Speech delivered on 20 November 2025, at Australian Parliament House, Canberra.

I’d like to begin by thanking Selena Walker. Selena always speaks on behalf of the Ngunnawal Elders here in Canberra. She leaves us not just feeling welcomed, but thinking and reflecting. She welcomes us with great warmth, reminding us of the work still to be done — and that responsibility lies with all of us.

In acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, their Elders past and present, and those with a long connection to this land, I also want to express my deepest respect to the First Nations owners of this land.

Thank you for inviting me back this year. This was one of the first big events I attended shortly after becoming the Governor-General last year. It was such an energizing and uplifting experience then, and it’s wonderful to be back. I can feel the momentum. These new initiatives show that what you’re doing here is creating real change and contributing to the solutions we’ve long been seeking — especially for those promoting and supporting young women and women’s entrepreneurship.

I’d also like to acknowledge His Excellency Mr Chatoulong Bouasisavath, the Ambassador for Laos, and extend a warm welcome to the representatives from the Embassy of Vietnam.

I want to share a special story from my recent trip to Vietnam. It was an official state visit, and the ambassador asked if he could present me with a small gift to take with me. He, his wife, and the team at the embassy created a traditional áo dài — the Vietnamese national dress — designed by the ambassador’s wife. It was royal blue with a wattle design and the Southern Cross stars on the sleeve. I’m very honoured to wear it, and I was proud to wear it to a state dinner hosted by President Luong Cuong. It was received very warmly—not just the áo dài itself, but the Australian motifs it carried and the fact that it had been designed by the ambassador’s wife.

We also have representatives here today from the Chinese Embassy—Shu Hu and Yini Yang. It’s wonderful to have you with us. Christine Pope, the COSBOA Director, and your team—thank you. I now have a close-up view of small businesses and social enterprises across the country, and I know how much COSBOA and small business contribute to the vibrancy of Australian life.
I want to acknowledge our esteemed judges. You’ve met one of them, Alex Sherman. Alex, I always love being in a room with you and your family. The launch of Carla as our AI mentor is splendid—it makes so much sense. As you and I were saying, she’s got her sunglasses on in the caricature, which is classic Carla. She would have loved this. These are the kinds of things she was always working toward—building for women, with women. She was always offering advice, often stepping in when people were too frightened to ask someone of her stature for help. But she never relied on that stature. It was always about helping others.
She was a great mentor of mine before she became a dear friend. I wear her designs often. In fact, there’s a photo of me in a Carla velvet suit with a Bianca Spender top underneath. Alex mentioned Carla’s journey to Australia as part of an economic migrant story. She was determined to overcome that beginning, and her entrepreneurial skill—her ability to turn that start into something so valuable for this country—is almost unparalleled. She always described herself as an entrepreneur who began here as an economic migrant. She never forgot migrant women and was a patron for many years of The Social Outfit, which Bianca Spender now leads as ambassador and patron. That organisation continues to work with migrant women to build skills and entrepreneurial capacity as they enter the fashion industry in Australia. Carla left an incredible legacy, and Alex, you and your family continue that legacy beautifully. It’s wonderful to see it reflected in today’s event.

Tess McCormack from the Commonwealth Bank—thank you. The Commonwealth Bank has long supported these programs and women’s entrepreneurship. Alana Vincent from American Express—again, such an important brand supporting women and communities. Anne-Marie Perret, as an investor, thank you. These are moments of personal commitment—philanthropic efforts, yes, but also investments. And Hala Batainah, thank you for your role as a judge and for your work with the Canberra Innovation Network.

Alex, Tess, Alana, Anne-Marie and Hala had a very difficult job reading through all the finalists. I don’t know how you reached your decisions, but I’m sure the discussions were rich and rewarding.

I want to acknowledge Alison Hoyer, Clancie Hall and Bethany Jory from the Office for Women—such important contributors to the system, and they supported me during my time on the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce. That work feeds directly into what we see here today. Thank you also to the team at 89 Degrees East, who are indefatigable and have brought us together today.

