Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chisholm for introducing this private member's motion that recognises, among other things:

… the empowerment of women and girls is a priority for Australia's development assistance and is fundamental to our increased engagement in the Pacific.

I also note the announcement of the Australian Women's Leadership Initiative and place on the record my support for it. Investment in women and girls, and working toward their equality of opportunity with men and boys, is an important part of the foreign aid contribution of Australia. I congratulate Minister Bishop on continuing the important work of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard to emphasise the importance of gender within the aid, international development and foreign policy programs of this nation. When Australia cuts its contribution to foreign aid and development programs in health, education and governance—programs that assist our neighbours who don't yet enjoy the same prosperity and peace as we do—it is women and children who inevitably carry the burden of those aid cuts.

It is important that the Australian people understand the value of the money, expertise, skills and friendship that Australia offers to those in our region who need it. It is important that the Australian government show leadership in foreign aid and international development and stand by Australia's once-proud record in this area. Instead, what we have seen, sadly, since the Abbott and Turnbull Liberal governments took on this responsibility is the devastation of an aid program that helped save and improve so many human lives.

The Abbott and Turnbull Liberal governments abandoned Australia's bipartisan commitment to growth in aid funding and have overseen a 24.2 per cent cut to development budgets since 2013. The slasher was wielded indiscriminately, eliminating health and education programs across the region that were delivering results, especially for women and girls, and for gender equality, and therefore for increased prosperity in our region. The 2017-18 budget went further, cutting an additional $303 million over the forward estimates. These cuts have taken Australia to the lowest level of spending on overseas aid as a proportion of gross national income since records were first kept. This year it is 22c in every $100, and by 2027-28, under Liberal governments, this will fall lower, to 16c in every $100. Over the next decade, our aid program will continue to weaken. The Turnbull government has set us on a course for an ever-diminishing contribution of our national income to international development assistance, and this is a crying shame.

The Prime Minister is fond of quoting the proclamation of that notable feminist Chairman Mao Zedong that 'women hold up half the sky', and in much of the world they are asked to do that whilst raising the children without an education or job, with poor access to medicine and hygiene, without safe water to drink or with which to wash, without adequate nutrition, and under the threat of violence against them and those in their care.

Gender equality is invaluable. The Women's Leadership Initiative is a welcome drop in the vast ocean of effort that has to be made internationally to address the inequalities that women face—the things that hold half the world back. And the things that hold women back are legion: domestic violence, lack of access to health care, being denied control of their own reproductive systems, girls and women being denied basic and higher education, and being denied a voice.

According to the research of McKinsey Global Institute in 2015, if all women played an equal role to men in the labour market, global GDP would rise by $28 trillion. Achieving the full potential of women in the labour market is an economic winner for the world. The research says that, in a 'best in region' scenario, where all countries match the rate of improvement of the country moving fastest to gender equality in the labour market, we would see a $12 trillion increase in annual GDP in 2025. This is a staggering figure, and demonstrates how important it is that Australia continues to place gender equality and equity at the centre of our foreign policy and international development policies. Dare I say it, to quote a former US president, 'It's the economy, stupid.'

Australia can help itself by helping women and girls across the Indo-Pacific and Pacific region. This includes the aspiring women who may benefit from the Women's Leadership Initiative, but also the women and girls who remain so far away from any hope of access to the Australia Awards. We should also remind ourselves that gender equality plays a large part in peace building and ensuring stability in times of tension that may erupt into conflict. As the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has noted and acknowledged, women are significant players in negotiating ceasefires, and peacekeeping efforts involving women are regularly more effective. Recognising the wisdom and benefits of women's inclusion and mainstreaming gender equality in our foreign policy is a good thing.

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