Media Centre

Girls in Australia should be growing up believing anything is possible, not being forced to choose between their leadership aspirations or their own safety working in parliament.

But, sadly, after a spate of reports of sexual misconduct in our national parliament, women are increasingly disinterested in pursuing political careers.

As Australia emerges from the worst impacts of COVID-19 and our lives start to return to some semblance of normality, it’s vital we keep the devastating impacts of the virus on others in our region at the top of our minds – especially girls wishing to finish their education.

It was the images that flashed across our screens for those long, terrible weeks of the Australian bushfires last summer that became a tipping point for me. Pictures of kids in boats, wildlife destroyed en-masse and birds falling from the sky, of entire ecosystems made uninhabitable. Of course, I had been acutely aware of climate change up until then.

As we approach the holiday season, one thing we can be certain of is that (between visits to the beach) most of us will remain online through the summer months, as will most Australian children. That’s why now is the time to be talking about online harassment and violence – because social media has become the new frontier of gendered abuse.

Women working inside the Canberra bubble are well aware of the stories of inappropriate behaviour by some of their male colleagues. But for things to change, we need real diversity.

Our generosity must extend beyond a commitment to sharing a global vaccine. We also have a moral responsibility to help those hardest hit around the world, particularly in our region.