Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2017 of the Women's Leadership Initiative (Initiative);

(2) notes that the Initiative is a five year program to support emerging women leaders in the Pacific and to help participants—selected from Australia Awards scholars—to fulfil their leadership potential and drive ideas and reforms in their communities;

(3) further notes that the Initiative is part of Australia's partnership with Pacific Island countries to meet shared challenges and support a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific region;

(4) acknowledges that the Initiative will deepen our long standing relationship with our Pacific neighbours and see Pacific women mentored by successful female leaders, including Australian Indigenous leaders, private sector representatives and pioneering leaders from the Pacific; and

(5) recognises that the empowerment of women and girls is a priority for Australia's development assistance and is fundamental to our increased engagement in the Pacific.

This motion asks that the House welcome the announcement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2017, of the Women's Leadership Initiative. It notes that the initiative is a five-year program to support emerging women leaders in the Pacific and help participants, selected from among Australia Awards scholars, to fulfil their leadership potential and drive ideas and reforms in their communities. It asks that the House further note that the initiative is part of Australia's partnership with Pacific Island countries to meet shared challenges and support a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific region, and to acknowledge that this initiative will deepen our longstanding relationship with our Pacific neighbours and see Pacific women mentored by successful female leaders, including Australian Indigenous leaders, private sector representatives and pioneering leaders from the Pacific. It asks the House to recognise that the empowerment of women and girls is a priority of Australia's development assistance and is fundamental to our increased engagement in the Pacific.

I'm proud to be a member of the Turnbull government and in particular to endorse this recent announcement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the United Nations General Assembly, of our government's new Women's Leadership Initiative. The Women's Leadership Initiative, launched in September, is a five-year program. The $5.4 million program will help participants, selected from among Australian Awards scholars, to fulfil their leadership potential and drive big ideas and reforms in their communities. This will be an incredible opportunity for the participants—an opportunity which will empower them with skills and networks to engender significant change in their home countries, in their communities and in their own personal lives.

Women in the Pacific continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions. I am a strong advocate for gender equality and know firsthand the benefits and positives that gender equality brings to create a more cohesive society. Diversity delivers success, and gender diversity should be something that is a mandate and absolutely an imperative for us all. Greater gender equality, especially in leadership and decision making, contributes to reducing poverty, promoting economic growth and enhancing the wellbeing of women, girls and their families. It is imperative that young women and young girls increasingly participate in communities in the workforce. This is what mentoring and the many other elements of this initiative will provide.

The Women's Leadership Initiative will specifically provide participants with the tools to navigate barriers that might otherwise impede pathways to leadership. This will see Pacific women mentored by other successful female leaders, including Australian Indigenous leaders, private sector representatives and pioneering leaders from the Pacific. The advantage of role models and mentoring can never be underestimated. That is why this is such an important element in this initiative. By forging links between emerging women leaders in the Pacific and in Australia, the Women's Leadership Initiative will deepen our longstanding relationship with our Pacific neighbours and, indeed, the empowerment of women and girls. This is a priority for Australia's development assistance and a key pillar of our increased engagement in the Pacific.

As part of our aid program, the Turnbull government is investing in neighbouring countries and in women throughout the Pacific so that we will see better outcomes for people throughout the Asia-Pacific region—and the benefits will be mutual. We know that women make significant contributions to their country's economies. Governments and the private sector, together, are recognising that investing in women and girls has a powerful effect on productivity, the economy, efficiency, economic growth and, on a more personal level, self-esteem and empowerment. A 2016 study by Pacific Trade Invest Australia found that proprietors of one-third of exporting companies are women, with the number increasing in the last two years. While women are still underrepresented in national parliaments in the Pacific, there is a higher participation of women in senior management in the public sector. The regional average increased from 11.3 per cent in 2012 to 14. 8 per cent in 2016.

