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Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls International Women’s Day Video Message
Hi, I’m Natasha Stott Despoja. This is my first International Women’s Day
as Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls and I am delighted to join with women
across Australia, and around the world, in celebrating our many achievements to promote
equality. More girls are going to school.
More women are embracing new opportunities to exercise leadership in politics and business.
More often, women’s perspectives and considerations of gender are being built into our approaches
to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Yet, while we celebrate this progress, we
also come together in solidarity for human rights, dignity and equality which are regrettably
still absent in each of our societies. We look forward with hope, but also sobered
by the tremendous challenges that remain to be addressed to ensure women’s equal participation
in political, economic and social life. This year, we recognise that “Equality for
women is progress for all”. It is well-established that investing in women
is one of the smartest and most strategic policies we can pursue.
That is why the empowerment of women and girls is integral to Australia’s foreign policy
and international development work. It is why we’re working with women and men
in the Pacific to promote women’s leadership and economic participation and to end violence.
It is why we’re engaged through the United Nations Security Council to advance women’s
participation in preventing conflict and keeping peace.
It is why we’re investing in women around the globe.
We are working to ensure that women have access to economic opportunities by supporting UN
Women to make the markets of Port Moresby safe for stallholders and customers.
And during the visit by Australia’s Foreign Minister to Papua New Guinea in February,
she announced new support to provide essential services to survivors of family and ***
violence. In Bangladesh, we are supporting the NGO BRAC
to promote and protect the livelihoods of extremely poor women. Since 2002, the program
has reached more than one million households. Women and girls drive our economies. They
build peace, political stability and progress. Investing in women and girls means prosperity
for everyone – men and women, boys and girls. This year, let’s mark International Women’s
Day with fresh resolve to secure equality for women and girls around the world.
And have a happy International Women’s Day!