Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Could the minister update us as to what has been happening with the Australia Network? Also, I refer the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the strategic direction statement in the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio, where it says:

Gender equality and women’s empowerment will be a key priority across the aid program. Australia will continue to take a lead role on gender equality and women’s empowerment in our aid program and advocacy, including through the Ambassador for Women and Girls.

This follows the minister's earlier remarks that she would place the issues facing women and girls at the heart of Australia's foreign policy. As the minister knows, I have been a very strong advocate for UN Women for some time now. Can the minister please provide advice on the steps the Australian government has taken to improve the conditions facing women and girls? And, specifically, can the minister detail what the government is doing to end sexual violence?

In a speech that I gave for International Women's Day last year I highlighted the level of physical and sexual violence in the Pacific. In 2008, 67 per cent of women in PNG reported having been beaten by their husbands, with 50 per cent of married women having experienced marital rape. In 2009 in the Solomon Islands, 64 per cent of women experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner. Anecdotal evidence from aid workers on the ground suggests that the true figure could be even higher. I know from the minister's time as Minister for Women's Issues under the Howard government and then as shadow minister for foreign affairs and trade that she is deeply concerned about physical and sexual violence confronting women.

Can I also ask the minister what the Australian government is doing to address the barriers that prevent women from participating in the formal economy? I am particularly interested to know what support the government has been giving to improve education and health outcomes for women and girls. I know that the minister's strong personal commitment is to provide scholarships for students in developing countries, as was highlighted in her statement—and I welcome her statement today. But I refer the minister to her comments at the ACFID Chairs and CEOs dinner late last year, where in her speech she stated:

I'm also keen to focus our aid scholarships on opportunities for young women and girls, an investment that can pay extraordinary dividends. An educated girl is a girl who has the tools to change not only her community but to change the world. Education and its long-term social and economic benefits will be an important part of our aid and soft-power diplomacy efforts and scholarships will be a signature policy.

Removing the barriers that prevent women's economic empowerment will promote sustainable economic growth in developing countries. It has been said that women in developing countries perform 66 per cent of the work, produce 50 per cent of the food, earn only 10 per cent of the income and own one per cent of the land. Can the minister outline the importance of women's economic empowerment to the Australian government, particularly the focus on economic development and their role in poverty reduction generally?

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