The Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) has tabled its report titled ‘The pursuit of equality: Inquiry into the rights of women and children.’
The Chair of the Subcommittee, Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP, stated, “Almost every witness and submitter to the inquiry noted that the rights of women and children were in decline globally.”
“This regression of the rights of women and children has been attributed to a combination of factors, including the impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict and instability. Growing inequality and resistance from some nation-states who are hostile to the international human rights agenda has further exacerbated the situation,” said Ms Vamvakinou.
The report makes 10 recommendations aimed at strengthening and furthering measures to better support the rights of women and children globally, including:
- the creation of an international policy aimed specifically at children that is similar to the current gender strategy;
- the implementation of a suite of strategies designed to counteract orphanage trafficking and tourism;
- highlighting gender-based violence as a key strategic issue in the new International Gender Equality Strategy that is to be developed and implemented by the Australian Government; and
- improving legislative responses to the rights of victims of child exploitative material distributed online.
The report is now available on the JSCFADT website.
