R.E.S.P.E.C.T.—Find out what it means to me (and the women of Australia)
This election, Australia’s women spoke up loud and clear.
Hundreds of thousands of words have already been written about the women who turned against Scott Morrison's government, and regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, for many voters this was a defining issue.
The problem of gendered violence in particular has climbed up the national agenda of late, and while this issue has been getting more attention thanks to the likes of remarkable victim-survivor advocates, it is also going to take vocal champions inside the halls of power to create the change we so desperately need.
Given the increased focus on this issue, it will be interesting to see how many of our political class of 2022 make reference to violence against women as a priority in their all-important first speech to parliament - and a valuable exercise to check in on the 2019 political cohort to analyse just how highly this issue rated on their lists of most pressing causes.
Our analysis found that of the 53 members and senators elected or appointed in the 46th parliament, 19 (or just over 35%) made reference to domestic, family, sexual or intimate partner violence. Unsurprisingly, women account for the majority of these mentions, with just under 50% making direct reference to this issue as compared to only 20% of men.
More interesting is the context in which these issues were raised. Most politicians talked about gendered violence within the context of their own lived experience - whether this was as a victim-survivor, or through exposure in their profession before entering into politics.
Many Green and Labor women were explicit about their experiences in their first speeches. The ALP’s Senator Nita Green recalled:
When I was three or four years old, my mum left in the middle of the night—me walking alongside my brother in a stroller and our bags on our backs. When I asked her why we were walking the long way around the block, she said, 'So daddy doesn't see us.' Leaving, finally, for good, almost 10 years later, was the best decision my mum ever made. We were homeless for the first few nights after we left, because the rental that mum paid for wasn't liveable. Tragically, domestic violence remains one of the biggest drivers of homelessness for Australian women.
The Greens’ Senator Dorinda Cox was equally upfront: “I am a survivor of and a campaigner on family violence and discrimination”, as was her colleague Senator Lidia Thorpe: “Public housing helped me escape family violence and gave me and my son the safety and stability I needed to get a job and pursue further education”.
But if you were an advocate working in this policy area in 2019, and you wanted to gain traction with new members on the (then) government side of the chamber, who might you have approached? A look at the first speeches of Liberal and National parliamentarians provides significant clues for those already sensitised to this issue.
Nationals MP Pat Conaghan spoke about domestic violence through the lens of his 12 years in the police force, while fellow National Dr Anne Webster spoke of her work with young women affected by family violence after founding not-for-profit organisation Zoe Support. Terry Young from the LNP referenced his daughter’s experience of relationship abuse.
Liberal Senator the Hon Sarah Henderson was deeply impacted by her experience visiting the Alice Springs Women's Refuge, imploring listeners to “…please visit the Alice Springs Women's Refuge, which is in reality a homicide prevention centre for Aboriginal women and their children escaping horrific family violence”.
Henderson’s Liberal colleagues Gladys Liu and Bridget Archer recounted their own touchpoints with this issue, while Dr Fiona Martin spoke about family violence in light of her experience as a clinical psychologist for over 15 years:
We must acknowledge that women and children are far more vulnerable to family violence, often, tragically, leading to fatalities. More than three million Australian women have since the age of 15 experienced violence by an intimate partner. Police respond to a domestic violence incident every two minutes. People who witness partner violence as children are two to four times more likely to experience partner violence as adults.
In many ways, this simply reminds us this issue touches all sides of politics, and all parts of Australian society - and the importance of having a parliament made up of people with a diversity of experiences gained before entering politics, so they can bring that knowledge and experience to bear as advocates for women and children across the country.
But it’s also a timely reminder of the importance of doing your homework - and how vital it is to join the dots between what politicians care about and what you’re advocating for - beyond simply the electorate they represent or portfolio they hold.
Impact Collective is analysing the first speeches of all newly elected politicians to give small organisations a leg up in this process. We’ll understand your focus and send you a list of politicians who might be interested in your cause.
It’s the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to get ahead this parliamentary cycle - get in touch today and we’ll explain how.
And as a bonus - sign up to stay in touch below and we’ll send you our FREE guide to maximising your impact in The First Hundred Days of the next parliament.
