When women and girls are safe from violence, economically secure, and meaningfully represented in all levels of decision-making, our families, our communities and our economies benefit.

COVID-19 has significantly challenged our collective progress on human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls.

Gender-responsive COVID-19 recovery efforts will be critical in regaining lost ground – and in taking us further.

Advancing gender equality is front and centre of Australia’s work at home and in the Indo-Pacific region. Our shared commitment to the empowerment of women and girls is crucial as we chart our recovery from COVID-19.

Australia’s overseas development program is responding to the needs of women and girls in our region, ensuring better outcomes for everyone by supporting women’s voices and leadership in COVID-19 responses, particularly through our $170 million Pacific Women Lead program. Through this work, we are investing in civil society groups to ensure a diverse range of Pacific women have a voice in decision-making in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

At home, we are investing an additional $3.4 billion in promoting women’s safety, economic security, and health and wellbeing as we continue our own pandemic recovery. This will be delivered with support and leadership from the newly established Cabinet Taskforce on Women’s Economic Safety and Security.

We must all commit to accelerating action on gender equality. Thank you.