1.1 The Australian Government is committed to improving and enriching the lives of women to enable them to participate equally in all aspects of Australian life. The Government values the contribution Australian women make in their workplaces, homes and communities across the country and is working to maximise opportunities for women so that they continue to help build an inclusive, safe, fair and unified Australia. Since Australia's last report on CEDAW in 2003, a range of Australian and state and territory government measures have helped improve women's safety and wellbeing, and their economic security and that of their families.
Reporting on CEDAW
1.2 Australia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) over 25 years ago on 28 July 1983. As a long-standing party, Australia has continued to implement substantial policy and legislative changes, demonstrating the Australian Government's commitment to eliminating discrimination against women. This combined 6th and 7th periodic report builds on previous reporting on CEDAW and outlines Australia's progress and the challenges that remain in implementing CEDAW.
1.3 This report covers key legislative, policy and other measures adopted in the review period, from September 2003 to June 2008. It includes reporting from the Australian Government and the state and territory governments and should be read alongside Australia's Common Core Document, June 2006 (HRI/CORE/AUS/2007) and Australia's Combined 4th and 5th Report on the Implementation of CEDAW (CEDAW/C/AUL/4-5) submitted in 2003.
1.4 In accordance with Article 18 of CEDAW, this report responds, wherever possible, to the CEDAW Committee's 2006 Concluding Comments (CEDAW/C/AUL/CO/5) on Australia's combined 4th and 5th report. In response to the CEDAW Committee's request in paragraph 9, the 2006 Concluding Comments were distributed to all relevant Australian Government agencies, all state and territory governments and to the Australian women's sector through the National Women's Secretariats. They were also posted on the Australian Government Office for Women website.
Electing a Labor government
1.5 Following a national election on 24 November 2007, the Australian Government changed and a Labor government was sworn in on 3 December 2007.
1.6 The Australian Government is committed to building a stronger, fairer and more secure Australia for the future. Broadly, the Government's long-term priorities include the nation's security; building a stronger Australia for the future through responsible economic management and economic reform to strengthen the country's long-term competitiveness through an education revolution; building a fairer Australia through a balanced and flexible industrial relations system; and preparing Australia for great global and domestic challenges, which includes developing a national action plan on climate change and reforming the national health system.
1.7 The Australian Government is also firmly committed to equality, to women participating equally in all aspects of their lives, such as work, family and community. Soon after his appointment, the new Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, demonstrated his commitment to the principles of equality and non-discrimination and to improving the lives of Australian women. He said: 'Our core organising principle as a Government is equality of opportunity. And advancing people and their opportunities in life, we are a Government ... committed to policies which recognise and advance the interests of Australian women'1.
The Government's commitment to women
1.8 Since coming to office in November 2007, the Australian Government has introduced a number of measures that meet a range of election commitments and other undertakings for the benefit of Australian women. The Government strives to maximise the opportunities for women so that, as a country, we continue to help build an inclusive, safe, fair and unified Australia.
Economic security
1.9 Economic security and financial independence is integral to a person's ability to participate in society. The Government is committed to women having equal access, participation and experience in the labour market.
1.10 The Australian Government's new, more balanced and fair industrial relations system is due to start in January 2010. It will introduce a range of improvements, including greater protection for Australia's lowest paid and most vulnerable workers (many of them women) by ensuring they have, for example a right to a fair minimum wage; the right to request flexible working arrangements; and have a fair system of penalty rates and overtime payments.
1.11 The Government has also introduced measures to help working mothers by, for instance, a significant increase in take-home pay through a $46.7 billion tax relief package, which includes more assistance with child care.
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Safety
1.12 A focus for the Government is to reduce violence against women and their children. One in three Australian women experience physical violence and almost one in five experience violence over their lifetime. The Government has appointed the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, which is developing a national plan to reduce violence against women. At the inaugural meeting of the Government's National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children on 4 June 2008 the Prime Minister said: '... the nation and the community must adopt a zero tolerance attitude to violence against women and children'.
Leadership and participation
1.13 The Australian Government is also committed to improving women's health and supporting women's participation and leadership in every aspect of Australian society. For example, the Government is developing a national policy on women's health to ensure the development of solutions specific to the health needs of women. Furthermore, over $90 million has been allocated over the next four years for more child and maternal health services.
1.14 Women's participation will also be progressed by the Government through the Education Revolution package and a new multi-billion dollar Education Investment Fund, which will in part help increase women's involvement in all levels of education. Similarly, work is well under way to fulfil the Government's election commitment to strengthen the voice of rural women in shaping rural and regional policy as reflected in the National Rural Women's Summit, held in June 2008.
