Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the International Day of the Girl Child:

(a) will be celebrated globally on 11 October 2016; and

(b) is an international day of observance that promotes girls' human rights, highlights gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and addresses the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the globe;

(2) recognises that:

(a) the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals include key targets for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by 2030;

(b) achieving these targets will require increased investment by national governments, national aid agencies, and global companies and foundations; and

(c) increased investments in gender equality are vital if the world is to achieve sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and development;

(3) calls on the Australian Government to work towards the longstanding internationally agreed aid targets in order for Australia to contribute its fair share to international development and aid the empowerment of all women and girls under the Sustainable Development Goals; and

(4) urges all Members to be leaders in their community and in Parliament, to act on the advancement of gender equality.

It is my pleasure to move this motion before the House today recognising that tomorrow, 11 October, is the International Day of the Girl Child. On 19 December 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to create the International Day of the Girl Child to recognise girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face across the globe. Discrimination against girls and women is a devastating reality in countries across the globe. It results in millions of individual tragedies, which add up to a lost potential for entire nations. Studies have shown that there is a direct link between a country's treatment of girls and women and its progress socially and economically. The status of women is central to the health of a society. If one part suffers, so does the whole.

What are some of the issues for girls today? Over the period between 2011 and 2020, we know that more than 140 million girls will have become child brides and many will drop out of school. Every day that is 41,000 girls. Every 10 minutes an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence. Right now, as I speak, an estimated 62 million girls are not at school and 16 million girls between the ages of six and 11 will never start school. That compares with a figure of eight million boys. Gender remains a central factor in deciding a child's access to education, health care, safety and wellbeing and, significantly, their opportunities.

Globally, there are more than 1.1 billion girls under the age of 18. Their future is our future. If we are to leave our world in a better state than we found it, which should be the aim of all of us here, we must redouble our efforts to redress gender inequality wherever it lives. That means we need to invest in girls' and women's health, education, safety and wellbeing. Supporting girls to build better lives gives us renewed hope to create a more peaceful and prosperous world for all.

In 2015, Australia signed up to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals, which included a renewed commitment to achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. These goals provide a tangible pathway towards a more equal society. Under the previous Labor government, Australia led the way on programs to empower women and girls in our region. While I welcome the foreign minister's efforts to uphold this important work in the Pacific, there is no denying the impact of her government's cuts to the overseas aid budget—a massive $1.3 billion. These cuts, which take Australia to our lowest level of spending on overseas aid as a proportion of gross national income since records were first kept, mean less education, less access to health care and less opportunity for the poorest in our world—and that means girls and women. The cuts to the African programs alone have meant that 220,000 girls every year are denied the chance for an education.

The correlation between the progress of girls and the amelioration of poverty is well supported by research. We know for, example, that one extra year of primary school increases a girl's eventual adult wages by 10 to 20 per cent, while every year of secondary school increases them by 15 to 20 per cent. Studies from Brazil, Kenya and India show that delaying adolescent child-bearing could increase national economic productivity by US$3.5 billion, US$3.4 billion and US$7.7 billion respectively.

It is time for the Australian government to step up to the task of rebuilding our overseas aid budget. We need to invest in programs that empower women and girls and that expand women's access to political, economic and social opportunities across the world, if we want to make lasting change. We know that investing in adolescent girls not only improves their lives but also is critical to the success of key development goals like reducing property and improving global health and education. Challenging institutionalised and ingrained inequality may not be easy, but it is essential. If we want real progress and prosperity for all human beings, we need to invest in our girls and women.

I urge all members of parliament to become champions of change, to stand up and be strong advocates for gender equality, both in this House and in our respective communities. Failing to do so is tantamount to planning for a world that will never reach its full potential.

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