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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-03-08 Daily Xml
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International Women's Day

Mrs PEARCE (King) (11:43): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that 8 March 2023 is International Women’s Day and pays tribute to those who have fought, and continue to fight, for the advancement of the status of women and girls;

(b) notes this year’s theme Embrace Equity recognises that each one of us can actively support and embrace equity within our own sphere of influence to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination and draw attention to bias;

(c) acknowledges that whilst much has been achieved, women still face entrenched inequality, violence and barriers to equal and active participation in our economy and in every aspect of community life; and

(d) commits to doing whatever it can to work towards:

(i) preventing and eradicating sexism, harassment, violence and abuse of women in all its forms;

(ii) challenging stereotypes, discrimination and bias against women; and

(iii) continuing to advance the status of women and girls; and

(e) commends the state government for its strong women’s equality and safety policy and actions.

This one is not only for the women who smash the glass ceiling, but those who build up and empower other women, those who hand the ladder down, and those who hoist others up ahead of themselves—all for the cause, all to work towards achieving greater equity in our state. The reality is, I did not get to be here in this place by pot luck or by somehow beating a system that has been systematically set up for men; I got here because I fought to be here and I was fortunate enough to have incredible women from a range of backgrounds in various stages of their life fight before me, fight alongside me and continue to fight day in, day out.

And why? There are many reasons, but in my case I believe it is because we all wanted to see a parliament that better reflects the diversity we see in our state and because we know if we can get it right here, we will see better representation in every other component of our lives: in our workplaces, our schools, our sporting clubs and associations, and at home.

It means the legislation we debate in this place will now have a wider range of experience and perspectives being taken into consideration, closer to what we would see being debated around the kitchen table or whilst at an event, or when hanging out with our friends and our family. This is incredibly important because there have been so many reasons to continue fighting: to have your voice heard, to feel safe at home, to be afforded the same opportunities. It is not that much to ask for.

It is not too much to ask for to not be disadvantaged for choosing to have children, to not be disadvantaged for choosing to care for a family member—components that have traditionally been the focus of a woman's sole responsibility for way too long without care or consideration given towards how this impacts their wellbeing or the impact this has on their ability to live a financially secure life.

It is also not too much to ask to not be pigeonholed in your upbringing to believe that you can only aspire to be what has traditionally been perceived as a woman's position in the world. You cannot be what you cannot see and we have not been able to create that change without the women who have fought tooth and nail to improve and build on that. To all of them I say: thank you so much for your contributions, and thank you for fighting for a more equitable future, not just for yourselves but for the women following behind you. Thank you for making their journey a little bit fairer.

We are not there yet, though. The fight is not over and we all have a responsibility to embrace and fight for equity. We all have an ability to do so, whether you identify as a woman, man or non-binary, whether you are young or old, whether you have been oppressed or whether you have not. We all need to take advantage of our own sphere of influence to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination and draw attention to bias.

If you hear somebody complimenting a woman that she is lucky to have her partner babysit the kids because she is out working late—shut that down. She has every right to be in that room and we all know that her partner would not be questioned if it was the other way around. Stop questioning, 'Why doesn't she just get a better job?' when we find a woman barely getting by in the roles that have been traditionally associated with their gender. All work is valuable.

Stop asking, 'Why didn't she just leave?' when you hear about the terrible impacts of being in a domestic or family violence situation, and start looking at ways you can assist. Support the organisations that help to empower women in these situations and help stop this issue from being swept under the rug. Start empowering girls to be what they want when they grow up. Encourage them to explore STEM or sports that have traditionally been all about the boys. Start supporting a work environment that invests in its workers and recognises that taking a break to start a family or care for another does not diminish their ability to be productive when they look for support to return.

Whilst we have achieved so much, women face entrenched inequality, violence and barriers to equal and active participation in our economy and in every aspect of our community life. For example, our country's national gender pay gap is at about 13.3 per cent, which means that for every dollar that men earn on average, women earn 87¢. That is $253.50 less than men each week, and that is not the only thing impacting their ability to earn an income.

Caring for children is far more likely to impact women's employment opportunities than men's. Almost half of Australian women who are willing to work or take on more hours report that caring for children is the main reason they are unable to start a job or work more hours. This is compared to the 3.2 per cent of men, which in some part helps to explain why the median superannuation balances for women at retirement are 23.4 per cent lower than those for men in recent years.

Looking into this a little deeper, what about women who are in leadership positions? What about educational attainment? Well, the latest results from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency 2020-21 data search shows that women hold 17.6 per cent of chair positions and 31.2 per cent of directorships, and represent 19.4 per cent of CEOs and 34.5 per cent of key management personnel. That is, 22.3 per cent of boards and governing bodies have no female directors and, by contrast, only 0.6 per cent have no male directors.

Interestingly, of all women aged 20 to 24, 92 per cent have attained a year 12 qualification or above compared to 87.5 per cent of men in the same age bracket. Of all women aged 25 to 29, 48.3 per cent have achieved a bachelor degree or above compared to 36.1 per cent of similarly aged men. So why the imbalance in the workplace? Clearly there is work that needs to be done.

What about women's wellbeing or the ability to have a safe and secure home? As we are aware, one in six women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by current or previous partners since the age of 15, and statistics suggest that as much as 42 per cent of the homeless population in Australia is female. Let's focus on this a little deeper.

We know that the major causes of homelessness amongst women include domestic violence, sexual assault and family breakdown, and that women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless often lack control over their lives because they are dependent on others to provide accommodation.

