'It's enraging': Wollongong victim-survivor's powerful words heard by parliament

Helena Fox's statement, commissioned by the Illawarra Women's Health Centre, were read in NSW parliament by Shellharbour MP Anna Watson.

Ms Watson used her private member's statement on Wednesday to speak about the crisis of domestic and family violence across the Illawarra and the country before delivering Ms Fox's statement.

In her statement - which is published in full below - Ms Fox asked when women would be listened to, when real action would be taken in response.

She spoke of the endless "Me too" stories, and the exhaustion and terror - and rage - that stemmed from the ongoing violence inflicted against a group that made up half the population, but how women's anger was used against them.

"Our anger isn't the problem; the violence against us is," Ms Fox's statement said.

Ms Watson said there was more work to be done to stop men's violence against women, and she would "continue to fight for all survivors of family and domestic violence".

Helena Fox's statement, read by Ms Watson in parliament, is below in full:

"In case it wasn't already obvious, recent events have made the truth abundantly clear: we are in an enormous epidemic of gendered violence against women. From the individual stories of women dying at the hands of men, to the overwhelming evidence that women continue to be targets of male violence and entitlement, the details and statistics are horrifying.

Again, as always, those in power are saying shocked things. More must be done, say the spokespeople. People are calling for yet another review, but what is going to change? Half our population is female. When do women get to have their voices heard - not placated, dismissed, or forgotten, but truly listened to, and real action taken in response?

Gendered violence against women is seeded into our society. We are taught we are vulnerable and need to be vigilant, right from childhood. Women are being killed, assaulted, abused, coerced, threatened, disrespected, gaslit, belittled, undermined, disbelieved, and diminished, every day. Millions and millions of us.

When women talk to each other, there are endless stories of "Me Too"- or my sister, my friend, my mother, my client, my patient, my daughter too. I, too, carry a Me Too story.

It is exhausting. Traumatising. Terrifying. Overwhelming.

Most importantly, it's enraging.

We have a right to feel angry about this, and not have that anger weaponised against us. For years, traumatised women have been shamed and punished for their rage, labelled as hysterical, crazy, unstable, unreliable, and even abusive when they demand safety and body autonomy, and speak out about harm being done to them.

But women shouldn't have to stay quiet and pleasant in order to have our bodies and boundaries respected. We shouldn't have to monitor our emotions, or apologise for being angry, or think of ourselves as helpless or out of control when we feel rage.

Our anger isn't the problem; the violence against us is.

Our anger is informed. It comes from a place of knowing. Our rage is a reasonable response to the violence being perpetrated against us.

Women, from all communities and backgrounds, deserve to express their rage loudly, quietly, calmly, strongly, in every corner of their lives - and be safe doing so. We deserve to step into our rage, embrace it, and hold it up as an empowering light to see by.

Our rage is bone (and centuries) deep. Collectively, let us all use the clean, clear light of it to demand the safety and freedom we all deserve."