EMILY’S List and the Progress of Women in Public Life

Monday 17 August 2026

I rise today to speak about EMILY'S List. EMILY'S List has played a critically important role in strengthening women's representation and advancing gender equality in Australia. In the early 1990s, it became clear to many progressive women that structural change was needed to ensure there were opportunities for women to become political candidates and elected representatives. At that time, after almost a century of suffrage in Australia, women's participation in parliaments across the nation was barely over single figures, with women making up just 14 per cent of elected representatives.

Established in Australia in 1996, EMILY'S List was created to provide women with the support needed to even the playing field for women aspiring to political life. This year, EMILY'S List celebrates its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of campaigning for greater representation and policy change focused on promoting the rights of women. The impact of EMILY'S List can be measured by its record. EMILY'S List has supported 651 Labor women in their political campaigns, with 315 elected to parliament. These women have made a significant contribution to Australian political life. Our parliaments would not be as strong without them. I recognise the determination of generations of women who have challenged barriers and helped make Australian political life more representative.

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