Ms ADDISON (Wendouree) (20:15): In the lead-up to International Women’s Day on Monday, 8 March, my adjournment matter is to the Minister for Women.

The action that I seek from the minister is to provide me with an update on how the Andrews Labor government is supporting and improving the lives of women and girls across Ballarat and the electorate of Wendouree.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2021 is ‘Choose to Challenge’, and I am proud to be a member of the Andrews Labor government, which is committed to gender equity and challenging the status quo. From our first-ever gender equality strategy to Australia’s first gender equality act, Victoria is leading the nation on gender equality.

The Andrews Labor government respects women and recognises the important contribution women make to Victoria. We have our state’s first majority women cabinet backed by government benches that are 48 per cent women. Many of this government’s progressive reforms have been led by bold, smart and strong women sitting at our cabinet table, including wage theft, medicinal cannabis, workplace manslaughter, free TAFE, voluntary assisted dying and renewable energy, as well as the world-first Royal Commission into Family Violence.

I thank the wonderful women of the cabinet for their leadership and for being strong role models for future generations of Victorian women, including the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, who is in the chamber.

The Andrews Labor government understands that with more women at the decision-making table you make better decisions. That is why we have gender parity on government boards and have committed to ensuring 50 per cent of all new appointments to Victorian boards and courts will be women, because when it comes to gender equality we know that we still have a long way to go. But our work will continue, and it is not over.

I want to wish everyone a very happy International Women’s Day and strongly encourage women and girls across Victoria to choose to challenge, because from challenge comes change. I look forward to receiving the update from the Minister for Women about how this government is making Victoria an even better place to live for women and girls and to sharing this information with my electorate of Wendouree.

Read the Minister’s response here – or for more of my contributions in Parliament, click here.