Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women, has submitted Australia’s ninth periodic report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
As a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Australia has an obligation to periodically report on its progress toward improving the lives of women and girls in Australia.
The report reflects measures taken in the past 4 years across areas including gender-based violence, education, employment, access to justice, First Nations, and health.
Key examples of progress in recent years include:
- a record low gender pay gap achieved in 2024
- Australia’s first national strategy for gender equality, Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality
- improvements to paid parental leave
- re-introduction of gender-responsive budgeting and gender impact assessments to the Federal Budget process, requiring policymakers to consider gender impacts of all new proposals
- $4 billion committed since 2022-23 October Budget to implement the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.