Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (18:23): I am delighted to rise to speak on this motion, being:

That this house notes that today is International Women’s Day and –

1. 1. 1. this year marks 100 years since women won the right to stand for election to the Victorian Parliament;
      2. for many years First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorians.

One hundred years on women are changing this place for the better, and it is about damn time. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Victorian women MPs.

It has been a century since some Victorian women won the right to be candidates for election – and I very deliberately say ‘some’ because it is also important to remember and recognise that First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorian women for far too long, 60 years in fact. The women of Australia who were not Torres Strait Islander women and who were not Aboriginal women, the women of Australia who were not those people – the rest of us – were among the first in the world to obtain the right to vote and to stand for federal Parliament, which was granted in 1902.

It is important to recognise that our First Nations sisters did not have the same rights as non-Indigenous women. The 1902 Commonwealth Franchise Act removed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s right to vote in federal elections. This right was not reinstated until 1962, in the Commonwealth Electoral Act. It is important to acknowledge the hurt, the shame and the disrespect of the disenfranchising of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the racism, discrimination and disempowerment they experienced.

Between 1908 and 1962 First Nations women did not have the same political rights as other Victorians. In Victoria some women gained the right to vote in state elections, and subsequently it was legislated in 1908 after being defeated as a private members bill 18 times. So a private members bill came 18 times to this house before we finally got the right to vote.

But it was not for another 15 years, in 1923, that some Victorian women won the long-fought right to be candidates for this Parliament, the Parliament of Victoria, shamefully making Victoria the last state to grant both these rights to some women. It is really interesting to reflect that 100 years ago we were the least progressive state and now proudly we are the most progressive state. It was the Parliamentary Elections (Women Candidates) Act 1923 that enabled women to become candidates in parliamentary elections, stating:

… no woman shall by reason only of sex or marriage be disqualified or disabled from … being a candidate at any election …

However, this right to stand as a candidate did not translate to the increase in parliamentary representation of women that many women would have hoped for and that many women would have fought for. The first woman elected to the Victorian Parliament was Lady Millie Peacock, 10 years after women won the right to run for election. In 1933 Lady Millie Peacock became the first female member of the Parliament of Victoria. She won the seat of Allandale in the Legislative Assembly, this place, in a by-election caused by the death of the sitting member Sir Alexander Peacock, her husband. At the age of 63 Lady Millie Peacock was sworn into this place as a member.

Disappointingly, our first woman MP was not the champion Victorian women needed. The member for Allandale declared that as a widow in mourning she would not make speeches in the Parliament. However, she did make a speech, just one. Further, Lady Peacock made her views on electing women to the Parliament of Victoria very well known. Leaving Parliament after a short time she declared, ‘This is not a place for women.’

However – here comes the hero of the story – Labor’s Fanny Brownbill was not deterred, being elected as the member for Geelong in 1938. Well done to the member for Lara on her contribution about Fanny Brownbill. It was really great to hear the member for Lara talking so passionately about the member for Geelong.

This house is now a place for women – Lady Peacock got that wrong – and it is thanks to the many women who have broken down barriers and forged a path for women MPs like me and others sitting in the chamber right now. Women MPs today are indebted to Ivy Weber, to Joan Coxsedge, to Val Callister, to Pauline Toner, to Joan Kirner and to my dear friend Caroline Hogg, Minister for Health and Minister for Education in the Cain government.

In 1977 Pauline Toner won the seat of Greensborough in the Legislative Assembly for Labor, and in 1982 she was appointed as Victoria’s first female cabinet minister. From this important breakthrough came many more wins for women. When Pauline Toner resigned in 1989, after 11 years in Parliament, women representatives had increased from two to 10 in this place and seven in the other place.

Two years later a woman was appointed Premier of Victoria, the great Joan Kirner. Other great trailblazing Labor women made other breakthroughs that made this place a house for women. In 2003 Judy Maddigan became the first woman Speaker of this place and Monica Gould became the first woman President of the other place.

The now Deputy Premier, the member for Bendigo East, became the youngest women to become a minister in 2002, and she is the longest serving woman MP in Victorian history. I also want to recognise Sheena Watt for becoming the first Labor Aboriginal woman MP in the Victorian Parliament.

The number of women MPs continues to increase, as does women’s representation in the cabinet. Significantly, women now comprise 48 per cent of all parliamentarians, and Labor is making important progress, with the highest number of women ever on the government benches and in the cabinet in Victoria. A record 54 per cent of Labor Party members of Parliament are women.

This extends to the cabinet where 64 per cent of ministers are women; unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Liberal Party. I am proud to be a member of the Australian Labor Party that has worked towards affirmative-action targets and quotas for decades. We know that gender equality and diversity strengthen our democracy. We know that these quotas work, and the quality of women MPs elected at the 2022 state election is proof of that.

I will not be drawn into any ridiculous arguments about merit, because all of our women are meritorious – unlike some of the men throughout the history of this place who have been more than mediocre, becoming preselected based on the old school tie, on family connections and membership of the boys club. Our women MPs are here because they deserve to be here – they work hard, and I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the member for Albert Park earlier today who made the very same points.

Having more women in Parliament and positions of power means that our policies reflect women’s needs. This was highlighted through the introduction of the Gender Equality Act 2020 which requires public sector organisations from local councils to universities to demonstrate progress towards gender equality and report their progress every two years. We know there is more to do. That is why a new gender equality strategy will be launched later this year to build on the strong foundation and ensure that we do not lose momentum.

We are also making sure that we celebrate women’s achievements equally, and in doing so offer inspiration to the next generation of girls. It is why we invest in programs like the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Each year the Victorian Honour Roll of Women recognises women who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and excellence in their field of expertise, interest, endeavour or through their commitment to the community. Since 2001 more than 700 women have been recognised for their incredible efforts in Victoria, Australia and beyond. I had the privilege of chairing the nomination process for inductees in 2022, and I congratulate all inductees.

Inductees to the honour roll are recognised for their achievements in a broad range of fields, including science, arts, environment, law, social justice, family violence prevention, research, health, media and education. They each represent the courage and determination of women across Victoria, using their unique skills, experiences and insights to forge a brighter path for all women. I am proud that we have a strong focus on recognising and honouring First Nations and multicultural women.

Looking forward to the next century, one can only imagine what it might be like for women in Victoria. My youngest daughter will be 112 – perhaps she will even still be alive. The decisions we make and the actions we take will contribute to the lives of our grand-daughters and our great-grand-daughters. Will the progress of rights for women continue, or will we see the winding back of reproductive rights, women’s workplace participation and anti-discrimination laws? I will fight for our women and fight for our future.

 

Watch and read more of my speeches to Parliament here, including responses from ministers on how we’re working for Wendouree.

You can also view videos from Parliament, browse Hansard transcripts, learn about bills and legislation, and much more at the Parliament of Victoria’s website.