There are decisive moments in life that are welcome at the time, yet their true consequence is often not well understood until years later.
At 30 years old I had my first child.
My husband and I, who were then both police officers, had tried so long to have a family.
We were so proud and happy when our little girl arrived with the help of IVF.
She was so perfect.
Some of you may remember those early days of your first newborn.
There's a feeling of apprehension, maybe some anxiety, all of which can be compounded by a lack of sleep.
But I also remember my heart feeling so full of love that it feels like your heart could burst.
Yet with all the joys of motherhood, there's also the many practicalities.
Like the practicalities of breast feeding.
When my little girl was four weeks old and I was on maternity leave, I was invited to Woden Police Station to interview for a promotion to Sergeant, and I was keen to get through that round.
So I said to my husband the night before, "You've got to come with me because I'll need to breastfeed just before I go into the interview otherwise I won't be to fit into my police tunic!".
So, there I was feeding my little one in the car park of Woden Police Station with minutes to spare just before my interview - and in that moment I remember looking at my daughter thinking, "please don't bring up anything on my uniform!"
The good news was my uniform remained intact, I managed to button up my tunic, although it was still a bit snug, and more importantly, I was found suitable for the Sergeant's merit list.
It meant when I returned to work after my maternity leave, I could be promoted when a position became available at ACT Policing.
So that was great.
But a bit of disappointment lingered.
Because returning to work part-time after 12 months of maternity leave meant I was likely returning to a policy area, which is where I had transitioned to while I was pregnant.
But I didn't want a desk job.
I loved being a general duties police officer and I loved being on the road.
And then there was a moment in my life, that decisive moment, that probably helped set the course of my career.
At the time, then-Superintendent Lesa Gale - who you heard from earlier today as Deputy Commissioner Gale - found out through the policing grapevine that I was scheduled to go back to a policy role.
She rang me to ask if I was willing to trial something that had not been done before in ACT Policing.
And that was working part time as a frontline patrol sergeant and doing the shifts that suited my new family.
I jumped at the opportunity.
Who knows whether I would be standing here today as Commissioner if I didn't get the chance to go back to frontline policing so soon.
That progressive kindness from one woman to another, is something I will never forget.
However, it is important to note that over my career, I have had so much support from women and men.
And while I know how important it is to have formal programs, courses and opportunities for female advancement, I also believe women - and men - need to have an informal honour system of paying it forward when someone has invested in their career.
And that brings me to an ask I have for all of you in the audience.
Because I do love to set a challenge.
Is there something you could do for your female workforce, like Lesa Gale did for me all those years ago?
And I don't mean the same in a literal sense.
Can you take the time to understand where women are at in their lives and then identify an opportunity for them.
At times, leaders and bosses will balk at offering opportunities because they think they are too small or not of consequence.
Yet, sometimes the smallest change or opportunity is just what is needed to enable the bigger steps later.
The theme of this year's International Women's Day is Balance the Scales.
I see this theme through several prisms, including having the right people in the right roles to deliver for the country, our region and the world.
Currently, 45 per cent of our senior executive are women.
And just to give an example, two of our Deputy Commissioners are women, our Chief Operating Officer is a woman, our Chief Counsel is a woman, my Chief-of-Staff is a woman and our Principal Forensic Scientist is a woman.
That is a lot of boss ladies!
However, for me, Balancing the Scales is more than numbers and statistics.
Balancing the Scales is the heart of my Commissionership and is echoed in the five priorities I announced when I was appointed in October last year.
And they are:
Future proofing our workforce;
Investing in technology and capability;
Defending Australia's domestic security and our region;
Supercharging global operations, and
Protecting vulnerable communities.
These are the foundations for my vision and mission to ensure the AFP is the best, fairest and smartest police force to work for in the world, as well as being enterprising and determined to keep Australia, our region and the world safe.
Our globalised and interconnected world requires a new posture for the AFP.
Many offenders who are targeting Australians are doing it from another country.
So, to better protect Australians, including our most vulnerable at home, we must stop crime in the country it originates in. We need to supercharge our global operations.
This is one reason why we are posted in more than 30 countries.
Sandbagging Australia and ringfencing our region is among Australia's first line of defence, especially given the constant strategic contest we face.
The rules-based order is being tested. Spheres of influence are changing. And the strategic fitness of allies is being challenged by states that are becoming more aggressive.
For all these reasons, I have shifted the AFP's mission statement to defending and protecting Australia and Australia's future from domestic and global security threats.
The AFP is a national security agency, and it requires us to protect Australia's sovereignty and future prosperity.
This extends to safeguarding the welfare of our next generation, which is extremely vulnerable to technology, misinformation and radicalisation.
Some of these new and emerging crimes are big, wicked problems that require a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response.
It is the same for some crimes that are as old as time and yet still disproportionately impact on women and girls.
It is a sad reality that in Australia in 2026, young girls are forced to marry against their will. Some are just in the early years of high school.
