Australia’s Leaders Unite to Launch International Women’s Month with UN Women Australia
Date:
Originally published on the UN Women Australia website, 5 February 2025
[Press release]
Author: Jessica Lewington
Canberra – This morning, Australia’s political leaders joined UN Women Australia at the annual International Women’s Day (IWD) Parliamentary Breakfast at Parliament House to officially launch International Women’s Month. Co-hosted by the Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, and the Hon. Peter Dutton MP, Leader of the Opposition, the event brought together over 350 guests to reflect on progress and renew commitments to achieving gender equality.
The 2025 theme, March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls, marks the significant milestone of Beijing+30—thirty years since the adoption of the UN Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The theme calls for bold action to address persistent inequalities and ensure no woman or girl is left behind in the global push for gender equality.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasised the importance of collective action:
“Creating opportunity for women is more than a measure of our national fairness – it’s a driver of our national success.
“It grows our workforce, lifts our living standards, boosts productivity, liberates the talent and capacity we need to build Australia’s future.
“When women ‘march forward’, our whole nation makes progress.”
Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton acknowledged the progress made and emphasised the ongoing need to champion gender equality worldwide:
“In launching International Women’s Day, we acknowledge that there’s more to be done for women’s equality, women’s economic empowerment and women’s security.
“But we also celebrate the progress that has been made – especially in democratic societies like Australia.
“We should not forget that the respect for women and respect for gender equality which exists in Australia – the values we uphold and cherish – are still absent from so many parts of the world.”
Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong also highlighted Australia’s commitment to advancing equality globally:
“Australia is always better off when our region and world is more prosperous and more secure.
“We know that gender equality reduces poverty, strengthens social cohesion, unlocks economic productivity and enhances prosperity for current and future generations.
“So as we advance our interests in the world, policies that contribute to women and girls’ empowerment are central to our national interest.”
Simone Clarke, CEO of UN Women Australia, underscored the urgency of this year’s theme:
“This International Women’s Day calls for bold leadership as we March Forward for ALL women and girls—because no one should be left behind.”
The breakfast featured keynote addresses by Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, as well as an official address from Christine Arab, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at UN Women.
“Thirty years ago, the world came together to adopt the Beijing Platform for Action for Women. This is the world’s most comprehensive global agenda for advancing women’s rights. Yet, its promises remain unfulfilled for far too many women and girls. Three decades on, we must come together to accelerate progress—ensuring that every woman and girl can live free from violence, enjoy equal opportunities, and lead with confidence and dignity in all areas of life,” said Christine Arab, UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
The event concluded with a presentation by Christine Arab to the winner of the Voices for Change: ACT Schools Gender Equality Competition and a Beijing+30 Gender Equality Panel discussion featuring Dr Sevda Clark, Dr Virginia Mapedzahama, Victoria McKenzie, and Christina Ryan. The panel explored actionable solutions to advance gender equality in Australia and beyond.
UN Women Australia will continue marking the 30-year anniversary with their International Women’s Day events, held in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and online on Friday, 7 March 2025. As some of Australia’s largest International Women’s Day events, these gatherings provide a crucial platform for advancing the national dialogue on gender equality and raising funds to support women and girls globally. Tickets for the March 7 events are on sale now at iwd.net.au. IWD@Work packages are also available for businesses looking to bring the celebrations to their workplace.