Australia in Switzerland
Bern and Geneva
Switzerland, Liechtenstein

statement718

Human Rights Council - 29th Regular Session

Panel Discussion: women’s human rights and participation in power and decision-making

Australian Statement

19 June 2015

Australia welcomes the Annual full day discussion on the human rights of women.

Australia is strongly committed to the empowerment of women and gender equality, particularly enhancing women’s voice in decision-making, leadership and peace-building.

Australia is a significant promoter of women’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific region, with advocacy undertaken by our Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja.

Under Australia’s Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program, the Parliamentary Partnerships Project aims to build the capacity of women parliamentarians, the institutions in which they work, and the staff who support them, so that gender equality issues are better addressed.

Australia is strongly committed to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Women’s full and equal participation in conflict prevention and resolution, peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction is critical to inclusive and sustainable peace and security, and greater gender equality.

Under Australia’s 2014 G20 presidency, G20 members committed to reducing the gap between women’s and men’s workforce participation by 25 per cent by 2025. This will bring more than 100 million women into the labour force, demonstrating that international action is necessary and can result in real change.

We would welcome the panel’s views on how to empower women from marginalised groups, such as those with a disability and indigenous women, to participate in peace building and community leadership to reduce human rights abuses.