Furthermore, women with disability are particularly vulnerable to homelessness. They are more likely to face the causes of homelessness than men with disability and the general population, mainly because women with disability have greater levels of unemployment, earn lower incomes and are at greater risk of physical and sexual abuse.

Sadly, this is just a snapshot of where some imbalances can be found in our society, but we in this place have a responsibility. We need to work towards preventing and eradicating sexism, harassment, violence and abuse of women in all its forms; challenging stereotypes, discrimination and bias against women; and continuing to advance the status of women and girls.

I am proud that in our first year of government we have not wasted any time getting started on this. I am proud that we are empowering women to leave violent relationships, something hard-fought for by women, workers and unions over the years. I am proud that we have reinstated funding to support Catherine House, an amazing group that supports and builds up women who are experiencing and/or facing homelessness.

I am proud that we have funded $4 million for a Women in Business package that will provide a suite of programs that will be made available to South Australian female-owned businesses. I am proud that we have provided over $1.6 million in funding for the Women's Legal Service to provide face-to-face legal advice and education to vulnerable women at risk of experiencing domestic and family violence, as well as restoring the funding to the Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service.

I am proud we have funded over $2.6 million for the Working Women's Centre to provide frontline support to address workplace sexual harassment and discrimination because we firmly believe that gender-based violence has no place in our society. I am pleased that we have established a Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care to better support the needs of families into the future. I am proud that we have re-established the Women in Sport Taskforce helping to raise the profile and participation levels of girls and women in sport, and to address the inequality that inhibits girls and women from actively and equally participating in the sport they love.

That is just the start. As I said earlier, we all have a role to play to achieve greater equity in this space. I am proud that the Malinauskas government is tackling this head-on and today, on International Women's Day, I ask all of us to keep up the fight. May we know them, may we be them and may we raise them. Our future can only become fairer if we put in the work today, and a fairer future is absolutely something worth fighting for.

Ms PRATT (Frome) (11:54): I rise today to speak to the motion and acknowledge that 8 March 2023 is International Women's Day and to pay tribute to those who have fought and continue to fight for the advancement of the status of women and girls. This year's theme, Embrace Equity, recognises that each one of us can actively support and embrace equity within our own sphere of influence to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination and draw attention to bias. We all have a responsibility to challenge the status quo and work towards creating a more equitable society for all.

While much progress has been made, women still face entrenched inequality, violence and barriers to equal and active participation in our economy and in every aspect of community life. It is up to us to take action and address these issues and ensure that women are afforded the same opportunities and rights as men.

Sexism, harassment, violence and abuse of women are not limited to any specific region or community. It is a problem that affects women of all ages, races and socio-economic backgrounds. These actions are often perpetuated by those in positions of power or those who feel entitled to control or dominate women. Such actions create an environment of fear and vulnerability for women, limiting our opportunities and restricting our freedom.

Tragically, every seven days one Australian woman still dies from domestic violence. As a society, it is our responsibility to eradicate this problem and create an environment that is safe and secure for women. We must take a multifaceted approach to address this issue. This includes increasing awareness about these issues, educating those who need it and developing effective legal frameworks. As a representative in my own community, I play a role in developing all three stages.

I am proud of the strong record of accomplishment of the Marshall Liberal government, which sought to support women to thrive in South Australia. In addition to the Marshall Liberal government's comprehensive suite of initiatives in domestic and family violence, the government also introduced at the time the first South Australian Women's Leadership and Economic Security Strategy, which was to underpin the strongly held belief in choices for women. Gender equality in the workplace and other areas of life is key to underpinning choice for women.

I especially acknowledge the work and advocacy of former Deputy Premier, the Hon. Vickie Chapman MP, who in her capacity as the state's first Attorney-General and our state's first female Deputy Premier worked tirelessly to provide reform in the areas of domestic violence, along with Carolyn Power, the former member for Elder, who was SA's first Assistant Minister for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention. Both of these Liberal women presided over the expansion of the Domestic Violence Disclosure scheme, which included 'right to know' requests. This mandated proactive disclosures by police to those deemed to be at risk of domestic violence and family violence. It included a commitment of $1.9 million by the Marshall Liberal government for that trial.

When it comes to leadership by women and for women, there is not enough time really to do justice to the positive legacy on which the Liberal Party and Liberal women continue to build. I take us all the way back to Dame Enid Lyons, who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first woman within federal cabinet. She said in her first speech to parliament that we are a party that chooses candidates on their merits.

Our record continues to demonstrate a commitment to supporting talented women throughout Australia who have come to a life of public service from a variety of backgrounds and with a broad range of experience, and I think that holds true today:

Mrs Hilma Molyneux Parkes, who had been a leader in the New South Wales suffrage movement, formed the Women's Liberals League of NSW. This league fought hard and was ultimately successful in winning the right to vote in preselection;

Dame Nancy Butterfield DBE, who was the first woman to represent South Australia in the federal parliament and to be nominated to fill a casual vacancy in the Senate;

Kay Brownbill OBE, the first female MP from South Australia and the third woman to be elected to the House of Representatives;

the fabulous the Hon. Trish Worth AM, the first female deputy government whip in the House of Representatives;

the extraordinary the Hon. Amanda Vanstone, who was the first female Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Employment and Minister for Justice;

the Hon. Julie Bishop, who was the nation's first female foreign minister; and

Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, who was the nation's first female defence minister.

