Tragically, three of these women will die within five years.

These are our mothers, our aunties, our sisters, our cousins and our dear friends.

Ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate of any women's cancer. Yet, there is no reliable screening test to aid detection and prevention.

With this in mind, it's hard to reconcile that the statistics have not budged in over 20 years.

Last year I became a parliamentary ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Australia, and I've been flying that flag with pride and determination.

This week in parliament, several parliamentarians spoke to a motion about ovarian cancer with passion and devastation about how ovarian cancer had affected them.

On Monday night I hosted a "Women of the Press Gallery" event to encourage women in media to shine a spotlight on this disease, and the following day hundreds of people gathered for the teal ribbon breakfast to meet some of the brave women who have ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Australia was founded by people directly affected by ovarian cancer who wanted to raise awareness of the disease and support those who had been affected.

Over time, Ovarian Cancer Australia has become a leading national body taking action for Australians impacted by ovarian cancer.

As a proud member of this organisation, our vision is to save lives and ensure no woman with ovarian cancer walks alone.

Any life that is taken by ovarian cancer is one too many.

That includes the life of my dear friend Jill Emberson who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in December last year.

Jill and I had known each other since she first arrived in Newcastle over ten years ago. She was a radio broadcaster, and so was I.

Jill did an amazing job of being an ambassador for ovarian cancer.

Last year, the federal government announced $20 million for ovarian cancer research, which the Minister for Health credited to Jill's advocacy on this cause. But this is not enough.

The announcement was later revealed to be $4 million over five years with no further commitment and advocates are working tirelessly to sustain this funding.

Good, strong, beautiful women like Jill are dying at a rapid rate. We must take a stand to change these statistics.

Early detection is vital. If you are a woman, educate yourself on how to identify the symptoms and what to do about them.

These symptoms include:

These symptoms may sound familiar, but if they occur persistently or become troublesome for you or someone you know, please you should see your doctor.

If you'd like more information on ovarian cancer or support, go to ovariancancer.net.au.