A special welcome to the students here today, especially those from Jerrabomberra High School and Canberra Girls Grammar. I remember being new, sitting in these halls, visiting Parliament House. I’m the second woman to be Governor-General and the first Canberra-born one. I did my high school and university here. I used to visit Government House, Parliament House, wander around Canberra just as you are now. But you’re coming into a world where opportunities for women are unparalleled. It’s wonderful to see you here.

As someone with a background in business and a lifelong focus on gender equity, I’m delighted to be here again to support the Accelerator for Enterprising Women and the Academy for Enterprising Girls Kickstarter Challenge. I want to congratulate every young woman who participated in the program, and especially the 2025 finalists: Storm, Lindy, Shahara, Cordelia, Lisa and Lianne. Simply becoming a finalist is an astonishing achievement. Congratulations—you are all winners already. You were selected from nearly 415 applicants at the start of the challenge. That’s a huge pool of talent, and your journey to this point is remarkable.
As Alex said, it’s always about the journey. You’ve shown passion, determination and potential, and now you’re at the grand final, making your final pitches. Don’t be nervous. You have one of the most supportive audiences imaginable. You are already leaders and changemakers in your fields. You are role models.

What stood out in all your work was the ethic of care embedded in your businesses. When I was sworn in as Governor-General 16 months ago, I promised to put care, kindness and respect at the centre of everything I do—care for each other, for those who care for others, for our continent and its environment, for our civic institutions, and for how we discuss and debate the tough issues of our time without rancour, anger, judgment or violence.

Over these 16 months, I’ve had the extraordinary opportunity to witness the power of care, kindness and respect intersecting with modernity, visibility and optimism—the three words the Prime Minister used when he asked me to take on this role. I believe our nation’s strength lies in these intersections. I’ve seen the progress we can make when we come together, when everyone is welcome, when we support and amplify care and entrepreneurial spirit.

That’s what today’s projects do. Storm’s accessible makeup tools show care for people with disabilities. Lindy’s AI analyst helps businesses prioritise sustainability and care for the environment. Cordelia’s AI platform gives young athletes access to professional-level insights. Lisa and Lianne are showing care for teachers—their wellbeing and confidence. Shahara’s app supports families with young children, making life and play easier while connecting them to community.

All of the finalists are also helping to address the persistent gender gap in the startup world. You’ve heard the numbers: only one in five startups in Australia are founded by women. All-women founding teams received just 4% of startup funding in 2023—and only 2% in 2024. That’s a step backwards. But the people in this room are here to change that.

Recent research estimates we could add $135 billion to our economy if women entrepreneurs matched men in number. That’s a prize worth pursuing.

Alex, thank you—and thank you to Nicola Forrest. Your investment in Scale Investors puts you at the vanguard of what it means to be an investor who backs women. Scale Investors does exactly that. We need many more like it. But with Enterprising Men, Enterprising Girls, Enterprising Women and the Kickstarter Challenge, we’re on our way. I hope we’ll see these efforts scale even further.

Of course, reaching that goal is everyone’s work—not just those I’ve mentioned. Everyone in this room can play a part. Everyone who engages with Enterprising Women plays a part. We all need to do better to ensure our country is strong and that everyone is seen—especially enterprising, entrepreneurial women and the funding they need to get started.

I believe we’ll reach that goal—hopefully sooner than the data suggests. Thank you to everyone in this room for all you do to achieve gender balance. Fleur, to you and your team, and to everyone involved in this project—the talent, energy, time and dedication that brought us here today is truly remarkable. Now we get a front-row seat to some of the most promising ideas that will shape the next chapter of Australia’s future—one where we are all equal.

Thanks for having me back, Fleur. I’m going to make a bold offer: I’ll come back every year.

Tell your Enterprising Girl of the Year that I’ll take her story and mention it to the King—because he joined us shortly after the event. I did exactly that, as her project was about agriculture and soil. It was such a joy to pass on something from here to King Charles, and that’s what I’ll continue to do: take the stories from this room—every time I’m here—all of them, from the finalists and everyone we’ve met today, and carry them across the country. Because they matter.

Now, I think it’s time we got on with the job of hearing from the finalists. Thank you for having me here. Congratulations to all the finalists, and thank you for everything you’re doing to ensure that enterprising girls and enterprising women are at the core of the future of our great, successful nation.