The legacy of Liberal governments in prioritising women's issues knows no bounds, and I take leave to touch on just a few policy initiatives that were a legacy of the Howard government. Maternity leave was introduced in 1996. The National Domestic Violence Summit was convened in 1997. We saw childcare benefits introduced in the year 2000. The introduction of legislation to allow separating couples to divide their superannuation by agreement of a court order was in 2002. We are going to hear in the chamber today about the disadvantage that women experience when it comes to asset management, finances and superannuation—that legislation could not have been more important at the time.

On those points, I also want to move on to acknowledge the significant contributions made by South Australian women in sports, art, the sciences and other fields who have broken down barriers in their fields, paving the way for future generations. I note that the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was marked on 11 February. I take this opportunity to note it and mention briefly that, while we have made progress in closing the gender gap in science and technology, there is still much work to be done.

According to UNESCO, only 30 per cent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education globally. This number drops even further in Australia, sadly, where women only make up 16 per cent of the STEM-qualified population. The statistics are not just numbers. They represent real women who face challenges and barriers when pursuing careers. These challenges include unconscious bias, gender stereotypes, lack of role models and work-family balance issues. So it is essential to address these issues to ensure that women and girls do have the same opportunities and support as their male counterparts.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the women who have come before us here in the chamber and who have fought and continue to fight for the advancement of the status of women and girls in South Australia. Let us all continue to build on their legacy and work towards creating a society that is truly equitable and inclusive for all. I wish everyone in this chamber a happy International Women's Day. I commend the motion.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (12:02): I rise today to support this motion and to wish a very happy International Women's Day to all the women in this chamber and in the other place and to every woman here today, whether this is your place of work or you are here as a visitor.

It is important to celebrate together the progress and achievements of women and the women's rights movement to honour women's diverse contributions and to steadfastly resolve together to continue to tackle all that continues to confront girls and women in our state and beyond. I acknowledge all the women who have gone before, and those today, who use their voice and their actions to progress further achievements and to empower and lift other women up.

Today I also think of the many who may not be celebrating International Women's Day in the way that we are privileged to do in this place, or indeed at all, whether that be because they are at work early in a place where there is no acknowledgement of International Women's Day, whether it was difficult to leave caring responsibilities or whether it was just too hard to leave the house at all.

As I strive to continue to make change, I am absolutely buoyed by the women who relentlessly and passionately lead and contribute to the advancement of gender equality, sometimes in the face of intersectional barriers and some really difficult circumstances, and those who sometimes just keep going.

Collaboration, inclusion and unshakeable unity of purpose has been key to the gains the women's movement has made over generations. It was certainly the key for those fierce activist women who, 129 years ago, relentlessly campaigned together and successfully fought for the right for women to vote and stand for parliament here in South Australia, making us the first place in the world in which women were able to exercise these hard-fought women's rights.

As those brave women who fight would have envisaged, our parliament should be an exemplar of equal representation. It should be representative of the diversity of our community. As I look around this place, my heart swells with pride to see the extraordinary women in numbers who are in this house. This step forward toward equal representation in our parliamentary ranks was a crucial step we needed to take. I have no doubt that this step is already making our parliament a better, a stronger, and a wiser place.

We can assume that there are roughly equal numbers of women and men of merit in our community, so when gender equality is not represented in parliament, we have to take positive action to smash through any barriers that prohibit women from taking their rightful place in this house. And we can all be proud that those women who fought collectively and tirelessly 129 years ago to ensure South Australian women could vote and stand for parliament would wholeheartedly approve of such decisive action.

I am immensely honoured to hold the portfolio of Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. Like others in this place, I have a longstanding passion for addressing inequality and ensuring that women and girls can equally and actively participate in our economy and in every aspect of community life in the way that they choose.

I was very proud after the election a year ago to welcome the new members of this place: firstly, on the government benches, the member for Elder, the member for Gibson, the member for Adelaide, the member for King, the member for Newland, the member for Waite, and the member for Davenport. They are all formidable, community minded, hardworking, smart and compassionate women who have already moved mountains for their local communities and will and do make such an important contribution to this place, and to the fabric of our state.

I wholeheartedly congratulate the member for Schubert and the member for Frome on your election to represent your communities. I am honoured to be working with you all as part of this most important process in our democracy: the representation of the people of South Australia in decisions that affect the daily lives of the people of our state and tackle the most significant issues facing our community. We also all, women and men, have a role to play in addressing any issues that inhibit girls from equally participating in our community and that contribute to the horrific scourge of violence against women.

This government is deeply committed to creating a state in which your gender has no bearing on the opportunities available to you. We want to be a state which is renowned for equal opportunity for girls and women, which empowers women and girls to live their best possible lives, and which realises the benefits for all that an equal future creates.

Last year's wonderful increase in gender representation here in parliament is one of the strongest signals we can send to the community about the importance of gender equality and diversity in decision-making and, we hope, to encourage even more women to stand for public office. Together, with this incredible group of women and the outstanding men whom we work alongside, we can, and we will, make a difference.

Our government is committed to recognising the achievements of women from all backgrounds and ages who make a significant contribution to different areas of community life. The Inspiring South Australian Women's Awards, presented earlier this year, was a recognition of the contribution women make in both voluntary and paid roles to advancing and enriching our society. These awards celebrate women and encourage our community to think about the women in their lives who are breaking down barriers, working tirelessly in their community, taking steps forward in the face of adversity, or those who make an important difference in the lives of others.

