Empowering Women from Pakistan to the Pacific this International Women’s Day

This International Women’s Day UN Women National Committee Australia is putting the focus on the importance of women’s economic and political empowerment.

When it comes to closing the gender gap, there has been progress in some areas, but there is still a long way to go. While the percentage of women represented in parliaments around the world has doubled in the last twenty years, today, just 23% of parliamentarians are women while the Pacific Island Countries and Territories has the world’s lowest levels of women in parliament at 6.3%.  Around the world, women earn 24% less than men. Closer to home, in the Pacific, 63.1% of women work in vulnerable, low-paid or undervalued jobs
UN Women National Committee Australia’s 2017 International Women’s Day theme is Empower a woman, Empower a nation to put a spotlight on how developing women as leaders and unlocking pathways out of poverty make a tangible difference not only in the lives of women, but of whole communities.“When women’s incomes increase, whole families benefit. When women are represented in leadership roles, the needs of girls and women, alongside those of men and boys, are taken into account. By accelerating women’s economic and political empowerment, UN Women is making real change from Pakistan to the Pacific,” says Janelle Weissman, Executive Director of UN Women National Committee (NC) Australia.UN Women NC Australia will welcome Muniba Mazari, Pakistan’s National UN Women Ambassador and Aleta Miller, UN Women Representative from the Fiji Multi-Country Office, to International Women’s Day celebrations in capital cities across the country next week, to share their own stories of resilience and insights into what is working to advance women in leadership and break the cycle of poverty in their respective regions. They will be joined by Australian leaders on panels in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as well as MCs Tracey Spicer and Sandra Sully.

All funds raised from the events will go to support UN Women programs empowering women from Pakistan to the Pacific.

UN Women NC Australia’s events will be held across Australia on the following dates

Perth Breakfast – Tuesday 7 March, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 7:00am – 9:00am
Melbourne Breakfast – Wednesday 8 March, Melbourne Park Function Centre, 7:00am – 9:00am
Sydney Breakfast – Thursday 9 March, Sydney International Convention Centre, 7:00am – 9:00am
Canberra Breakfast – Thursday 9 March, National Convention Centre Canberra, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Brisbane Breakfast – Friday 10 March, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, 7:00am – 9:00am