About the strategy

The Government is committed to being a global leader on gender equality. To support that commitment, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is developing a new International Gender Equality Strategy.

The new International Strategy will recognise gender equality as central to Australia’s foreign policy, international development, humanitarian action, trade and security efforts.

• It will guide Australia’s actions to protect and promote the human rights of all women and girls.
• It will align with the commitments to gender equality made in the region by the Pacific Islands Forum, ASEAN and APEC. It will reflect global commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, for example, on gender equality, climate change and human rights.
• It will identify the opportunities for Australia, our region and our world for stability, security, prosperity and safety in achieving gender equality and the full and equal participation of all in our societies.

The new International Strategy will reflect the Government’s commitment to achieve gender equality in Australia’s forthcoming first National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality, the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, and Australia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2021-31.

Process

In developing this strategy, DFAT is consulting widely to ensure that a range of organisations and people from diverse backgrounds in our region, and in Australia, have an opportunity to contribute. This will include consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders from countries in our region, internationally and in Australia.

DFAT will also draw on the views and priorities shared in public submissions provided to inform Australia’s International Development Policy and Southeast Asia Economic Strategy.

In addition to this strategy, DFAT is developing a First Nations approach to foreign policy, an International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, a Humanitarian Strategy and a human rights engagement strategy for LGBTQIA+ equality and inclusion. DFAT will work to build clear connections between these new statements of foreign policy and strategy, including in consultations for stakeholders and partners.

Have your say

DFAT would like to invite public submissions as part of this process, to hear from people and organisations, and to inform the priorities for the strategy.

The four main questions you may wish to consider when preparing a submission are: 

1. What are international gender equality priorities?
2. What are the most effective approaches for achieving gender equality globally?
3. How can Australia best support efforts to achieve gender equality internationally?
4. What should the government/ DFAT consider when developing the new international gender equality strategy? 

Submissions which identify issues, ways of working, geographic areas, or sectors (foreign policy, trade, security, international development and humanitarian action) are welcome. 

We encourage submissions to build on submissions for the International Development Policy and the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality. DFAT has reviewed the submissions previously provided. Written submissions of five (5) pages or less can be sent to gender.equality@dfat.gov.au or by post to:

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
RG Casey Building, John McEwen Crescent
Barton, ACT 0221
Australia 

Please contact gender.equality@dfat.gov.au if you have any questions or to discuss any accessibility and accommodation requirements.

Note video or audio recordings can also be submitted, via a link, and can be up to 10 minutes in length.

If submitting a video or audio recording, please upload your video or audio recording to a third party site such as Youtube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. Title your recording with your full name and adjust your privacy setting to ensure that anyone with your link can view/listen to your recording. Please use the ‘share’ function to get the link. Do not copy the link from your browser’s address bar. If you wish to password protect your recording, please use “IGES2023” as your password and confirm this information in your submission.

Public submissions are open until 18 September 2023.