issues, I would like to voice my support for the words of my friend the member for Gibson: 'We cannot accept the issue of sexual harassment as one that we cannot change.' We absolutely cannot, must not, and I certainly will not. She continues by saying it is 'one that we must change—we must call out this disrespect—we must say that enough is enough, that change is not coming fast enough.' I thank the member for Gibson for moving this motion. It is a real privilege and an honour to be able to speak to it. I commend the motion.

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (12:50): I would like to acknowledge all the members who spoke on this and I appreciate the diversity of thought that was reflected by all members. I acknowledge the member for Frome for her recognition for the women in her community. To the Minister for Women, thank you for your leadership and the way you clearly articulate the experience of women. I acknowledge the member for Finniss for celebrating the women in his community. To the Minister for Education, Training and Skills: I do appreciate that he recognises the challenges we face and his willingness to act to overcome them.

I acknowledge the member for Mount Gambier's reflection on what the gender pay gap really does capture, and the member for Davenport for acknowledging female trailblazers in her community, particularly the daughters of Davenport. I acknowledge the member for Heysen for recognising the history of International Women's Day, and to the Minister for Human Services, thank you for celebrating the life of the Hon. Dr Rosemary Crowley.

I am pretty angry. I am angry that I am still talking about this. I worry that my daughter is going to be still talking about this. But, regardless, I refuse to give up hope and I will endure and do the work that is required to make change.

Motion carried.