Speech: Fighting Gender Discrimination In Our Society

8 March 2019

Wera Hobhouse delivered a passionate speech in parliament, vowing to fight the gender discrimination that's still rife in our society.

Wera said: "In the arena of business, despite long-standing efforts to shift deeply entrenched attitudes, systems and practices, recent research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) showed that as many as 85 percent of women and 80 percent of men say they have seen discriminatory behaviour in a professional environment."

"The same research said 75 percent of senior managers believe their peers are not 'actively and visibly championing gender initiatives'. While the gender pay gap has narrowed, women in this country are still being paid less than men."

"I call upon everyone in this House, men and women, to join me in committing to fight gender discrimination wherever we find it. I want every woman in our society to feel that they can realise all of their potential and be fully respected."

"We will not be underestimated."