While progress has been made, we have far to go to progress true gender equality. The Women's Leadership Initiative will be a force for good, assisting Pacific nations to empower themselves economically through better equality. The Inter-Parliamentary Union found that globally women comprise 23.3 per cent of national parliamentarians. That was the world average at January 2017. But the percentage of women in Pacific parliaments is currently around 6.9 per cent. Parliaments that represent their nation's demography are better placed to represent the needs of all citizens, men and women. Across the Pacific, men far outnumber women in paid employment outside the agriculture sector by approximately two to one, and males typically earn 20 to 50 per cent more than women because they work in jobs attracting higher salaries. So, typically, more men are working in leadership positions.

In deepening our people-to-people links with the Pacific, on 8 September the Prime Minister announced the establishment of the Pacific Connect program to forge a network of strategic level relationships between Pacific and Australian leaders across both the public and private sectors. It will comprise a year-long leaders program, focused on solving a particular challenge or problem. The inaugural challenge is bringing the digital revolution to the Pacific. We're also encouraging more frequent cultural exchanges and closer ties between Australia and Pacific communities, businesses, sporting clubs and schools.

We will continue to support Australian graduates to study in the Pacific, with 1,100 participants in the region under the New Colombo Plan in 2018. The New Colombo Plan is an inspired initiative of our foreign minister and the coalition government, which is making such enormous leaps and bounds and building a cohesive and wholly rounded educated society, particularly with our young students. We also want to encourage more frequent cultural exchanges and closer ties between Australian and Pacific communities, businesses, sporting clubs and schools.

I believe strongly in the dignity of work, coupled strongly with equality of opportunity. A country prospers when its citizens are empowered by the same educational standards and capacity to contribute to society. The Women's Leadership Initiative will be a strong conduit for growth in the Pacific region and I know that it will create tangible and effectual change for our neighbouring women and girls.

The Turnbull government knows that women and women's interests are increasingly and effectively represented and visible through leadership at all levels of decision-making. Through more inclusive engagement, Pacific women will have expanded economic opportunities to earn income and accumulate economic assets. With that, of course, comes financial independence and increased productivity. The Women's Leadership Initiative will drive integral societal and economic reforms throughout the Pacific, empowering women and girls so that entire communities may grow.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for this motion?

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to place on record my support and commend Australia's efforts for a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific region. The Women's Leadership Initiative is a step towards gender equality in the Pacific. It contributes to expanding political representation, effective leadership and empowering women who face substantial barriers to participation. Harnessing the power of women is crucial for the development of any region, most especially in the Pacific. The initiative extends the benefits of Australian awards to include a collegiate mentoring opportunity for personal growth and strengthens relationships between women leaders in Australia and the Pacific. It is part of Australia's longstanding contribution to growth development of leadership in developing countries that started with the Colombo Plan in the 1950s.

I commend DFAT on running the aid and development programs that benefit our Pacific neighbours; however, there is more that we can be doing. To start, Australia can stop cutting our level of assistance overseas. Labor is deeply concerned that Australia is falling further in world rankings for overseas development assistance. The Abbott and Turnbull governments have relentlessly attacked aid funding and have taken Australia to its lowest level of spending on aid as a proportion of gross national income, or GNI, since the program began. Australian development assistance fell by over 12 per cent in the 2016 year. Minister Bishop has seen $11 billion slashed from the aid program under her watch. The 2016-17 budget delivered the weakest levels of Australian development assistance in history, spending just 23c in every $100 of our national income on foreign aid. Over the next decade that will worsen, with the Turnbull government's budget figures forecasting that our international development program will fall to just 0.17 per cent of GNI. This is an international embarrassment created by this government.

A backbencher thinks that they can rewrite their appalling history with this motion. Their lack of investment harms our efforts to alleviate poverty, which affects more women and children than men. It also harms our aspirations to make our region safer and more secure. Our reputation as a caring nation is at risk. We cannot abrogate our responsibilities.

