Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate:

(a) notes that:

(i) the International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated on Saturday 11 October 2014, presenting an opportunity for all Australians to recognise girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world,

(ii) the theme for this year was 'Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence', and

(iii) empowering and investing in girls is crucial in order to break the cycle of discrimination, violence and inequality suffered by girls around the world; and

(b) acknowledges the Government's:

(i) commitment to the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022, and the launch of the Second Action Plan on 27 June 2014, which will assist women to lead happy, productive lives in safe communities,

(ii) continuing work under the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012-2018,

(iii) commitment to improving women's economic empowerment and increasing their economic independence and stability through a range of policies and practices,

(iv) new aid paradigm which sets a target requiring that at least 80 per cent of investments, regardless of their objectives, will effectively address gender issues in their implementation, and

(v) recent aid announcements to support women and girls in conflict zones or other vulnerable security situations, including committing:

(A) a further $2 million to the United Nations Population Fund specifically to support women and girls who have been brutalised by ISIL during this conflict, noting that this support will be for reproductive and other health services and this is in addition to the $5 million in humanitarian support that Australia has already provided to Iraq, and

(B) an additional $12.4 million to support women and their children subjected to violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, bringing Australia's total contribution to ending violence against women and children in Afghanistan and Pakistan to over $30 million since 2013.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens support the empowerment of women and girls and we support the International Day of the Girl Child. We will not be opposing this motion, but I would like to place on record that we utterly reject the government's claim that they are committed to improving women's economic empowerment. This government's cruel budget cuts family tax benefits, kicks the vulnerable off welfare, cuts the parenting payment and seeks to impose a GP co-payment. These attacks on women's economic empowerment come after the cuts to the low income super contribution and the plans to water down reporting requirements designed to tackle the gender pay gap. Of course, cutting $7.6 billion out of the foreign aid—the biggest single cut in the federal budget—and claiming to care for the world's most vulnerable is not a new aid paradigm; it is a heartless joke. We will not be opposing this motion, but we have submitted our own motion which commends the International Day of the Girl Child without politicising the issue or falsifying the government's record.

Question agreed to.