I was so proud in January to award the winners of the Inspiring South Australian Women's Awards at the event hosted and coordinated by the Australia Day Council of South Australia. The Inspiring South Australian Women's Award was presented to architect Sarah Paddick, who was recognised for her assistance over the past seven years to empower vulnerable women leaving prison to develop new skills, secure meaningful work and regain confidence.

At the celebration of these awards, we heard a story from Sarah's award nominee, who, as a participant of these programs, said that her involvement enabled her to go on to earn a position in the head office of a large construction company and to facilitate initiatives within women's prisons herself.

Also honoured in the event was Madelyn Duckmanton, who received a commendation for her tireless fundraising work to ensure earlier detection of ovarian cancer following the very sad death of her daughter Letitia in 2018. Madelyn has since established the not-for-profit Letitia Linke Research Foundation, which aims to increase community awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Emerging Leader Award recipient Zainab Kazemi arrived in Australia aged just 13 after fleeing Afghanistan with her family. Ten years later, Zainab is an emerging community leader and respected advocate. Through her voluntary participation in the Afghan Association of SA, she has championed the rights of new migrants and refugees, as well as those unable to leave Afghanistan. Zainab has organised fundraisers for Afghani refugees and works to empower young refugee women to pursue their dreams and equally access opportunities.

The achievements of Sarah, Madelyn and Zainab are truly inspirational. Each of them has generously and courageously used their voice and their actions to raise awareness about issues that other girls and women face and to empower them in the face of some really difficult challenges. I congratulate these exceptional women on their awards and thank them for their remarkable and tireless work, work that it is right to honour and celebrate and work that I am proud to acknowledge in this place.

I am strongly committed to always highlighting the exceptional work of women in our community. International Women's Day is a global day to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women. Today, we have opened nominations for the South Australian Women's Honour Roll. Established in 2008, the Women's Honour Roll is open to new inductees every two years to provide formal recognition to women who make significant contributions in all areas of our state.

Since the SA Women's Honour Roll was initiated in 2008, more than 700 South Australian women have been formally recognised for their contributions. I encourage everybody in this place to think about the women they know, particularly those who may go without recognition, and nominate them for the South Australian Women's Honour Roll.

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (12:12): I rise in support of this motion and acknowledge that 8 March is International Women's Day. I sincerely wish everyone in this place all the best on celebrating and acknowledging what I think is a really special day.

Late last night, I went for a run around our fabulous city and I happened to be listening to a podcast that I would not usually listen to. It was an interview with Jessica Watson. She might not be familiar to too many people in this place, but she was a 16 year old who survived 210 days out at sea on her own. She became the youngest person to sail solo non-stop around the world.

When she arrived back in Australia, she was greeted by 80,000 Australians who came and wished her the best, including the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. Kevin Rudd, as the Prime Minister, aimed to acknowledge Jessica Watson as a hero. That was a label that she just fobbed off. She was not comfortable with being acknowledged as a hero. Instead, she said:

I'm an ordinary girl who believed in her dream. You don't have to be someone special or anything special to achieve something amazing. You just have to have a dream, believe in it and work hard.

What an extraordinary and humble thing for someone to say at such a young age who had just achieved such an incredible feat. For me, it was very timely to hear this comment because I believe that it sums up exactly what International Women's Day is about. It is about acknowledging all women and all their achievements regardless of how big, how small, or how spectacular.

Sometimes it is about acknowledging some of the ordinary women and people who are just going about their lives. I think that is something to celebrate, recognising that having a dream and working hard to achieve it, particularly if you are a female, is something that we should be celebrating in this space. When anyone in South Australia, irrespective of their background or their gender, can through hard work achieve their dream, whatever that might be, then I believe that as a state and as a government we will have the settings right.

On International Women's Day, I think it is timely to reflect on the mountains that have been moved by so many amazing women over so many generations. Our walls here in parliament are adorned with a rich tapestry, quite literally, of the historical things that happened right in this place to pave the way for all of the women in this place to be representing their communities and to be fighting hard for their communities. I am often quite shocked when I come in here, because it is not often that you reflect on these things, but on International Women's Day I think it is fantastic to look at the glass ceilings that have been broken down so that people can achieve their goals.

It is also about genuinely celebrating the achievements of women within our community, and there are so many. It is about encouraging and empowering the next generation of women, through doing and through the example that we can all set in this place, to have the confidence that they can achieve their dreams. They can achieve anything that they put their mind to, just as Jessica Watson did.

I am proud that we live in one of the very few places in the world where if you do have a dream you can succeed. That is something that is absolutely worth celebrating, particularly as, as has been reflected on in this place, that does not happen everywhere in the world. There are so many places in the world right now where, based solely on your gender, there are certain things that you cannot achieve, but here in Australia, and here in South Australia, you can.

We also need to keep an eye on the future, acknowledging that there is always so much more to be done to build equity in opportunity. To me, that is what International Women's Day is about, acknowledging that women and men should be able to have the same access to opportunity. I think through sheer hard work you have to have the opportunity to succeed. The equity in opportunity, I believe, is key to recognise on International Women's Day. That is what we need to be fighting for.

Everywhere I go in my local community, I see so many passionate women and girls. I see so many unsung women. I see local female business owners. I see local female leaders across so many fields, be it the arts, be it sport, be it in the agricultural sector and our winemaking industry. They are serving as an inspiration to one another. Then I see women who are working hard bringing up the next generation and juggling so many commitments, who are the daily role models of the next generation, working hard to make sure that they too are creating a pathway for them to achieve.