And it is almost unbelievable that in Australia we have saved women who could only be described as slaves.
On average, we receive at least one report every day about human trafficking, which includes forced marriage, sexual servitude and exit trafficking, often where wives are tricked, coerced or forced to return to their country of origin because they are no longer wanted.
As part of the AFP's commitment to combatting human trafficking and slavery offences in Australia, we have developed a training and awareness program, called "Look-a-Little-Deeper", which has been designed to help state and territory police and Commonwealth agencies to recognise signs of human trafficking and slavery-type offences in the community.
In our region, a high number of serious and life-changing crimes are committed against women and girls.
And it is an obscene fact that too many Australian perpetrators are responsible for some of these offences.
It would be naïve to think that an Australian perpetrator who offends against victims in another country is not a risk when they return home.
In the Philippines and other parts of South East Asia, the AFP works closely with local law enforcement and other key partners to save children from the most confronting sexual exploitation.
I don't think it would be a surprise to reveal that most of the children we help remove from serious and extended exploitation are girls.
Some are so young that they are still in nappies.
It is often confronting for people to hear how young victims can be, but we must be forthright about who the victims are, otherwise how will governments, community and law enforcement know who needs our protection - especially those without a voice?
Last year, the AFP designed a picture book in language for pupils in the Philippines aged 5 to 8 years old, to educate them about online sexual abuse and exploitation. The digital publication will be distributed to more than 57,000 primary schools across the Philippines.
We should never think it is enough to advocate for the equality and safety of women and girls in Australia.
To truly empower women, we need to have more ambition and be bold. We must do all that we can for women and girls across the world.
Because the moment is now.
It does appear that we are living through a decade of reckoning, where corrupted money and power is being weakened by empowered women across the globe who have found their voices.
Many were just girls when they were victimised.
As women, their demands for justice and the truth are reverberating through lost decades, enlivening others to speak up for the first time.
And many good men and women are listening.
Just like many are watching.
In the AFP, among those watching are our victim identification experts, who are faced with the gruesome task of viewing children being sexually exploited so they can be saved.
They are among the most passionate members within our agency and many searching for the monsters are women and mothers.
Under my Commissionership, I will ensure the AFP can see the victims who feel like they are invisible.
I will do this by ensuring we have the best legislation, technology and capability.
And I will ensure the AFP gives a voice to those who feel like they do not deserve it.
I will do this by ensuring we invest in cultural awareness.
I understand that parts of my remarks may cause some of you to think that the challenges and threats facing women and girls are much bigger than you thought.
But I don't want anyone to walk away thinking about women as only victims.
Because that is not the case.
It is important that we recognise that women have always been great protectors.
As a case in point, I want to introduce you to Ashley and Teresa, members from our close personal protection team.
They are two smart, strong and dedicated women - whose job often includes protecting our democracy, our sovereignty, and depending on the day, men who hold high office or diplomatic positions.
Ashley and Teresa, I want to thank you for what you do for your country.
You make me proud. What you do is another example that women can do any job.
And in another example of female empowerment, last Friday, the AFP held a leadership day for our senior executive.
Several speakers were invited to share their national security experience, foresight and observations.
They included Home Affairs Secretary Stephanie Foster, DFAT Secretary Jan Adams, National Intelligence Director-General Kathy Klugman and Australian Secret Intelligence Service Deputy Director-General Catherine Burn.
There is much to be done for women and girls, but it is important for those who feel powerless and unseen, to know that there are many powerful women who are vigilant and devoted to justice.
I will be bold and ambitious in how I do this every day - because there is not one minute to waste.
Often, I am reminded by the places that I visit that a woman is a symbol of justice.
Lady Justice gives us fairness, accountability and hope.
These virtues are a driving force for the AFP.
Justice should never be elusive because someone is born a girl, or because of their religion or their ethnicity.
Equally, women should not just have a seat at the table to argue for safety or equality - they should have a seat at the bench as a determiner of justice.
I have a role in making this happen.
And I will do this by helping more women around the world wear the blue uniform.
Today, I want to pay tribute to the work of our members in South East Asia and the Pacific who are doing just that.
They are teaching, uplifting and supporting more women in those countries to become police officers.
This is one of the best ways to drive fairness and equity, as well as ensuring women are respected in society.
We are focussed on doing this in Australia too, where we need more First Nations and CALD communities to join the ranks of all police forces.
We have a lot more work to do in the AFP, and I am committed to doing better so we look more like the community we protect.
I would like to close on a positive note - because events like these are meant to be celebratory.
Today, as I reflect on the female trailblazers of the past and the ones standing beside us, I'm choosing to take the win given how much ground has been made. I know what's possible. I know it can be achieved.
Because like many of you here today, you think about the world our children will inherit from us.
And for my daughter and my son, there's no other option than to be what they need to see.
Thank you.
