Thursday, 6 March 2025

 Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Government Services, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Minister for Women) (14:19): With International Women’s Day 2025 happening this Saturday, we recognise the efforts of women in this state and the continued fight towards gender equality. We are moving forward, making sure women’s contributions are acknowledged and elevated as part of our ongoing program. This government does just that.

In Victoria every year we celebrate the achievements of women through the Victorian honour roll. More than 750 women have been inducted over the past 25 years – hundreds of outstanding women, from the amazing Stella Young, who was an activist and comedian who changed the way Australians view disability, to Aunty Merle Miller, a Yorta Yorta woman who helped establish the Dunguludja Dana Youth Group in Shepparton and to Margaret Connor, who was inducted after her passing, who joined Victoria Police as a female agent in 1917 but had no uniform and no powers of arrest and only made half the wages of her male colleagues. Many women over that side would know all about that, being overlooked and undervalued by their colleagues.

The late Joan Kirner, Victoria’s first woman Premier, created the honour roll to formally acknowledge women for their achievements and encourage other women to follow in their footsteps. Whilst the opposition’s federal counterparts think the best that women can hope for is a bit of a job-sharing arrangement, we know that on this side we want to inspire the next generation of leaders. Ahead of International Women’s Day I urge members of this house to nominate an outstanding woman for the honour roll before the nominations close on 16 March.

Roma Britnell interjected.

The SPEAKER: Member for South-West Coast, you can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for South-West Coast withdrew from chamber.