Speeches
Thursday, 21 November 2024
Reception for National Council of Women Australia
I warmly welcome members of the National Council of Women Australia to Government House.
I especially thank those of you who have travelled from interstate to attend this conference and trust you are enjoying your time in Adelaide and our very warm Spring weather!
As patron of the Council’s South Australian branch, I am proud to continue the long relationship between the Council and the Office of the Governor.
South Australia’s legacy in championing women’s rights is a source of great pride in our state.
In 1894, we became one of the first places in the world to legislate women’s right to vote and to stand for Parliament.
This milestone marked the start of a journey that has seen our state champion the rights of women in education, employment, and healthcare.
Today, South Australia remains committed to achieving gender equality, and I thank members of your SA branch for actively working towards this goal. It is one of my six priorities as Governor.
However, society, at the state and national level, still has much to do: in overcoming unconscious bias; in addressing everyday sexism; in ensuring respectful workplaces and communities; in stopping violence against women; in achieving equal pay, to name a few.
It’s important to be aware of the additional barriers that women can face in the pursuit of equality, by virtue of cultural background, as well as age, disability and other factors.
I thank everyone here today who advocates for women particularly affected in these ways.
I am pleased to see a diverse range of resolutions to be voted on at your conference.
These address the challenges presented to women by 21st century technology, such as deepfake pornography, as well as its opportunities, such as supporting more women to work in the tech sector.
The resolutions also include challenges to women which affect society more broadly, such as support for action on repairing Australia’s landscapes, and creating a dental benefits scheme for all senior Australians.
These resolutions provide a timely reminder that pursuing women’s rights is of universal benefit.
Creating a more just and equitable society for women paves the way for a more just and equitable society for us all.
Friends,
I congratulate the National Council on its recent developments and achievements, with your advocacy contributing to changes at the federal level, such as recent legislative changes to the single parenting payment.
I was pleased to learn that the National Council will be the institutional ‘home’ for Australian delegates to future W20 summits, as part of G20 discussions.
And I congratulate your President Chiou See Anderson on her appointment to the National Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, as well as former National Council for Women SA Branch President Fiona Dorman on being elected National President.
For more than 125 years, the National Council for Women has advocated for women across our country, pursuing a better society for us all.
I wish you the very best as you continue to strive for ‘equity and security for all in Australia’.