Empowering women and promoting gender equality is crucial to accelerating sustainable development that will support the region's COVID-19 response and recovery.

COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on women and girls in Southeast Asia. There is emerging evidence that critical gender equality gains over recent decades are being reversed. Women's participation in formal employment has declined by an estimated 4.2 per cent globally, and 31 per cent of women believe that violence against women has increased as a result of COVID-19.

Women Together is a new $300 million signature package over five years commencing in 2022-23 to support gender equality in Southeast Asia. The Package will be catalytic and transformative. It will focus on building women's economic empowerment, increasing women's leadership in regional peace and stability and realise women's and girl's rights with a focus on violence prevention. It will deepen Australia's relationships in the region.

Women Together stands alongside Pacific Women Lead, as major investments that highlight Australia's commitment to partnerships for gender equality in our Indo-Pacific region.