History has been made. The women in parliament right now (58), make up more than a third of the women ever elected to parliament in TOTAL since federation (153).
During the first sitting of the 47th parliament, we’ve watched as this diverse and fascinating group of women delivered their maiden speeches.
So what have we learnt from studying these incredible new members of the Australian parliament?
Well, first: the Australian Parliament House website is bloody excellent for searching and extracting video. Highly recommend.
But for real.
1. There are an infinite number of ways to tell your story. And yes, everyone has one no matter how much you think you don’t. There’s no definitive guide to what will work every time – just do what feels right.
2. Sharing who you are and what makes you tick, is an act of courage that builds connection. By being vulnerable – within the limits of what’s safe for you – you’re sending the bat signal to your people.
3. Using your voice and body is an effective way to emphasise what’s important. If it was just about the words, we’d be satisfied with monotonous monologues and endless powerpoint presentations. We’re not. Get engaging.
4. No matter your occupation, a great speech is within you. None of these people are speechwriters – okay one is a journalist – but the vast majority of these women are doctors, educators, lawyers, community services workers, architects, creatives, Mums. If they can do it under the spotlight of the Australian federal parliament, you can too.
5. We’re so freaking lucky to have this brilliant level of talent in our federal parliament. These are women with vast experiences – many of whom weren’t expected to win – and here they are. That’s bloody cool.
To learn more about these individual women and what their speeches taught us simply follow the links below and you’ll get a more comprehensive breakdown, including a video snippet of their actual speech.
- Sally Sitou
- Zaneta Mascarenhas
- Zoe Daniel
- Elizabeth Watson-Brown
- Dr Michelle Ananda Rajah
- Kate Chaney
- Louise Miller-Frost
- Marion Scrymgour
- Dr Monique Ryan
- Fatima Payman
- Allegra Spender
- Dr Sophie Scamps
- Kylea Tink
- Penny Allman-Payne
- Barbara Pocock
- Tracey Roberts
- Jana Stewart
Tell me what you learnt from these amazing women!
PS There are more learnings in my free guide to ovation-worthy speeches.
