Ms PATTEN: On Monday I was so proud to be one of the tens of thousands of women who came together across the country for the Women’s March 4 Justice to say, ‘Enough’. It was an emotional day, but there was such a strong feeling of solidarity. We saw women from the second wave joining women from the third wave of feminism, women from the second wave wondering why we are still marching for equality and why we are still marching to be safe in the streets. We are simply sick of having to highlight these issues. We are entitled to be safe. We are entitled to have respect in our workplace.
When I was first sworn in to this Parliament in 2014, I had no idea of the type of online abuse and direct abuse that I would experience, particularly as a female politician.
Sometimes as women in politics it can be a dangerous job for us. We are finding out this week that women across the nation feel in danger in their workplaces across the country, girls are still being abused in school, women are still being abused in aged-care facilities. In my position in this Parliament and on behalf of my sisters with disability, women of colour, Indigenous women, incarcerated women, trans women, older women, I say: enough is enough.
Fiona Patten MP
Leader of Reason
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region
Members statement 17/3/21
