By Eleanor Wilson
In Melbourne’s South East, the political landscape is shifting, and a legion of determined women are at the helm.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale, Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson, Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards, Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams and Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino were all elected, or re-elected into their seats at the November 2022 State election.
And they’re all the first females to represent their electorates.
Ms Williams, who served as the Minister for Women for four years and is currently Minister for Mental Health, Ambulance Services and and Treaty and First Peoples, regards it is “an incredible honour” to be the first female MP for Dandenong.
“I’ve grown up surrounded by strong women – with three big sisters, many aunties and four nieces – and they have taught me how remarkable women are,” she said.
“It is incredibly important to me that women’s voices are heard, and I am so proud to be that voice for Dandenong.”
While Ms Williams has served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2014, Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino and Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson are still familiarising themselves with the Spring Street steps.
Ms Wilson gave her inaugural speech just weeks ago, where she touched on what it means to be a feminist.
Addressing the house, Ms Wilson reflected on a conversation with her children, years ago, where the MP told them she did not consider herself to be a feminist.
“At the time I did not really understand what feminism was,” she said.
“I thought that a feminist was someone holding a placard and protesting in the streets, which I did not really identify with, but what I have learned is that feminism comes in lots of shapes and sizes.
“I have come to realise that I am a feminist, and I am really proud of it.”
For Ms Vulin, it was an agonising almost two-week wait to claim election victory over her opponent, Liberal candidate David Farrelly, with just a few hundred votes separating the two at the finish line.
Ms Crugnale also fought a tight race in the 2022 State election, defeating the Liberal Party’s Aaron Brown by just 200 votes to reclaim the seat of Bass.
Like Ms Crugnale, Ms Richards is also serving her second term in government, as the Member for Cranbourne, which had previously been held by Labor’s Jude Perera for 16 years before she was elected in 2018.
The South East MPs are indicative of a wider marker of change within the current State Government, which is made up of 54 per cent women and a cabinet comprising 64 per cent women.
“By investing in initiatives for women today, we create a more inclusive community for the women of tomorrow. Women’s voices belong in every room where decisions are made,” Ms Williams said.
“Representation matters, because it leads to different discussions, the canvassing of issues that have otherwise remained hidden. It leads to better outcomes, for all Victorians.”
The Victorian Government is leading the nation on gender equality reforms, with initiatives such as gender responsive budgeting, free pads and tampons in schools, the nation’s first Gender Equality Act, free kinder and free TAFE.
“Royal commissions into family violence and the mental health system have led to ground-breaking changes to improve our health, safety and wellbeing. And the inter-generational changes continue all around us,” Ms Vulin said.
But, as gender equity statistics remain jarring, the women recognise there is much to be done to achieve true equity for all women in Victoria.
Older women are the fastest growing group experiencing homelessness and women earn 87 cents to a man’s dollar, the group said in a statement.
“One in three Australian women have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and older women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal women are over represented in these figures,” they said.
“The work goes on to close the gap in our wages, to educate our courts and law makers, to increase to equal the prize money earned by female athletes, to recognise the economic value of the countless hours of unpaid work done by women every day.”
The group said it plans to use this International Women’s Day to “celebrate our successes and our endurance [and to] gather around the women we know and love, and commit to do better, together”.
“It is an honour to meet mothers, nurses, scientists, social workers, small business owners, laborers, students, and other incredible women in my electorate every day. I am celebrating every woman in my electorate this International Women’s Day,” Ms Williams said.
“Our community would be lost without you.”
International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on Wednesday 8 March, celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and marking a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
