Girls takeover Federal Parliament

21 Jul 2020
Girls1

Posted October 19, 2017

Rebekha Sharkie, the Federal Member for Mayo, and her three Nick Xenophon Team colleagues in the Senate joined a global movement for girls leadership this week.

Photograph: Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie with the four Plan International Australia 'Girls Takeover Parliament' participants hosted by the Nick Xenophon Team - Georgia Eccles, left, Ella Gillespie, Sarah Tonkins and Asha Clementi.

Across the world, more than a thousand girls and young women were promoted to positions of power on October 18.

In Australia 17 young women stepped into the shoes of Members of Parliament.

The takeover was organised by Plan International Australia in celebration of International Day of the Girl and in support of women in politics.

"My office was taken over by Asha Clementi, an 18-year-old high school student from Canberra, who is passionate about politics and empowering young women," Rebekha said.

The Plan International She can lead report, released this week, found that 0.003 per cent of young women—just one in 297—aspire to be politicians.

"This is truly unacceptable. Women need to be encouraged to go into politics and taught that they have a right to be in this place and on the front bench.

"Nearly half of the young women surveyed felt there were not enough opportunities for them to become politicians, and one in three young women felt that gender was a barrier to them.

"I encourage every MP to support young women's political aspirations and encourage their participation in democracy.

"I would like to thank Asha for writing my speech in Parliament on the Girls Takeover Parliament event."

In the words of Hillary Clinton:

… to all the little girls who are watching this: never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.

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