Domestic violence and the gender pay gap were front and centre in Canberra today, but current and historic allegations of rape continue to haunt the government.

A federal campaign is urging Australians to call out bad behaviour towards women, yet, the recent example of federal Parliament is far from a worthy role model.

"We have all been shocked by the distressing revelations and allegations in recent weeks," Foreign Minister Marise Payne said today, on International Women's Day.

READ MORE: Parents of woman in historical rape claims support inquiry into her death

Allegations include a young staffer who claims she was raped by a senior colleague in 2019, and a 33-year historical claim of rape levelled against Attorney-General Christian Porter by a woman who has since died.

"It's been a particularly difficult time in the last few weeks," Labor spokesperson for women Tanya Plibersek said.

In the fallout, Mr Porter and the Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have taken leave.

"Who's looking after the country if these ministers stay off for an indefinite period?" Ms Plibersek said.

And on International Women's Day, the leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese showed no mercy for Ms Reynolds.

READ MORE: NSW Police release details of dealings with Christian Porter's accuser

During a press conference revealing Labor's proposed plans to introduce domestic violence leave and close the gender pay gap, Mr Albanese called for Ms Reynolds to quit over her handling of Brittany Higgins's alleged sexual assault.

Mr Albanese compared the embattled Senator's performance with that of former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate.

Senator Reynolds apologised last week after calling Ms Higgins a "lying cow" in front of other staff members after the rape allegations were made public.

Ms Holgate stood down over a scandal involving four luxury Cartier watches given to executives.

"My view is on that day (Senator Reynolds) should have resigned or been removed from her position and it stands in stark contrast to the actions of the Prime Minister when it came to Ms Holgate," Mr Albanese said.

READ MORE: Brittany Higgins makes formal complaint to police

"Quite frankly, $20,000 of watches was an inappropriate expenditure, in my view, but the idea that that required, when the Prime Minister stood up in Question Time and essentially almost dismissed her on the spot, said she could go, the anger there, I find incongruous compared with the statement with regard to Linda Reynolds."

In a statement released today, Senator Reynolds confirmed her medical leave had been extended until April 2.

"Senator Reynolds has advised Prime Minister Scott Morrison of her doctor's assessment and will continue to consult with the Prime Minister as required," the senator's statement read.

Senator Reynolds hasn't appeared in Parliament since February 24, when she was admitted to a Canberra hospital because of a pre-existing heart problem.

In the lead-up to her hospitalisation, the Senator faced intense scrutiny over her knowledge and actions surrounding the alleged rape of her former staffer Brittany Higgins in her office in March 2019.

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A group of Northern Territory tourists caught an epic spectacle on camera when they came across two saltwater crocodiles locked in battle.

The heavyweight fight took place over the weekend in Crocodylus Park, a wildlife park in Berrimah in Darwin's east.

READ MORE: Monster crocodile caught in Darwin Harbour

The tourists were travelling on one of the park's waterways in a riverboat when they caught sight of the two big beasts going toe-to-toe.

Exclamations can be heard as the crocs entangle, with one grabbing another by the tail as it tried to climb up onto the bank before dragging it back into the water.

The crocodiles also try to catch each other in a death roll, thrashing near the boat as the operator uses an oar to prod them away.

Crocodylus Park, which opened in 1994, is dedicated to the conservation of both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.

 

"Ten years ago, I was working in kitchens. I was casual. I am a single woman with no super because of my age and I left a relationship that was dysfunctional, and I was homeless."

Fiona is 62 now, and living in stable accommodation in Sydney, but that was not always the case.

She's from the largest growing group of homeless people in NSW – women over 55.

READ MORE: Pandemic to lead to sharp spike in homelessness in NSW

Between 2006 and 2016 the number of women experiencing homelessness in the state increased by 75 per cent and continues to grow. There are more than 15,000 homeless women in NSW.

The pandemic has exacerbated the issue further with experts likening the situation to a ticking timebomb.

Homelessness is not just sleeping rough. It could mean living in unsuitable or unsafe temporary accommodation, staying with friends, or finding shelter at a refuge.

"We saw a lot of that through COVID – the sad reality is that women were placed in places that weren't really suitable to their needs," Monique Wiseman from Homelessness NSW told Nine.com.au.

Dr Jane Bullen, social researcher and Women's Electoral Lobby agreed, saying "perhaps men's homelessness is a little bit more visible on the street."

"We know there will be a cohort of women whose financial situation will be impacted in a longer-term way."

"A lot of women my age with different experiences would be facing the same crisis that is now like a tsunami," Fiona said.

Ten years on

A decade ago, Fiona found herself living in an illegally-built shed in someone's backyard, isolated and just trying to survive "day to day".

"(In) Sydney I couldn't afford to rent a property; I couldn't compete as a single woman with causal work," she told Nine.com.au.

"Whilst I was living in the shed every night I went to the library after work, and when the library shut, I would walk back to the shed and that was my life."

Fiona now does her best to give back to her own community and said the wide-ranging issues that stem from homelessness reach far beyond not having a safe space to live.

"I would not be telling the truth if I didn't say living from day to day there's not a low-lying depression that lies beside you. It's like your shadow in some ways

"One cannot go through homelessness without being affected by depression, your self-esteem is gone, the shame, you don't want to tell anyone you're in this position," she said.

A bed is not always a safe space

Fiona believes moving into a house that was safe and secure was a turning point in her journey.

"I was very, very lucky that Women's Housing had a vacancy and that they absorbed where I had come from, they listened," she said.

"Every day for the last 10 years, every time I open that door my gratitude goes to Women's Housing.

"It's sort of like an awakening, of realising I've got so much potential, and that potential because I got this permanent housing meant I could eat properly, I had a bedroom to sleep in."

UNSEEN

Today, on International Women's Day, a new project called UNSEEN launches to try and bring stories like these into the light.

It consists of a series of installations around Sydney's Circular Quay and Martin Place and some of the pieces will be exhibited later this year at Government House.

Fiona's photograph, along with those of other women who have experienced homelessness, will be printed onto the windows of a chrome car in Circular Quay for the first piece.

Belinda Mason, the lead photographer at Blur Projects, produces multi-media exhibitions that centre on people facing discrimination of many forms.

"I have worked on all different types of topics, generally taboo topics where people don't really want to talk about them," she told Nine.com.au.

Ms Mason spoke to all the women individually before taking their photographs and made sure they knew they were able to tell their stories on their own terms.

"It's important to tell these stories so there is not a normalisation of problems.

"I think because when we look for news ourselves, we get to choose, the algorithms help us make those choices and keep those choices.

"We're not really exposed to things we're not accustomed to.

"It's a very, very good way of letting the public know they can be a part of the solution."

Ms Wiseman, who has worked in the sector for many years, said more visibility was essential.

"(The project will) highlight the ongoing needs for more social housing, which is incredibly important to bring down that number across the state and across Australia."

UNSEEN launches today, March 8, 2021 and with ongoing exhibitions throughout the year. To find out more, visit the website.

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