My mum is one of them. I was reflecting on this as I was going on my run last night. If it was not for her and her sacrifice, there is no way that I would be standing in this chamber. She worked as a kitchen hand for a very long time and she has supported my dad on the farm, but beyond everything else she sacrificed her career so that my brother and I could achieve our goals. That is something that is worth all of us recognising. We have to keep shining a light on the success of all women, all women who go about their business and can achieve things fantastic. Talking about their experiences really will serve as an inspiration to the next generation, showing that they too can achieve their dreams.

Often I am asked, when I am going to schools or speaking at local sporting clubs, if I have any advice for young women. I do, and it is very simple. It is to back yourselves in, to back your friends in, to back your colleagues in, to celebrate your successes and celebrate their achievements as well. Often I think that when you are a female, particularly in politics or in leadership, it is so important to note that you do not have to have a hide like a rhinoceros to be a strong woman. You can be caring, you can be compassionate and you can have a strong voice.

On International Women's Day I do say to all young women and young girls, not just in my community but right across South Australia, 'Back yourselves in because you are strong and you are capable.' So happy International Women's Day, everyone. I hope you can all have a remarkable day and celebrate your own successes and those in the community as well.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (12:20): Naa marni. Ngai nari Nat Kartanya Cook. Marni ngadlu tampinthi, ngadlu Kaurna yartankga tikanthi. I start by making a Kaurna acknowledgement because today, on International Women's Day, more than anything it is so important that we acknowledge how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women must be part of our conversation. This week we have spoken about the importance of voice in parliament, and it should not be underestimated how important it is to have a voice at the table in order to be able to seek effective change and deliver on issues that are important and represent the values of certain cohorts in our community. With that, women are a group in the community who for centuries were under-represented in terms of having a voice at any table.

I use today to provide myself with an opportunity to reflect on how far in fact we have come but also, again, to say how far we still need to travel as women to achieve equality in the workplace and to achieve equality in the community. Really excellent conversations have been put out into the public sphere over much time, now in regard to wage equity and the gender pay gap. It is ridiculous that we are still talking about this. I thank the athletes and the women of sport who are again bringing that to the surface in terms of demonstrating wages disparity and reward for really hard work.

I look around on this side of the chamber, and many of us comment regularly on how we nearly weep when we see just how many incredibly inspiring women we have with us in our caucus. That is not to undervalue the inspiring men as there are men doing great things as well, but for me to be able to see so many incredible women, and young women, who have joined us in our parliament to provide voice, voice for young people and voice for women, I know that our party has over three decades rigorously changed structures, rigorously and deliberately changed the ideology about how we achieve an equity of representation in terms of gender with affirmative action in our party, and it has worked. We can see it has worked.

I made a comment in the first speech of this parliament about how incredulous it is that it took us 90 years to elect seven women across all parties to this chamber—90 years. With hard work, with deliberate effort, with determination for change, in one day in March last year we achieved electing seven new women to our chamber on our side of the house. Of course, we also welcome the new women on the other side of the house and enjoy working across the chamber on various bills and on various matters.

For me, this achievement is really incredibly strong. It is powerful. It is one of those demonstrators of intent, of drawing that line in the sand and saying to the community, 'We know you can't be what you can't see.' It is so important to young women to be able to see that they can achieve being a representative in this house, and it is proof that our affirmative action has and will continue to work. Structural changes make cultural change and it bears witness to that. Long after I leave this place, many of these new women will continue on with that great work with that legacy of gender equality and being a role model for young women in the community.

Yesterday, I attended the Australian Migrant Resource Centre forum, which was being held across a few hours in the Festival Centre. I managed to pop in at lunchtime. The panel I sat on for just a part of is worthy of a mention. There were four incredibly good young women there speaking about their journey as arrivals to Australia with very little and what they have been able to achieve given support, motivation and aspiration.

I call out to the chair of Multicultural Youth Link SA, Raghad Dib, an incredibly inspiring and compassionate woman leading that youth women's panel. There were three speakers, including Esther Nichun, who told of her incredible journey, having not completed primary school, coming to Australia to now be a graduate registered nurse working in Port Augusta—an awesome journey. As a registered nurse, I felt completely inspired by her story. She is a wonderful young woman whom I wish very well. I have put out the hand of friendship and offered to chat with her anytime. Shaona Imaru and Fahima Ahmadi spoke as well.

I think that change takes determination. It takes people who are keen and like-minded in their goals. I often say that, in terms of challenges, you eat the elephant one bite at a time. I am very impatient. I work every day to move on those issues and to try to bring compassion to the debate.

I want to conclude by highlighting my favourite tweet of the day today, which is funnily enough by a man. Bill Griggs is a very good man, who many of you would be aware of as a leader in trauma services, which I have had something to do with over the years in my job. Bill's quote this morning that woke me up was:

The idea of a quota for women in Parliament seems too much? Remember that for many years only men were allowed to be elected. Maybe to balance things we should try some years of only allowing women to be elected? Seems fair. Maybe we'd get better results than now?

I leave International Women's Day with a hearty hello and congratulations to all women and my favourite tweet and thought for the day.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (12:27): I rise to speak on the motion. I note also, with reference to paragraph (b), that the UN International Women's Day 2023 theme, 'Cracking the Code: Innovation for a Gender Equal Future', is the subject of important and ongoing current work in the UN. The theme is based on the priority theme for the United Nations 67th Commission on the Status of Women.

