UNGA Third Committee

Item 28: The advancement of women – General discussion on advancement of women

National Statement delivered on 5 October 2021

Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur for her briefing and the former Special Rapporteur for her report on the femicide watch initiative. 

Whether in the home, workplace, education or community, all forms of violence against women and girls constitute grave human rights violations. Australia is pleased to be working with international partners to address this urgent issue, including as part of the Group of Friends for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls here in New York.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an unacceptable global increase of gender-based violence.

States must act. We welcomed the former Special Rapporteur’s practical recommendations, including using data to improve legislation and policy, and collaborating with civil society, human rights institutions, and academia.

Australia is determined to challenge gender-based violence, domestically and in our region.

We are developing a second National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children – building upon our current National Plan to coordinate the efforts of government, civil society and individuals across Australia to reduce family, domestic and sexual violence.

We committed over $1 billion in our latest federal budget to improve safety for women and their children including through prevention and response services, financial support to women leaving violent relationships, and using data to inform effective and innovative policy solutions.

In the Indo-Pacific Region, we are providing an estimated $1.3 billion through Australia’s development assistance program to support gender equality. This includes supporting ethical, safe and robust data collection and analysis across Asia and the Pacific to inform policies and programs that address gender-based violence.

We are also supporting gender responsive pandemic recovery efforts in the Indo-Pacific. We would particularly welcome the Special Rapporteur’s views on measures States can take to ensure longer term COVID-19 recovery efforts address, prevent, and respond to gender-based violence. 

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