Thursday, 5 March 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (10:00): International Women’s Day was born from women’s right to basic rights. It is appalling that in 2026 that struggle continues. Today I honour the brave women defending those rights – women standing up for basic fairness and safety in female sport, because biology is not bigotry, and women in our prisons, many already survivors of male violence, who deserve genuine safety behind bars, not policies that have exposed them to further harm and the shocking attempts to conceal the consequences, as we have seen so recently. Women are also speaking up for dignity. Sometimes female-only services are essential in sport, in prisons and in places such as domestic violence refuges and rape crisis centres. These are not luxury choices but basic needs, and yet they must still be fought for. I will add briefly too the growing questions over the presumption towards pharmacological and surgical intervention for children with gender dysphoria, often at the expense of more cautious and proven therapeutic approaches. And I acknowledge the incredible women of the Lesbian Action Group, whose federal court case continues. They have shown courage and determination in standing up for their rights and, by extension, for the rights of all women. These women are keeping the true spirit of International Women’s Day alive.