1.15 The participation of women and the rights of women locally as well as internationally is important to the Australian Government. The Government believes progress on gender equality is an integral part of achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and this is evident in its contribution of $200 million to the United Nations to help achieve these goals.
Review of the Sex Discrimination Act
1.16 In June 2008 the Australian Government announced a review of the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. Points to be considered in the review include the scope of the Act, and the manner in which key terms and concepts are defined. The review will also consider the extent to which the Act implements the non-discrimination obligations of CEDAW and the International Labour Organization or those under other international instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
CEDAW educational material
1.17 In response to the CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments, paragraph 13, which recommended awareness and training programs on the Convention for the judiciary, law enforcement officials, members of the legal profession and the public, the Australian Government Office for Women, in partnership with the Australian Human Rights Commission (formerly the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission) is developing an education pack on women's human rights in relation to CEDAW. The education pack will provide easy-to-understand information on CEDAW and how it is relevant to Australian women.
Acceding to the Optional Protocol and CEDAW
1.18 One of the three pillars of the Australian Government's approach to foreign policy is to strengthen our engagement with the United Nations. In the context of CEDAW, the Government acceded on November 24 2008, to the Optional Protocol to the Convention, and accession is likely to occur before the end of 2008. By becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the Australian Government is demonstrating its determination to continue promoting and protecting women's rights and making a powerful statement that discrimination against women-in Australia and internationally-is unacceptable. For more information about the CEDAW Optional Protocol, see paragraphs 2.29 and 2.30.
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Undertaking international activities
1.19 Australia has been active in international forums, which seek to address gender inequality. This has included Australian Government delegations to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women over the past decade, participation in the thematic discussion on violence against women at the 2008 United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice meeting, contributions to the Interactive Dialogue on Violence Against Women at the Human Rights Council in 2008, and attendance at the triennial meetings of Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers.
1.20 Australia has co-sponsored resolutions through the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, the Commission on the Status of Women, the General Assembly and the World Health Assembly over the past five years. In 2007, Australia hosted the 12th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Women Leaders' Network meeting and the Gender Focal Point Network.
1.21 Given that two-thirds of the world's poor (some 800 million people) reside in the Asia-Pacific, the Australian Government's international aid program is focused on our region. Gender equality is an overarching principle of Australia's aid program, and is also a critical development goal in its own right. Under the aid program, Australia is working in partnership with developing countries in the Asia-Pacific to improve the economic status of women, foster equal participation, and promote gender equality. The Australian Government's first Disability Strategy for its overseas aid program is being developed and is due to be launched in December 2008. It will define what actions will be taken through the development assistance program to help people with disabilities. In June 2007, the Office for Women funded the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to produce communication materials, including a booklet on CEDAW, supporting the advancement of women's representation and gender equality in Pacific parliaments. The materials were launched in September 2008 and distributed to women across the Pacific region.
Explaining Australia's system of government
1.22 Under Australia's system of government, powers are distributed between:
- the national government (the Australian Government, sometimes called the 'Commonwealth')
- six state governments- New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania (the states) and self-governing territory governments-including the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory (the territories)
- just over 600 local councils with mayors and councillors, who deal with community matters at the local level, across the country.
1.23 The Australian Government and all state governments and the governments of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory contributed to this report. For more information about Australia's system of government, including Australia's constitutional, political and legal structures, see Australia's Common Core Document, June 2006, paragraphs 16 to 43.
Consultation and feedback from non-government organisations and the community
1.24 In February 2008, the Australian Government held community consultations at the beginning of the process in each state and territory capital city as part of preparing to develop this report. In response to the CEDAW Committee's 2006 Concluding Comments in paragraphs 14, 15, 17, 18, 26, 28, 29 and 30 that Australia's last report on CEDAW in 2003 did not provide sufficient information on women with disabilities, Indigenous women, migrant and refugee women and rural and remote women, the Australian Government also held four roundtable discussions in March 2008 to gain greater insights into the views and concerns held by these groups of women. Issues discussed during the consultations and roundtables have helped guide and shape this report.
1.25 The Australian Government also welcomes feedback on this report and invites the community to contribute any comments or questions they may have to CEDAW (cedawfeedback@fahcsia.gov.au).
Shadow CEDAW report
1.26 The Australian Government has funded non-government organisations to conduct their own consultations and prepare an independent 'shadow' report for the CEDAW Committee's consideration. The community can contribute to this process by emailing CEDAW (cedaw@ywca.org.au).