Today I'll read a speech on behalf of Laila Gulled as part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign of 2024. Laila has responded to the question: what do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years, and what can parliament do to achieve it? Here are her words:

I'm 24 years old and live in the electorate of Cowan.

In ten years, I and many others, want to build an Australia where violence against women is a thing of the past, and where affirmative consent is established, not disregarded.

I want my community to be one where young people in Australia grow up with the understanding of mutual consent and respect.

A place where education around these issues is established, and where support systems for victims of violence are easily accessible and not bureaucratic.

Furthermore, I want our legal system to be reformed to prioritise the dignity of survivors, so they are not re-traumatised when they navigate the legal system.

To achieve this future, we need Parliament to act now in establishing federal affirmative consent laws like some other states have, invest more in education around healthy relationships and fund more support services for victims.

We need Parliament to ensure that no one, no man or woman, feels powerless or ignored regarding their safety and dignity.

Let's prioritise this and create a future where respect and consent are non-negotiable.

I thank Laila for her passion, vision and activism and for her contribution to this year's Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign.