As we've just heard, stalking is a traumatic experience for those who experience it and survive it. Often, the psychological impact is huge and can lead to depression, anxiety and stress. It's believed that around half of stalking survivors have difficulty with PTSD, stress, anxiety and being overly cautious.

Ultimately, the impact of stalking is to significantly limit the freedom of another individual, leaving them with the feeling that they have to be careful and cautious all of the time. Often, individuals who are stalked have to leave their homes and give up employment, school or college. In addition to this, stalking often happens over a long period of time, so the individual lives in constant anxiety and fear. On average, an individual will be stalked for a period of between six months and two years.

It's no surprise, bearing that in mind, that 94 per cent of stalking victims say that it impacts their mental health. Eighty per cent of stalking survivors experience symptoms consistent with PTSD as a result of being stalked. The pandemic and the stress emerging from it, with reduced access to mental health support, have exacerbated the impact of stalking on the mental health of survivors. We must ensure, therefore, that comprehensive and specialist services are available to stalking survivors and that the appropriate training is also available for police and professionals working in this area.

Stalking, like sexual harassment, impacts women far more than men. One in five women will have experienced stalking, which is a sign of the patriarchal society that we live in, where power lies with one half of the population at the expense of the other. Stalking, sexual harassment and the use of violence against women emerge from an inequality of power, which has been in place structurally and historically.

I believe that women of my generation have kept too quiet on this issue and have been too quiet for too long, although most of us will have suffered as a result of this during our lifetimes. So, it is time for us, as women of all ages, to say 'Enough is enough—no to stalking, no to sexual harassment, no to domestic violence and abuse.' It's time we stood together to draw attention to all inappropriate actions, including all stalking activity, and say 'No more' and do so with a united voice. More than that, we must insist that the agencies, the police and the courts do take stalking seriously. I think that that is the clear message that we're hearing from our national Parliament today.