We need to support strong Pacific women in positions of leadership, including political leadership. In August 2017 the total number of women elected to Pacific nation parliaments numbered just 39 in forum island nations, excluding Australia and New Zealand. There are only 39 MPs out of a total of 559. That is seven per cent of elected representatives. Sadly, it has never been higher than 10 per cent. In comparison, the Inter-Parliamentary Union reports that the world average of women elected members in July 2017 was 23.5 per cent. That is not helped by this government's abysmal support for women in our own parliament. Those on the other side of the House would like us to believe that that's okay and that we don't need to address this inequity either here or anywhere else in our region.

A look at representation by women in political office, even the most cursory check, shows there's much need for improvement. PNG has no female MPs out of 111 parliamentarians. There are no female MPs in the Federated States of Micronesia. The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tuvalu have one female MP. Tonga will hold their elections this November. Only one woman served in the last parliament. Nauru has two female MPs; Marshall Islands and Kiribati, three each; Palu, four. In the 2016 elections in Samoa, four women were successful, joining the one female there already; they now have five female MPs. Samoa is the only one that has a 10 per cent minimum quota. Fiji has seven MPs out of 50.

Australia can do more to support the development of women's political leadership and representation in the Pacific, including programs like the Women's Leadership Initiative. The Liberal and National parties can certainly do the same here. Fort-five per cent of federal ALP parliamentarians are women, compared to 21 per cent of Liberals and 14 of the Nationals. We know that the number 13 is an unlucky one for this government; 13 is the total number of female government MPs in the House of Representatives, out of 76. They are always asking their Dixers in QT about alternative approaches. Here is a brief explanation of how getting more women in leadership goes.

In 1994, Labor adopted an affirmative action rule that at least 35 per cent of our parliamentarians would be women. When we achieved that, we lifted it again to 40 per cent. Then, at our last national conference in 2015, we lifted the target to 50 per cent by 2025. On quotas, even Peter van Onselen has said:

Opponents of doing so say Liberals preselect on merit, not on gender balance. But for such logic to be sustained one has to believe that women are only worthy, capable or meritorious of holding 13 out of 76 Coalition seats in the house.

I welcome the Women's Leadership Initiative. (Time expired)

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At a time when there is a movie called Battle of the Sexes, featuring the Bobby Riggs clash with Billie Jean King, it might be appropriate to talk about the leadership of our great women players to fight for and gain equal prize money in this international sport. It might be surprising to many that often the best-known female in the world has been a women's tennis player.

At the turn of the previous century, it was claimed that Suzanne Lenglen was the most famous woman in the world. Then it was Billie Jean King, at the height of her powers. Steffi Graf was voted more famous than Princess Diana. Then the Williams sisters, who have set records that no sisters will ever equal. Through this, the game of women's tennis has prospered enormously and this has drawn attention to what women can do when they have a fair chance and equal pay.

It is of a concern to anybody that has sisters and who has daughters—I still have sisters and I have daughters; I'm surrounded by women—to have seen their fight in the workplace and to see their trials and tribulations and to see the change in attitudes. My mother was a schoolteacher, and my parents' marriage was somewhat delayed because, if she were to marry, she would have to retire from the career that she loved. She did marry and had to retire. My sister was a schoolteacher and she loved that profession also. And by that time that profession did provide equal pay. And it has continued. We here in parliament are very aware of inequality, and each party, I think, makes a genuine effort to increase women's participation in representation. My colleague, the previous speaker, made the point that, to give equal representation to 50 per cent of the population, you've got to have equal numbers in parliament. I think that is a great aim, and we are moving towards that.

Furthermore, in the workplace we are aware that, while management is sometimes male top-heavy, there are any number of great examples of women increasing their sway at the top. I am going to a function shortly for the Lung Foundation of Australia, an organisation where both the CEO and the chair—Christine Jenkins—are women. Christine Jenkins spoke beautifully on Saturday night at their fundraising event. She is here this evening, and she will be presenting again at this function. They present great examples of women's success that we can celebrate, and we can look forward to having many more celebrations of this type.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bennelong for his contribution. The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak today to congratulate the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Julie Bishop, for the announcement made at the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September this year of the Women's Leadership Initiative. From 25-28 September I, along with Nola Marino MP, the Hon. Jane Prentice MP, Senator Moore and MPs from all over our region, attended the Pacific Women's Parliamentary Partnerships Forum in the Solomon Islands. It was there that I met the Young Women's Parliamentary Group, enthusiastic in training and being mentored by Solomon Islands MPs and others interested in promoting the participation of women in politics. There is the creation of a space that helps them engage in the process. This is an essential ingredient to encourage women into politics.

