Grace Tame lashes out at the different definitions of sexual consent in Australia during an impassioned speech for International Women’s Day – saying it is ‘yes or no’ only
- She made a powerful speech at Marie Claire’s International Women’s Day event
- Ms Tame, 26, has become a staunch advocate for victims of sexual assault
- The Tasmanian also encouraged other women to speak up about sexual assault
Australian of the Year Grace Tame has lashed out at Australia’s ‘varying’ definitions of sexual consent.
The 26-year-old made a powerful speech at Marie Claire’s International Women’s Day breakfast in Sydney on Monday.
Ms Tame, who has become an advocate for victims of sexual assault, was a 15-year-old schoolgirl battling anorexia when her high school maths teacher raped her on the classroom floor.
‘It’s consent which is absolute consent,’ she told the audience on Monday.
‘You can’t be a little bit pregnant as we know, you can’t be a little bit dead and you can’t be a little bit consenting. They’re yes or no.’
The 26-year-old made a powerful speech at Marie Claire’s International Women’s Day breakfast in Sydney on Monday
Last week Ms Tame hit out at Scott Morrison over his handling of parliament’s sexual assault crisis
‘When you have such ambiguity around a concept you can’t actually develop a proper understanding and therefore you can’t take it seriously,’ she said.
‘It undermines the ability to conform and actually approach things properly.’
The Tasmanian also encouraged other women to speak up about sexual assault and be catalysts for a change of culture.
‘I like to think of myself as a little domino,’ she said. ‘There’s a whole lot of dominoes waiting to be pushed over; just be that one domino.
‘Your tiny little contribution has enormous catalytic potential.’
Last week Ms Tame hit out at Scott Morrison over his handling of parliament’s sexual assault crisis.
Mr Morrison said he had discussed allegations Ms Higgins had been raped by a male colleague with his wife Jenny.
He said Jenny had asked him ‘what would you want to happen if it were our girls?’ – prompting him to tackle parliament’s sexual assault crisis head on.
Ms Tame, who has become an advocate for victims of assault, was a 15-year-old schoolgirl battling anorexia when her high school maths teacher raped her on the classroom floor
Last week Ms Tame hit out at Scott Morrison over his handling of parliament’s sexual assault crisis
Ms Tame said you don’t need to be a parent to have the capacity to empathise with sexual assault victims.
‘Having children doesn’t guarantee a conscience,’ she said in response to a question after her address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.
A reporter asked: ‘Do you think those words ring true now in the way he handled that?’
She responded: ‘Clearly not’.
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