Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I join with my colleagues on this side of the House and thank the member for Griffith for bringing this motion forward, as we approach the 105th annual observance of International Women's Day on 8 March. In particular, I note paragraph 3 of the motion, which acknowledges that there is still so much more work to be done:

… in advancing the political and economic welfare of women at home and across the world.

It is the last part of the statement which I wish to address—women across the world—and, more specifically, the women in neighbouring countries in the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, the Solomons, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Timor-Leste. I was pleased to join the member for Newcastle and the member for Forrest with the then Minister Ciobo at the end of last year, particularly on this issue in the Pacific region.

Despite achievements in Australia, spare a thought for the women in Papua New Guinea, where five die every day in childbirth—the worst mortality rate in the world on our doorstep. If we look across the Pacific, those rates are not much better in other countries and nations. So I am delighted that the person who is doing more than anyone else in this space is the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Julie Bishop. She has made it a particular passion and determination of hers to address gender inequality, particularly in our neighbouring region, and she has made sure that that is part of the government's priority in delivering aid to our neighbours.

The members of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade welcomed the opportunity to advance this agenda with their recent inquiry, 'Empowering women and girls: The human rights issues confronting women and girls in the Indian Ocean-Asia Pacific Region'. During that inquiry we found some very stark examples of the problems our sisters in our neighbouring countries are experiencing. However, significant improvements under the leadership of the Minister for Foreign Affairs were achieved through our aid program in 2014-15, a the new Gender Equality Fund and a revised strategic direction are increasing progress towards meeting our gender equality target and empowering women and girls. This fund supports commitments to advance international efforts on critical gender equality issues, including ending violence against women and girls and promoting women's leadership.

I was delighted that the Minister for Foreign Affairs made a statement only this morning setting out further strategy goals to empower women under the Gender Equality Fund, where she has once again committed more funds to deliver programs in our region. I particularly note the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development, now up to $320 million, which is specifically looking at increasing the effective representation of women and women's interests through leadership at all levels of decision making—which is of course very difficult given the lack of women in those leadership roles; expanding women’s economic opportunities to earn an income and accumulate economic assets—and we have been able to see first hand some of those projects, particularly in Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomons; reducing violence against women; and increasing access to support services and to justice for survivors of violence. Those are very big challenges in our region.

Australia is working with church leaders from four of the five main churches across 30 communities in the Solomon Islands targeting 10,000 men and women, trying to change attitudes and behaviours on violence against women. I pay tribute to the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, who have developed some excellent programs and who, I believe, have established a template that can be delivered across the Pacific to other nations. In fact, one of the recommendations of our committee was that we look at empowering that group to deliver more programs to neighbouring countries.

We need to build the capacity of our Pacific women, and I note the Pacific Women's Parliamentary Partnerships Program. Many colleagues on both sides of this House work with our sisters in Papua New Guinea, Bougainville and the Solomons to try to progress their right to be able to speak up for women in their countries. It was disappointing that recently in Vanuatu there were no women elected, but I do take this opportunity to congratulate the President of Samoa for what he is doing for women in his country. (Time expired)

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