As members will be familiar, the priority theme, 'Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls', is particularly prescient. It is important to identify symbols and to have themes associated with the recognition of this important day. The UN's work at this time in using the power of innovation and technological change to bring greater access towards equality and empowerment to education and to the advancement of women and girls is important work indeed.

I note also the review theme of the 67th commission being work on challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls, which were the subject of agreed conclusions of the 62nd session. Without reflecting on matters recently before the house at too much length, we have already heard just earlier this morning debate in relation to the important policy and funding initiatives that can be taken, in particular, to support regional areas of this state in relation to the studying of nursing, and the member for Mount Gambier has given examples of those in his area that are so relevantly affected.

Indeed, the subject of prior motions in the house have extended beyond that to reflecting on what we can do proactively in that international space to seek improvement and to call other public authorities, governments and nations to better discharge their obligations. So there is, as the UN indicates, important work for those of us in public life with public responsibilities in parliaments and those in responsible executive government roles to take those steps publicly.

Of course, what we celebrate on International Women's Day, as others have reflected on in the course of the debate, are the achievements, activities, opportunities and aspirations of the individuals, and of women and girls in communities throughout the world. I think it is right that we focus somewhat on what we can do here to continue progress towards advancement.

As the motion indicates, there are important improvements that have been made over many decades but it is right to acknowledge, if not be preoccupied on this day, that there is still much to be done to work towards the end of inequality, the end of violence, and certainly the end of barriers to equal and active participation in our economy. These things are both mechanical, they respond directly to funding decisions of governments from time to time, and they extend through to our culture and our expectations as a community broadly.

Reflecting in a practical way on our own experience bringing up our children, we happened to engage for a significant period of time in the early stages in Sweden and then bring up small children in Australia. I think there is an opportunity to compare and contrast the ways in which we are organised as a community to ensure that those barriers, those inequalities that are experienced by women and girls are addressed in practical ways.

I still hear it too often that policy in relation to child care, for example, is equated and directed relevant to a woman's wage where a woman is able to go to work because children are in child care and the cost of child care and how that relates to a woman's wage. In reality, it is very much a matter of equal responsibility and we have seen strides made in that respect over the last 20 years, in particular.

I reflect on my profession before coming into this place and the thought that often stays with me about the practical response to inequality and the day-to-day lives of those in the profession. A significant and quite famous example is that of Justice Mitchell, who during her time on the Supreme Court made a point of crossing Victoria Square to go to the public toilets because there was not a women's toilet in the Supreme Court at that time. She just got on with demonstrating that in a very practical way. The women's toilet that then ensued in the Supreme Court was something that people got their skates on about, but it was a matter of practically demonstrating the nature of inequality by a response to it.

A leader of my profession from the day that I first walked into chambers at the bar, Lindy Powell KC, for whom Justice Mitchell was a particular mentor (Lindy was associate to Justice Mitchell) has stood out as carrying forward the legacy of leadership in the profession. I take the opportunity to recognise both Justice Mitchell and my friend and colleague, Lindy Powell KC. I could say a great deal more and reflect, perhaps, more personally on the journey of women and girls in my life. I recognise them all as we celebrate International Women's Day today.

Just very briefly, because we are in this parliament and place of legislation, I want to recognise where we are at on development of legislation in relation to coercive control. It is something that the minister has talked about as recently as earlier this morning. The development of legislation against coercive control has a history now over the course of the last parliament and this. I was proud in the brief time that I was exercising the powers and functions of the Attorney-General last February to develop and to circulate a paper posing questions in relation to the implementation of legislation. I understand that that is soon on the way, responses having come in the course of last year.

My time is out, but I look forward to working with the government in developing initiatives in that direction in the coming months.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (12:38): I rise to support this motion and wish all in this place and across our state a very happy International Women's Day. This morning I joined many incredible women from across our state as a guest of Her Excellency the Hon. Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia—who is in herself an amazing woman—for an International Women's Day breakfast with inspirational speaker Sam Mostyn AO. International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also remains a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

South Australia stands proud of its past as a world leader in women's rights. While suffragette protests for the right to vote raged in London, Philadelphia and Boston in the later years of the 19th century, South Australia went a step further in granting women suffrage. The Adult Suffrage Bill was passed on 18 December 1894. We have the petition up here in front of us on the wall here. It awarded South Australian women the right to vote in general elections and to stand for parliament. It was a first.

Indeed, we have come a long way since the passing of this bill and we celebrated the 125th anniversary of that in this place in 2019. Women like Catherine Helen Spence, Mary Lee and Elizabeth Webb Nicholls, who paved the way here in South Australia as leaders of the suffrage campaign and women like Adelaide-born Muriel Matters—who campaigned by flying over London in an airship inscribed 'Votes for Women' and throwing handbills over parliament—all played a significant role abroad.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to serve both in the Australian federal parliament as a Senator and in the state parliament in South Australia as the member for Torrens. On both occasions, I have been among the majority of women, Labor women, elected to the parliament. I stand by what I have previously said: that the efforts by women to achieve equality, of course, go well beyond our walls of parliament. Many women who have strived for a career have historically been forced to balance that career with the needs of family—until recent times—often for years without any consideration of the difficulties presented.

International Women's Day recognises and honours not just the achievements of the groundbreakers, the women whose names we know and whom we admire, but all women. There are so many more who do not make the headlines and have not had the chance to move us with the inspirational speeches, with actions, or with great public achievements.

