ADJOURNMENT

Senator DARMANIN (Victoria—Deputy Government Whip in the Senate) (19:30): Young people across Australia are too often spoken about, spoken to, spoken down to or just spoken at. But this week I was very pleased to see many young leaders across Parliament House, many of whom have been advocating passionately and pertinently for their communities. The Work Exposure in Government program has this week brought over 50 First Nations students from years 10 to 12 to Canberra, including from Worawa Aboriginal College in my home state of Victoria.

There's also been the young Palestinian Australians who, likewise, have been with in parliament this week with the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network and the Australian foundation for youth. These young people are courageous and generous advocates for their community, especially in relation to rising anti-Palestinian racism they and their friends and families continue to experience at school, university and in the workplace.

They are a credit to our community, and it is a privilege to hear from them. This week is also Raise Our Voice in Parliament week, which gives young people the chance to be heard and have the parliament hear their vision for Australia's future. Charlotte, a 17-year-old from Victoria, has tackled an issue close to my heart—gendered violence—and I now have the honour of reading her words: Gendered violence is everywhere.

But when I said the word "violence" what was the first thing that goes inside your head? Physical abuse? Domestic control?

Possibly even rape. But what about the unseen side of gendered violence that contribute to our everyday lives. The joke your friends made at lunch, in the expectation that your mum will take your plate after dinner, the way you praise a woman for something but criticise when a man does it.

Gendered violence isn't just what makes headlines; it's what happens in the silence, in habit, in the spaces that we don't question. And until we confront the invisible roots, we'll never dismantle the consequences we've created. Conversational sexism is one of the most hidden forms of gendered violence, not because it's loud, but because its quiet.

It slips into our everyday speech, disguised as humour, tradition or "just the way things are". Phrases like "man up" or "don't be such a pussy" may seem harmless, but they carry wight. They are reinforcing the idea that masculinity is a synonym to strength, dominance and emotional detachment while femineity is weak, fragile and irrational.

These comments don't just reflect bias, they teach it. They condition us to accept inequality as normal and worse, laugh at it. Over a period of time, these messages can become internalised.

With girls as they learn to apologise for taking up space, that their authority isn't earned, and competition is the only way to get approval. As boys learn to supress vulnerability, act tough and emotionless. This quiet violence doesn't leave bruises; no, it leaves scars.

And hey I'm not saying every person who's made a sexist joke intends harms, but intention can't erase impact. The normalisation of these phrases wires us to more forms of gendered violence than we can comprehend. We are unintentionally creating a world where disrespect is tolerated, and if we truly want to see an end to gendered violence, we must start by challenging the language that keeps it alive, not just in the courtroom, but in the classroom, in group chats, and at the dinner table.

Our common speech has led to the end of lives and that is the violence. Thank you, Charlotte, for raising your voice. I also thank all the other young people in this place this week and those in our communities who inspire other young people to take up leadership roles and advocate for all young people in Australia.