1. Australia welcomes the opportunity to submit its ninth periodic report (periodic report) under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (Committee). The periodic report outlines measures implemented in Australia to advance gender equality and responds to the Committee's list of issues provided on 6 March 2023.
2. Australia is committed to being a global leader on gender equality and putting gender equality at the heart of policy and decision-making. Australia has made progress to achieve gender equality over the last 40 years.³ The Australian Government's (the Government)⁴ reform agenda is being delivered in partnership with state and territory governments, in consultation with the Australian public, civil society and First Nations communities.⁵
   • Australia's first national strategy to achieve gender equality, Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality (Working for Women), was released in March 2024 to guide Government and whole-of-community actions to achieve a gender-equal society by 2034. Working for Women priorities include gender-based violence (GBV); unpaid and paid care; economic equality and security; health; leadership, representation and decision-making.
3. Working for Women complements other Government efforts to achieve gender equality, including the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 (National Plan), National Women's Health Strategy 2020–2030 (National Women's Health Strategy) and state and territory gender equality plans.
4. Rates of violence against women in Australia have remained high over recent decades, despite increased national efforts. In October 2022, the Government with state and territory governments released the National Plan to guide action to end violence against women and children in one generation. The National Plan includes the First Action Plan 2023-2027 and development of a standalone Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023–2025 (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan) in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council on family, domestic and sexual violence.
5. Women's economic equality has improved, with increases to women's workforce participation, growth in women's level of educational attainment, reductions in the gender pay gap and narrowing the retirement income gap. In August 2024, Australia achieved a record low gender pay gap of 11.5%. Legislative, policy and structural reforms include:
   • reintroducing gender-responsive budgeting and gender impact assessments to the federal Budget process, requiring policymakers to consider gender impacts of all new proposals;
   • extending the Government's Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme, and increasing its flexibility, accessibility and gender equity, acknowledging both parents play a role in caring for children;
   • amending the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth) (WGE Act) enabling the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to publish the gender pay gap of employers with 100 or more employees at a national, industry and occupational level;
   • improving early childhood education and care affordability and investing in childcare accessibility for First Nations families;
   • investing to better value paid care work and feminised industries, through reforming aged care, early childhood education and care, veterans' care and disability support, to create a sustainable and productive care and support economy that delivers quality care and support with quality jobs;
   • banning pay secrecy, legislating statutory equal remuneration principle and establishing an Expert Panel on Pay Equity in the national Fair Work Commission under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (Fair Work Act);
   • establish entitlements to paid family and domestic violence (FDV) leave;
   • prohibiting discrimination against employees on the basis of gender identity, intersex status, breastfeeding and subjection to FDV.
6. Gender equality in Australia cannot be achieved without reconciliation and equality for First Nations women, girls and gender-diverse persons. The Government is committed to working in partnership with First Nations women, aligned to Priority Reforms under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (Closing the Gap). First Nations women lead a body of work to address their unique lived experiences of racism and gender inequality, including the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women's Voices): Securing Our Rights, Securing Our Future Report (Wiyi Yani U Thangani), the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Change Agenda for First Nations Gender Justice, its Implementation Framework and Change Agenda; and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan under the National Plan.
7. Australia pursues gender equality in foreign policy, international development cooperation, humanitarian action, trade and security efforts. Australia's International Development Policy has a target that 80% of overseas development investments address gender equality, and all investments over $3 million have a gender equality objective.

Australia's system of government

8. The Constitution of Australia prescribes a federal system of government in which powers are distributed between the Commonwealth and the states. Under Australia's system of government, powers are distributed between:
   • Commonwealth Government;
   • 6 state governments: New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC), Western Australia (WA);
   • 2 self-governing territory governments: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Northern Territory (NT);
   • 537 local government councils.
9. Australian governments work together to progress gender equality. The periodic report focuses on the Government's actions at a national level and, where relevant, outlines state and territory measures.⁶

Preparation of the periodic report

10. The Government undertook public consultation in developing the periodic report – see Annexure A.
11. The Government also funded Australia's National Women's Alliances to develop an independent shadow report.