These young women have as their main focus techniques to influence policy-making. They also engage in community and voluntary organisations to get direct, on-the-ground information and develop a sphere of support. As a bonus, they love the activities they're involved in. One of these was Seif Ples, a domestic violence hub where medical help can be given, along with shelter directions and a process of counselling, and the victims have a place to begin the emotional healing. There is a well-equipped play area, gifted by the Rotary Club of Honiara. It was great to meet the young people who have chosen to volunteer and to meet Susie, who lost a leg in a shark attack but is the emotional backbone of the centre.

It's particularly important to know that the initiative presented by the minister is a five-year program to support emerging women leaders in our region. We need to have them selected from Awards scholars, and we need to mentor them, help them and encourage them. Empowering women begins with education, grows with education and can be shared with education. This starts at primary school, but then the opportunities must be grown by getting girls into high schools—perhaps by creating a facility such as Palau has done with the Centre for the Empowerment of Women. In all ways we must educate our women and provide them with a base knowledge of the structure of politics.

The women in the Pacific identified some characteristics of the five-year plan. As I said, it starts with education and awareness-raising. Then potential candidates need to be identified and prepared with activities, such as community contact and gathering supporters and volunteers. Economically empowering women will be an essential part of this, and it will be instrumental for both the potential candidates and other women leaders. I imagine that DFAT will be a significant aspect of this growth. Following this the candidates can be prepared for legislative reform and develop strong networking political partnerships.

It was clear at the conference that this initiative will be a very welcome next step in Australia's partnership with Pacific Island countries. It will help meet shared needs and challenges and support a stable, secure and prosperous region. The women need help to get political traction and then to actively develop policy that will enhance economic and social stability. The conference was attended by women who were either elected members of, past members of or past candidates for their national parliaments. There were women from Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, Niue, Tonga, Kiribati, Palau, the Bougainville region of PNG, Nauru, PNG, Tokelau and the Solomon Islands. It was an absolute joy to meet all of these women, as well as the young women's group. It will be great to see the government-led initiative deepen our longstanding relationship with our Pacific neighbours and see these women mentored by successful female leaders, including Indigenous leaders, private sector representatives and other pioneering leaders from our region.

The empowerment of women and girls is a priority for Australia's development assistance and is fundamental to our increased engagement in the Pacific. Future gatherings such as these can be designed to develop campaigning skills, coach for public speaking and provide preparation for media interviewing, both the benefits and the traps. There can be hands-on workshops for microfinancing options and economic empowerment activities to share in the regions and links developed with the NGOs to get better outcomes overall for their actual and future constituents. Finally, this initiative can help develop strategies for women to gain their place in an elected government and then strategies to keep their place in the elected government. I sometimes think we've got an uphill battle to get into politics in Australia, but, really, the girls in the Pacific have a much harder journey. The initiative is a tremendous way to help our Pacific sisters in their quest to hold up their half of the sky. We're recognised as a regional leader. Perhaps we in Australia should be considering the best way forward to increase the female participation rate in government representation at all levels. At this moment we don't actually have the ability to hold up half the sky. There aren't enough of us to work together. I actively believe that we need to encourage young women to get into politics. I will be having a women's empowerment camp before the end of the year to help introduce them to all levels of government and skill them up, ready for the next step.

Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chisholm for bringing this motion forward. Equality will never be achieved in the Pacific unless every effort is made to create genuine opportunities to empower women and girls. This is of paramount importance in the Pacific region if women are going to have fair access to leadership opportunities. Women's empowerment is a cross-cutting component of the Pacific Regional Program. As global leaders came together for the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, UN women brought women's voices and priorities to the forefront and called for tangible actions to achieve gender equality. This year's theme was focusing on people, striving for peace, and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet. Through a range of high-level events on women's economic empowerment, equal pay for work of equal value, ending violence against women and girls, engaging men and boys as gender equity champions, gender and climate change, and stepping up financing for gender equity, UN women continued to highlight women's empowerment as a key driver of sustainable development.

