Culturally diverse women include independent Dai Le, who was born in Vietnam, along with Labor-based Michelle Ananda-Rajah, who has a Sri Lankan heritage, and Sally Sitou, who has a Chinese heritage.
Many of these victories were not easy. ANU research suggests that women are more likely to be shortlisted in marginal seats. In this election, only one in five Coalition and Labor candidates was selected to run in safe seats, which shows that women, and especially diverse women, tend to have the toughest struggle.
New Labor MP Sally Sitou. Credit: Brook Mitchell
Its success despite the odds shows that voters are resonating with candidates who offer something other than the rich, white status quo.
Representation in politics can inspire more diverse women to run. A recent report by Plan International Australia found that a third of culturally diverse young voters said they would never consider running for politics because of their cultural background and because Parliament is not diverse enough.
The powerful stories of the incoming parliamentarians help to show diverse women that they can and should raise their hands.
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Incoming MP Sally Sitou describes herself as the “daughter of Chinese migrant workers who fled Laos after the Vietnam War”. Dai Le will be the first federal deputy with a refugee background and recalls “being lying on that rickety ship in the middle of the ocean without knowing if our family will survive.”
These stories are not just stories. These are lived experiences that shape policies that work best for all of us.
Of course, women of color are not a monolithic bloc. Collectively they represent a great diversity of ethnicities, languages and histories. The progress made in this election is good, but there are still many communities that are not yet represented in politics.
In our next election, I want to see even more women of color who have the opportunity to run, alongside other communities that are not traditionally seen in our power halls. The holidays are over. In fact, doing so could even mean his political defeat.