Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): On behalf of the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator Cash, I present a ministerial statement and document on the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and I seek leave to incorporate the statement in Hansard.

The statement read as follows—

First Progress Report of the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012-18

The Australian Government is deeply committed to supporting the United Nations Women, Peace and Security agenda. Women and girls are disproportionately affected in conflict and post-conflict settings, and are often subjected to gross human rights violations, including the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war.

The Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012—2018 is central part of that commitment. It provides a clear framework for our efforts to integrate a gender perspective into peace and security efforts, protect women's and girls' human rights, and promote women's participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution.

An important element of the National Action Plan is our commitment to regularly review the progress being made. I am therefore pleased to table the first Progress Report of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012—2018.

The Progress Report provides the first comprehensive picture of the actions taken across the whole of government to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda from the commencement of the National Action Plan in March 2012 until the end of 2013. The Progress Report demonstrates the Government is tracking well against its responsibilities.

For example, the Women, Peace and Security agenda is being embedded into human resource management with over half (54 per cent) of the 1141 Australian military, police and Australian Public Service personnel deployed in operations receiving training on Women, Peace and Security. It is this type of baseline data that will be crucial for measuring future progress.

I am also pleased to advise that the Government is working with civil society organisations to deliver services in conflict and post-conflict settings, promote the role of women in peace building and reconstruction efforts, and raise awareness and provide education on Women, Peace and Security. This ranges from providing international aid for programmes such as women's empowerment training in Burma, to participating in a panel discussion on conflict-related violence against women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The breadth of work being implemented under the Australian National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security 2012—2018 is impressive and I look forward to continuing to work with both civil society and across government with my Ministerial colleagues to build on the progress we have made thus far.

As the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, I am proud that Australia is an active agent in providing better outcomes for women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings, and of our place as one of the global leaders on the Women, Peace and Security agenda.