NCWA 2023 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY STATEMENT
Today, we come together to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023. On behalf of NCWA, I wish to acknowledge the women who came before us, the women who work with us for the women who will come after us.
I pen this message to you from New York, as an International Council of Women (ICW) delegate for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 67 th session.
The NCWA acknowledges that we have an important role to play, here in Australia, in the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls throughout their life course, including in the context of innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age.
The NCWA condemns all forms of violence against women and girls and affirms the Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave Bill 2022. We acknowledge and advocate on eliminating technology-facilitated gender-based violence that limits women and girls’ participation in public life and the enjoyment of human rights.
The NCWA affirms the establishment of the Women Economic Equality Taskforce as we strive to ensure not just economic equality for all women but to attain economic security for women and girls throughout their life course. We look forward to the introduction of Gender Based Responsive budgeting from July 2023. NCWA welcomes the recent establishment of the National Women’s Health Advisory Council and its commitment to improve health equity and literacy whilst strengthening and diversifying medical research and health workforce training and education.
NCWA affirms Australian government’s commitment to closing the gender pay gap by introducing the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023 to implement all 10 recommendations from the 2021 Review of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. We recognize that women and girls undertake a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work, which limits women’s ability to participate in and occupy leadership positions. We emphasize the importance of access to universal Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs, affordable and accessible childcare, and equitable Paid Parental Leave (PPL) entitlements for both parents.
In line with CSW67, the NCWA recognizes the importance of the full engagement of men and boys as agents and beneficiaries of change. We note the ongoing need to educate children from a young age regarding the importance of gender equality, human rights, treating all people with dignity and respect and promoting a culture of peace, non-violent behaviour and respectful relationships.
Chiou See Anderson
President – National Council of Women of Australia
President – National Council of Women of Queensland
Assistant Treasurer – International Council of Women
