Instead of giving careful thought to one of the most memorable speeches ever made in parliament, Member for Macalister Melissa McMahon selected one wise statement.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, she stated, “Although we consider the female experience to be universal, the truth is that each woman has a unique story, her own herstory.”

The sentence highlights the significance of realizing that each woman’s experience is distinct and that the support and encouragement they receive must take this into account, using the 2023 International Women’s Day theme of Embrace Equity.

Ms. McMahon stood in parliament nine months ago and told her colleagues about a terrifying incident that brought her to some very low places.

Bravely, she stated that she would make everyone listening extremely uncomfortable as justification for her exit.

Her personal account of sexual assault and a gloomy struggle with melancholy had left the audience in a state of profound contemplation.

Because we feel helpless when people we care about are sexually assaulted, she declared, “I will recover loudly so others don’t die quietly.”

The only thing that needs to be repeated from Ms. McMahon’s remarks is that she requested time to recuperate with her family nine months prior.

Sexual assault is a major topic of discussion on International Women’s Day tomorrow.

One in five women had experienced sexual assault or threats since the age of 15, according to data from the Queensland Sexual Assault Network.

According to the most recent poll, 4859 cases of sexual assault were reported in 2019, marking a rise for the eighth consecutive year, and one in two women reported having experienced sexual harassment.

75% of sexual assaults, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, go unreported.