These are the women who have had to fight hard for everything they have achieved in what have often been unfair workplaces: women who have had to juggle a career with raising a family, who drop the kids at school before heading to work and who often have to take work home so they can pick them up; women who after a full day working sit with their children overseeing their homework; and women who take their children to sports practice, who are there week in and week out on the sidelines, cheering them on and taking up voluntary positions of team manager, coach, secretary of the club, event organiser, or a position on the fundraising committee.

They are there staffing the canteen, cooking on the barbecue stall and taking team uniforms home to wash. These are the many women I see at my local sports and community clubs in my electorate of Torrens, taking up these roles at Gaza Football Club, MetroStars, Adelaide City Football Club, the North Adelaide Rockets Basketball Club, Windsor calisthenics, NECAP, the Neighbourhood Watch meetings and Hillcrest scouts—and there are many more at our local schools on governing councils or volunteering for excursions.

There are women like my amazing sister, who do this on their own as a single parent. On International Women's Day I want to recognise women like my mother and my mother-in-law, who each raised six children, walked the path and faced the struggles that women of their generation faced when equality issues were not enshrined in law. I acknowledge these women and others who have each made a valuable contribution towards achieving equality and fairness.

I acknowledge, too, those who have taught or are teaching and raising their children to respect and value contributions equally, regardless of gender, and that some things are worth standing up for. I acknowledge the efforts of those women who fought the fight, helping to make Australia a better and fairer place for all and those who are continuing to fight the fight today. I want to wish a happy International Women's Day to all women across the state, and in this place all the MPs, MLCs, Hansard, library staff, officers of the parliament, catering, security, housekeeping and administration. I want them to know that they are truly valued.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley) (12:43): I stand to support the motion and of course wish all women—whether they be mothers, daughters, sisters—a happy International Women's Day. I have to say that it is not just today that we should be celebrating women and their achievements and working towards equality; it is every day. Because of the nature of how society has evolved, it really does take men—particularly in dealing with violence against women—to stand up against men who perpetrate violence.

As a man you cannot imagine what women must go through if they are attached to a male member of the family, whether it be a partner, a father or a sibling, who acts in a violent way. It is a significant cultural shift that we need to continue working on. We know that cultural shifts have been successful in the past. When my mother was married back in the 1950s she had to give up work, because that was the culture back then. We now realise of course—and not long after that we realised—that that culture was wrong.

There are other cultures around the world that treat women as second-class citizens and that culture is wrong. It is not acceptable to say that that is the culture in that society, that country or that history, because we had that culture here in South Australia, in the Western world, until recent times. When I have school tours in this place I always talk about the two tapestries here hanging on the walls, celebrating not only that women in South Australia had the right to vote in 1894—the second place in the world to be able to do that—but also that South Australia was the first place in the world women had the right to stand for parliament.

Then I point to Joyce Steele, the former member for Burnside who went on to become education minister, being the first woman elected to this place 65 years after legislation allowed that to happen—65 years. It was one of the rare cases when the parliament was ahead of the public mood. Often we see parliaments take their time or not being up to speed with the public mood, particularly in social change.

One of the things I did in my early interest in politics was to read Stuart Cockburn's book about Tom Playford, and in it is a section that describes the experience that Joyce Steele had on her first day as an elected member in this place. There were no toilets; even 65 years after women were allowed to run for parliament here in South Australia, there were no female toilets. That is what Stuart Cockburn said in his book. She was greeted in the halls of parliament house by the dear old conservative Tom Playford with the term, 'Hello, girly.' I tell that story to many of the young women, years 11 and 12 legal studies students in particular, who come into the parliament for their tours and they all cringe and you can understand why, but it does demonstrate that we have come a very long way but we still have a long way to go.

When my wife and I were first married, which was 34 years ago this year, she was a member of the RAA. I was not a member of the RAA, so she signed me up as an associate and, when the very first renewal came through, I became the full member and she became the associate, obviously because she was the woman. That was not that long ago—1989. We do see that happening still today.

I know that when my daughter booked a train trip from Canberra to Sydney with her partner it was done online and there was no option for the 'Ms' term on the online booking form. So, it was either identifying whether or not you were married or not having any other option. The fact that we still have the term 'Miss'—in other words, I am available—used in any government organisations for starters, but any business organisation, as a title for somebody filling in their name and address is just extraordinary.

Quite frankly, it is not anyone's business whether a woman is married or not, but it goes back again to that old culture where women who were working had to resign when they got married. Women did not work when they had children. Of course, many women, up until that time, if they wanted careers did not have children and were robbed of having a lifetime relationship, which many of us in this place value as being one of the wonderful things of life.

The fact is, we still have elements of this male domination, if you like, of the rules about how people are addressed, of what expectations are. There are still young women who go to events because they are interested in those events who have to fend off men who want to ask them out on a date. We should be in a society where women can go to events for the interest that they have without fear of having to have an uncomfortable conversation about a request that is of no relevance whatsoever to the event that they are attending. That, again, is a significant cultural shift.

I think it is on days like today that, not only should we be celebrating women, of course, but we should, as men, be reflecting on what else we can do to respond and to change those cultural legacies, if you like. In many instances, I concede, it may very well be subconscious where this type of thing happens. I know that often as a couple, when you are going out looking at something to purchase, the salesperson will be focusing on talking to the man. Of course, in my instance, they are focusing on the wrong person because I do not make those decisions in our house.

