United Nations General Assembly
6 March 2007
High-level Debate on the Promotion of Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women
Statement by Ms Julia Burns
Executive Director
Australian Government Office for Women
(Check against delivery)
Imagine an organisation where only fifty percent of the workforce has a voice - where only fifty percent get to exercise their skills and talents, and the same fifty percent are the only ones likely to take home a full pay packet each week.
This organisation could well be our world. In our global community, fifty percent of people - women - too often lack access to opportunities and services. They are still, in the twenty first century, grossly under-represented, underutilised, undervalued and underpaid – in business, government, education - indeed, in every arena. Gender equality and the empowerment of women remain major challenges in most regions of our world.
The gender gap is at its widest today in areas of economic participation and opportunity and political empowerment.
In Australia we have made significant strides.
We were one of the first countries to have Sex Discrimination legislation, and my office, our national women's machinery, has existed for over 30 years. The Australian Government has worked hard to empower women in the key areas of health, education, employment, safety and leadership. Many Australian women are able to improve their economic status through participation in education and employment on par with men. We have a world class health and social support system in place and invest billions of dollars in child care support. We see women's safety and their leadership skills as critical to women's empowerment, and have invested significantly in these areas. While we are proud of our achievements domestically, there is still work to be done. Australia will work hard to continue to address the remaining challenges, not least of which is to improve the empowerment of our Indigenous women.
Madam President,
The Australia Government doesn’t just prioritise gender equality and the empowerment of women domestically, we also consider these objectives critical to our work internationally. Gender equality is an overarching principle of Australia's overseas aid program. It is a central element of how Australia assists other nations' economic and social progress and our efforts to eradicate poverty, enhance economic growth and democratic governance, and achieve sustainable development.
Australia's new AusAID Gender Policy, launched last week, makes clear that development is more effective when it involves and addresses the needs of both men and women. The new policy outlines strategies and initiatives to advance gender equality through Australia’s aid program - including how gender will be properly integrated and mainstreamed.
Recognising the importance of economic and political participation, we are increasing efforts to improve the economic status of women and the participation of women in decision making and leadership, both at the political and community levels. Our activities will focus on both men and women - recognising that men's participation is critical to achieving gender equality and improving the status of women.
Madam President,
Unfortunately, women are still significantly underrepresented in national parliaments and decision making bodies around the world. Only 14 countries have reached the United Nations benchmark of women comprising 30% of parliamentarians. Australia has almost reached this level, but overall, the Pacific had an average of only four percent in 2005.
So what impedes women's representation in parliaments? Many things - institutional barriers such as the structure of electoral systems; economic barriers such as lack of access to employment and wealth to fund campaigns; social and cultural views about women in society; and lack of solidarity between women voters and candidates.
Yet evidence shows that women being directly involved and strongly represented in national parliaments results in positive policy outcomes, particularly in the areas of health and education. It also has a significant effect on policies related to the promotion and implementation of gender equality.
Australia is developing two innovative programs to advance women's involvement in the national decision making processes in the region. The Pacific Leadership Program targets current and emerging leaders to develop leadership skills, as well as initiates a network for female parliamentarians and leaders. The second program, Building Demand for Better Governance, will support and augment domestic demand for reform and accountability within the Asia-Pacific region.
In the economic sphere, Australia is working to help increase women's access to, and control over, productive resources. The participation of women in the economic sector is vital - women have better repayment rates and the social benefits, including increased household income and investment of profits in children's education and health care, are numerous and tangible, benefiting the family, community and nation. We are providing support for women-led enterprises. A vigorous small to medium enterprise sector is a vital component of sustainable growth and development. With that in mind, we have established a new pilot initiative - the Asia-Pacific small and medium enterprise development program.
Madam President
Turning to UN reform, Australia has welcomed the Delivering As One report and we are glad that the Panel gave appropriate attention to issues of gender. We support the need to improve the work of the UN in mainstreaming gender, in advocating and playing a key normative role on gender issues, and in supporting the empowerment of women. Getting the gender architecture of the United Nations fit for this purpose is important, particularly the creation of an Under-Secretary-General position. But while what we do on this issue in New York is important, we must not lose focus on our real goal – improving gender equality and the empowerment of women at a grass roots level. Surely this is what the women of the world want to see us achieve.