Pacific women are hardworking, creative and resilient. They make significant contributions to their societies and economies, and there is a growing recognition amongst governments and the private sector that investing in women and girls has a powerful effect on economic growth and wellbeing. However, women and girls face significant challenges. Up to 60 per cent of women and girls have experienced violence at the hands of their partners or family members. The Inter-Parliamentary Union reports that globally women comprise 23.3 per cent of national parliamentarians. That is the world average as at January 2017, but the percentage of women in the Pacific parliaments is currently around 6.9 per cent. Across the Pacific men outnumber women in paid employment outside the agricultural sector by approximately two to one, and males typically earn 20 to 50 per cent more than women because they work in jobs attracting higher salaries.

Progressing Gender Equality in the Pacific is a five-year project working with the 14 Pacific island countries to strengthen government's capacity to mainstream gender and improve gender statistics to better monitor progress towards gender equality. The PGEP project commenced in 2013 and will finish in 2018. In July 2016 a formative mid-term evaluation of the PGEP was commissioned by DFAT. It showed the following successful outcomes: women in the Pacific accessed 22,217 crisis support services; 3,495 accessed financial information and services; 2,548 had formal opportunities to share their ideas and learn from each other; 9,385 were supported to take on leadership roles at the community, provincial and national level; and 692 men actively engaged in promoting gender equality in this reporting period.

Participating UN women agreed that empowering women is central to addressing the 21st century's global challenges such as poverty, inequality and violence. Yet, deep financing gaps for women and girls pose significant barriers and deter progress. Addressing gender equality is everyone's business. Melinda Gates said, 'We have learned from our partners that if we don't look at the gender piece of work, we will never achieve our goals and lift people up.' We have a lot of anecdotal evidence about women in terms of their lives and livelihoods, and now we are finally doing the research and gathering data to inform policies and programs. If we are serious about achieving the sustainable development goals, we have to invest in gender data. It is at the heart of what we do.

The importance of women and girl child equality and their livelihood is ever more important in this world. Gender matters, and we have a role to play. Gender equality must start from the cradle. There are still far too many male-dominated industries where women are locked out. Here in Australia, we have much to do with our own first-nation women and girls. It is great to see Senator McCarthy and the Honourable Linda Burney, who are amazing role models for our first-nation women. Labor has been a leading light in gender equality in politics, and we are now very close—44 per cent—to achieving our 50 per cent by 2025.

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on a very promising program launched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs just last month. The program is called the Women's Leadership Initiative and it is focused on helping women and girls from across the Pacific to fulfil their leadership potential and drive big ideas and reforms in their communities. The five-year program will cost the taxpayer $5.4 million—money well spent, given Australia's outstanding leadership in the field of international women's rights.

Australia has a proud history of promoting women's rights. In 1902, Australia became the first country in the world to give women both the right to vote in federal elections and also the right to be elected to parliament on a national basis. It is this right, this change of direction, that has brought so much good to this nation. In order to make the best decisions for the country, you simply must have a diverse group of people in charge. If you ignore the thoughts and experiences of 50 per cent of the population, you will find it most difficult to create appropriate legislation for them. This is true in Australia just as it is in our smaller Pacific Island neighbours.

Women leaders are not simply grown on trees, though. It takes a concerted effort and sound policies that help to grant women the opportunity to act as, and to be seen as, leaders in their own communities. This means providing education opportunities, freedoms, and mentoring for young girls and women, wherever they may be. Women in the Pacific make significant contributions to their countries' economies. Governments and the private sector are recognising that investing in women and girls has a powerful effect on productivity, efficiency and economic growth. According to a 2016 study, the number of female proprietors of exporting companies in the Pacific has increased dramatically. Women now represent one-third of proprietors in these export businesses. The number of female representatives in the national parliaments of Pacific nations has increased from 11.3 per cent in 2012 to 14.8 per cent in 2016. These numbers show, as a percentage, the gap between the outcomes for women leaders in these nations when compared with ours here in the House of Representatives and the Senate, where 33 per cent of parliamentarians are women. While the increases are heartening, the distance still to gain to reach the example set by wealthy, well-resourced Australia is vast, which is why it is so important for Australia to play a role in this advance.

