The names of all known women killed in domestic violence incidents in 2023 have been read aloud in federal parliament by Farrer MP Sussan Ley as further action was urged to tackle the scourge.
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In a speech to the House of Representatives marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the deputy Liberal leader said the issue was a national crisis.
In reading out the list of 60 women known to have been killed this year, she said domestic violence while an uncomfortable topic to face, had to be faced.
"These are the names of the women who have been murdered in our suburbs, in our schools and in our workplaces, found in bath tubs and change rooms and bins. These are the names of women taken too soon," she said.
"There are too many nameless women on this list and the reality is we know there are other women, others who have silently disappeared. They may be counted currently as missing person or they may have just slipped through the cracks."
Ms Ley said the list of names may have been confronting but urged greater action to address the issue.
"We need more, we need men to hear these names and we need men to hear our voices because in the face of this challenge, we can come together and we can eliminate this violence," she said.
"But that starts with being brutally honest with ourselves."
It comes as the government announced a new dashboard of information that would be regularly updated, allowing officials to measure, understand and ultimately help end violence against women and children.
Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Justine Elliot said while the government was carrying out efforts to address domestic violence, the work was far from finished.
"Violence against women remains one of the most widespread human rights abuses in society today," she said.
"One life lost in one life too many. Each woman's life lost has devastating ripple effects across the community and it's felt far and wide."
Ms Elliot said the new data dashboard for authorities would be used to measure national targets to reduce female intimate partner homicide by 25 per cent each year.
The assistant minister said measures allowing for domestic violence leave and bolstering frontline support had also been put in place.
"Of course, government cannot do this alone. All levels of government organisations, businesses, workplaces, schools, communities, the media and individuals, including men, must all work together towards our common goal of making Australia a safer place."
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SUSSAN LEY'S SPEECH
Speaker, I rise to speak on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Lindy (Kimmy) Lucena.
Dayna Isaac.
Maria Williams.
Wendy Sleeman.
Rebekah Clewer.
A 37-year-old unnamed woman in the Northern Territory.
Anastasia Slastion.
Krystle Monks.
Trish Lambourne.
Janet Guthrie.
Margarette (Marz) Smetheram.
Jacqueline (Jacqui) Lee Purton.
Hannah Pringle.
Lisa Fenwick.
Erin Mullavey.
Elaine Naroldol.
Emmerich Lasakar.
Kerry Bodney.
Lynne Wright.
Heather Ball.
Tatiana (Tania) Dokhotaru.
Monique Lezsak.
A 34-year-old unnamed woman in Western Australia.
Marija Ivankovic.
Kristy Armstrong.
Amira Moghnieh.
Kumanjayi Skeen.
Christine Formosa Rakic.
A 47-year-old unnamed woman from the Northern Territory.
An unnamed woman in her 30s from Western Australia.
Aleksandra Vergulis.
Gypsy Satterley.
Jessica Townley.
Linda Kerr.
Georgia Lyall.
Joan Hobbs.
Jean Morley.
A 40-year-old unnamed woman from Victoria.
Tiffany Woodley.
Maree Vermont.
11-week old Murphy Margaret Cox and her mother Tayla.
Drew Douglas.
Lise Muliaga.
An 87-year old unnamed women from Victoria.
Katherine Safranko.
Rebecca Collard.
Heather Dean.
Yu (Grace) Zhu.
Krystal Marshall.
Thi Thuy Huong Nguyen.
Lilie James.
Logee Osias.
Alice Rose McShera.
Deidre (Dee) Folpp.
A 44-year-old unnamed woman from South Australia.
A 45-year-old unnamed woman from South Australia.
Julianne Egan.
A 39-year-old unnamed woman from South Australia.
Jodie Jewell.
Catiuscia Machado.
Speaker, I have been reading out names for over 2 minutes.
Speaker, I have done this because I want the names of these women to be etched into our national record.
Speaker, I want these names to echo across this place and to be broadcast across our nation.
Because these are the names of women killed in Australia this year.
These are the names of the women who have been murdered in our suburbs, in our schools and in our workplaces.
Found in bathtubs, in change rooms, in bins, in car parks.
These are the names of women taken too soon.
These are the names of sisters, daughters, mothers and dear friends.
We have these names thanks to the good work being done by the Red Heart campaign, various police reports and social media pages like Destroy the Joint and Counting Dead Women.
But sadly, Speaker, as you would have also heard there are too many nameless women too.
And the reality is we know there are others, other women, other names.
Others who have silently disappeared, they may be counted currently as missing persons or they may have just slipped through the cracks, so I did hesitate in compiling this list.
In listing these names I want us to recognise among this list and along with this list are the forgotten women.
These forgotten women have disappeared, they have been taken away from us.
These are the women who are yet to be found.
These are the countless forgotten women, dumped in bins, buried in bushland, hidden from view, their hopes and dreams snatched away.
This is uncomfortable for us to face, Speaker but we have to reckon with this issue.
We have to drag it out of the shadows, we have to confront it.
Because what I can say without any hesitation is that too many women have been killed already this year.
What I can say is this is a national crisis and not enough is being done about it.
That is not a political statement, it is a social commentary.
I make it as a woman, as a mother, as a leader and as an Australian.
So I say again, this is a national crisis and not enough is being done about it.
Today as we reflect on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women we have to be honest with ourselves and honest with the community, the violence is not being eliminated, the violence is not slowing down, women are still being killed.
I note the Minister is resolutely committed to this task, I note that this entire building is committed to this task.
We stand here as women in positions of leadership but we need men to step up and take on this issue with us too.
I know the complete commitment my leader Peter Dutton has on this issue as someone who has himself stood as part of the thin blue line that all too often is the only thing that separates women and children and the monsters that would seek to harm or kill them.
And I know the toll that has taken on my colleague and my friend.
I also do not doubt the Prime Minister's commitment either and we have heard about his own lived experience this week, experience that affects him to this day.
Yet we need more. We need more.
We need men to hear these names and we need men to hear our voices.
Because in the face of this challenge we can come together and we can eliminate this violence.
But that starts with being brutally honest with ourselves.
In recent weeks we have seen the sort of swift action we can take when confronted with a threat to community safety and yet women are being killed almost daily and we are not seeing enough urgency, and we are not seeing enough coverage.
The names I have listed in this speech have been updated more than three times since it was drafted.
This tells us everything we need to know.
So today we recommit ourselves to this task, but Speaker today that list grows longer and we are not doing enough.