It is the natural process and it has happened because of that culture of the dominance of men when it comes to who runs the money in the family, who earns the money, and so if that person earns the money they must be in charge of the money. But, of course, any relationship, particularly a relationship that has children, is a partnership. Each partner has specific roles that they work out between themselves.

Even though we are now seeing a lot more younger men being involved in their children's development and their upbringing, it is the primary caregiver—who, in most instances, even today, we still know is often the female partner in a heterosexual relationship—who will give up their career to be the primary caregiver. In other words, they will work part-time or have an extended period of time off while their children are very young. We still have a lot more work to do, but today of course is a day of celebration of women in our community.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (12:53): I rise in support of this motion. You know, sometimes it is hard to be a woman. It is not for the reasons that Tammy Wynette expresses in her well-known song. While she suggested that giving 'all your love to just one man' was a challenge, in today's society, we are led by strong women who know that they can now buy themselves flowers and, indeed, take themselves dancing, and do not rely on men to make it happen. We no longer accept that we will have the bad times whilst he will have the good times, doing things we do not understand. It will be us who say things that he does not understand, and we can most certainly hold our own hands.

Whilst the lyrics of songs have changed to reflect our strength, resilience and capabilities over the years, it is still the case that in practice women are not equal. We have spent years calling for respect. In fact, Aretha Franklin had been calling for it since 1967, and continued to do so until she died. It is time, and enough is enough, and whilst I thank Miley Cyrus, the Pussycat Dolls, Tammy Wynette and Aretha Franklin for helping me with my comments today, it is time we have a new narrative.

Today is International Women's Day and it is the day on which we celebrate the social economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and this year's theme is Cracking the Code for a Gender Neutral Future, and it also marks the call to action for accelerating women's equality. This year's campaign theme explores how innovation, inclusion and education have the power to disrupt 'business as usual' and crack the code to a gender equal future.

We know that education is the biggest leveller and that was no clearer to me than when I attended the University of South Australia's Chancellor's Women's Day lunch on Monday. Surrounded by some incredibly intelligent women working across many industries, it became very obvious that nothing could hold these women back, nothing except maybe glass ceilings, childbirth, child rearing, community expectation, the gender pay gap—yes, nothing.

This morning again a whole marquee of leaders, women who came from across industry, defence, government and other areas, listened to two very inspiring women: Her Excellency the Governor of South Australia and Sam Mostyn AO, who collectively are championing women. This is always a great experience but it was mentioned to me: what happens after these lunches and breakfasts? We all know that we continue to face challenges but what do we take from these experiences to ensure that we, in positions of leadership, are pumping up the tyres of our sisters, our mothers and our daughters but, at the same time, teaching our sons, fathers, and in some cases grandfathers that what has been acceptable before is not anymore?

Within the walls of that luncheon, there is a growing momentum, and our government is here to support it. Since coming to government we are investing in industries which predominantly employ women and which were hardest hit by the pandemic, such as the arts, major events and tourism. We have established a Gender Pay Gap Taskforce. I am fortunate to be the deputy chair of the Women in Sport Taskforce under the guidance of our Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. We are working with a group of incredibly talented individuals to address what we have identified as a real gap, and that is the opportunity for women and girls to participate and then exceed in their chosen sport. I am really excited about what the outcomes of this initiative will be and really proud to be a part of it.

We have also funded a $4 million Women in Business package and today launched the re-established Premier's Women's Directory, linking it to the existing BoardingCall register and providing an additional avenue for South Australian women to join state government boards. A reinvigorated Premier's Women's Directory will support the government's commitment to achieving 50 per cent representation of women on state government boards.

Our government is investing in women, but it is an all-of-community response that is required: parents teaching their kids that they are equal, that they have equal access to their dreams, that they should treat each other with respect and dignity; workplaces addressing gender pay gaps; removing glass ceilings; removing policies that disallow employees from talking about pay; and taking every opportunity to encourage women to exceed. People of all ages need to not accept that 'Well, it's just the way it's always been,' or forgive bad behaviour because 'Back in the day it would be okay.' It is not acceptable—not anymore.

It is clear, as I think about my colleagues here in this place, the women who are here, and the women who have come before—all incredibly strong women representing their communities—that times are changing. I am glad to be able to be within an accelerating movement—in fact, riding that wave—but there is much to do and, as we take the day to celebrate past achievements, we look to the future where we are equal, nothing more and nothing less.

It would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to thank the women in my life who are always there supporting me: my mum, my sisters, my aunties, my cousins and all of my girlfriends. Here is to strong women: may we know them, may we be them, and may we raise them.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Morialta, you have one minute—30 seconds, actually.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (12:59): I am pleased to have this minute to place on the record my support for this motion and, particularly in the spirit of other speakers, celebrate the achievements of those who have come before, and the achievements and work of those in my life. South Australia stands proud as the first place in the world to have allowed women to run for parliament and, indeed, those celebrations were held but, of course, it did take us too long to elect our first woman, Joyce Steele, who is on the wall of this parliament.

I am proud that in my seat Jennifer Cashmore and Joan Hall preceded me. In my seat at the moment, Anne Monceaux, Jan-Claire Wisdom, Jill Whittaker and Marijka Ryan are all female mayors, some of them the first female mayor for their council areas. I congratulate all of them and the women I have worked with in my professional career, not least of which Vickie Chapman, the first female Attorney-General and Deputy Premier of South Australia. I am proud to have considered her a mentor and my first boss.

I commend particularly my wife and all the strong women in my family who also, on this day, I want to celebrate as well. I commend the motion.

Motion carried.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00

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