The progress and promotion of women in public life is important, but what is perhaps a more pressing concern is the rates of violence against women and girls. It has been reported that as much as 60 per cent of women and girls have experienced violence at the hands of partners or family members—a horrifying statistic. Violence against women is not only abhorrent to human nature; it represents a deep disrespect for the women of a society that won't stop it happening. It is not a simple issue, but one that must be addressed the world over. Women deserve to be safe and they deserve to be respected as human beings. I support this program and the positive effect it's having on some of our poorest neighbours. I wish the minister and her department all the best in making it a success.

Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—This initiative, supported by our esteemed foreign minister, the Hon. Julie Bishop, has been a fantastic initiative to address the gender equality divide. The announcement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs was so welcomed at the United Nations General Assembly. As Australians we should be proud of this Women's Leadership Initiative. There is work to do around the world in relation to equality for women. Gender inequality is something that has not been fully addressed across the world—indeed, in western democracies and in the Pacific. This initiative will absolutely consolidate and support gender equality.

This is a five-year program to support emerging women leaders in the Pacific and to help participants selected from Australia Award scholars. This initiative will enable them to fulfil their leadership potential and drive ideas and reforms in their communities. The initiative contains the essence of key elements which will seek to narrow the gender divide.

The Women's Leadership Initiative, launched in September, is a five-year program. One of its key foundations is about empowerment for women and girls in the Pacific. The program will help participants selected from Australia Award scholars to fulfil their potential. Having worked in the corporate world for many years, and having sat on many diversity councils and women in leadership councils, we know that in our country, in Australia, the issue of gender inequality needs to be addressed from both an unconscious bias perspective and from a discrimination perspective. While we have antidiscrimination laws in our country, it's really important that initiatives such as this are embraced around the world. I am truly proud of this Women's Leadership Initiative. Women in the Pacific, specifically, continue to be under-represented in leadership positions. I've always been a strong advocate for gender equality. My view is that the meritocracy argument is flawed. The reason for that is that there are two things that get in the way of meritocracy: discrimination and unconscious bias. Those things prevail in the corporate workplace and in our communities in Australia and across the Pacific.

Having worked in the Asia-Pacific area and in Australia, I have seen gender inequality come to prevail consciously, overtly and covertly. This initiative will provide participants with the tools to navigate barriers that might impede pathways to leadership. One of the important tools is role models and mentors. Role models and mentors are so important because younger women and young girls can be what they can see. It's really important for us as women leaders to communicate this to them. I'm particularly proud that this initiative will see Pacific women mentored by successful female leaders, including Australian Indigenous leaders and leaders from the private sector and pioneering leaders from the Pacific. By forging links between emerging women leaders in Australia and the Pacific, the Women's Leadership Initiative will deepen our longstanding relationship with our Pacific neighbours. The empowerment of women and girls is a priority for Australia's development assistance and is a key pillar for our increased engagement in the Pacific.

As part of our aid program the Turnbull government is investing in neighbouring countries and in women throughout the Pacific so that we see better outcomes for people throughout our region. The New Colombo Plan is something that again forges ties with women in the Pacific. The Turnbull government continues to support Australian undergraduates to study in the Pacific, with 1,100 participants in the region under the New Colombo Plan in 2018. The benefit of that experience, the cross-cultural experience, the cross-working experience, and the mentoring and leadership that will continue within the realm of the New Colombo Plan is very, very encouraging. We want to encourage more frequent cultural exchanges and closer ties between Australian and Pacific communities, businesses, sporting clubs and schools across the Pacific.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.