Our Prime Minister has signed the United Nations’ HeforShe pledge to promote gender equality at an International Women’s Day Breakfast in Canberra this morning.
For it’s IWD celebration, HeforShe held a parliamentary breakfast and called upon Australian politicians to take the pledge. The HeforShe pledge asks signatories to commit to, “Take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls”, and to acknowledge that “gender equality is not only a women’s issue, it is a human rights issue that requires my participation”.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten both signed the pledge, and were joined by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women Senator Michaelia Cash, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Greens leader Christine Milne, Greens senator Larissa Waters, ALP MP Tim Watts and the Australian Chief of Army David Morrison.
Abbott addressed the breakfast and spoke about the importance of working towards gender equality.
“Real men don’t threaten or bully women,” he said. “Violence against women is abhorrent.”
The PM noted that one in three women experience violence in some form. He said it is time to turn good intentions into actions.
Shorten also addressed the breakfast in Canberra, and spoke specifically about tackling violence against women.
“Ending gender inequality is a job for all us, now. This must begin with tackling family violence,” he said.
“The definitive risk factor for family violence is being a woman.”
He said we must put an end to the times when Australian women are forced to battle family violence alone.
The HeforShe campaign has been remarkably successful since actress Emma Watson launched it at the UN in September 2014 with a powerful speech on gender equality.
Its aim is to bring men into the conversation about gender equality, by asking them to do one simple thing: Sign a pledge to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls.