Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Solomon for her support of the Australian Government's commitment to promoting opportunities for women and girls and for her question. I know that she has worked very hard to support women and girls in her electorate of Solomon and in the Northern Territory. As she rightly notes, the government's new aid paradigm reflects our strong commitment to empowering women and girls in our region. That is why we have prioritised initiatives that enhance women's voices in decision-making, leadership and peace-building initiatives; promoting women's economic empowerment; and, importantly, ending violence against women and girls in our region. Gender equality contributes to growth, development and stability. When women are able to actively participate in the economy and in community decision making, everybody benefits. So gender equality is one of the six investment priorities of the aid program.

In the 2015-16 budget I established a $50 million competitive gender equality fund. This is the first time this has been done. The fund will support initiatives that advance gender equality and foster innovative work by private sector and non-government organisations, particularly women's organisations. The fund will continue Australia's contributions to influential global initiatives such as the United Nations' work to end violence against women. It will also preserve important initiatives such as Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development. That initiative supports improved political, economic and social opportunities for women across 14 Pacific island countries. But initiatives supported under the gender equality fund will complement gender activities currently funded through country and regional programs.

We know that a strong private sector delivers higher growth and more jobs and will reduce poverty. So if we can find a private sector solution available that is efficient and effective we will embrace it. I have announced a new $15 million partnership with the World Bank to enhance women's economic empowerment in South-East Asia over the next four years. We will work with the World Bank and the private sector to support women entrepreneurs to access financial services and build their business skills. This partnership will see us work with large companies to improve employment opportunities for women, improve their workplace policies and increase the use of services provided by women entrepreneurs in their supply chains. I know that the member for Lindsay and the member for Solomon understand the skills required for women entrepreneurs. This investment will improve knowledge of the ways to increase women's economic opportunities and apply those lessons to the design of programs. We are going to do it through a South-East Asian gender lab, which will undertake data collection, analysis and evaluation of the impact that programs will have.

Australia's investment in women's empowerment through practical programs supports our international commitments, including at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Last month in Pakistan I announced a skills training program for marginalised women and girls. The program will support 5,000 women and girls in remote areas to develop skills suitable to the local job market and to access finance to establish small businesses—because, as we know, in Australia and elsewhere small business is the driver of economies. In the Pacific, Australia and Papua New Guinea have agreed to a five-year plan to promote gender equality. I know that the member for Solomon is particularly interested in our initiatives with our close friend and neighbour PNG. The plan, delivered through an Australia-Pacific women's development initiative, will focus on creating leadership and economic opportunities for women. It will coordinate the efforts of government, the private sector, NGOs and community groups to pilot new and innovative approaches to help prevent violence. These are just two examples of how the Australian Government is providing practical support to women and girls in developing countries and therefore driving economic growth, which provides job opportunities and sustainable communities.

Question agreed to.

See this speech in context