Can you feel it? The overwhelming sense of relief that is cascading through Australian politics.
The G20 leaders are in the midst of some final handshakes before they jet off and get down to actually implementing the Brisbane Action Plan and 2014 Communique.
Of all the measures laid out in the official document few will be as transformational as the bid to include more women in the global economy. While it was foreshadowed a few weeks ago it is still exciting that the 20 largest economies in the world are formally focused on gender equality.
Broadly, this G20 is focused on greater connectivity and global reliance. More and more we will see countries realise their competitive advantages. To achieve this it is beholden on Tony Abbott and his contemporaries to unleash the power of gender equality across their nations.
Scattered through the official documents there is a focus on growth, development, job creation and a bevy of other economic buzzwords.
But the simplest way for the G20 nations to realise their target of a 2.1% global economic growth is through the empowerment of women. Part of this is to bring 100 million more women into the workforce around the world.
The self-described determination to achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth will be minimal without women. There are so many opportunities for women and organisations emanating out of these rather dry documents.
With less than 9% of the official G20 party being women, the only way is up for greater inclusion of women. So where to from here?
1. For business: Business must promote women to be leaders and commanders of capital in the global economy. Through management and in entrepreneurship, there must be a dismantling of the pale, male and stale dimension.
2. For government: The G20 can start to be more inclusive of women by appointing more women to government. David Cameron did earlier this year, it is expected that Tony Abbott will shuffle his cabinet sometime after Christmas – he must appoint more women. Our democracy expects more women around the cabinet table, the time to act is now.
3. For community: Community organisations and movements keep prioritising women’s voices. So often we can see women find leadership through social endeavours, but too often the boards and executives are male.
4. For women: One of the big lessons out of the G20 comes for women. We should all ask: how much longer can we let this go on? While these institutions are notoriously male, with consistent effort and agitation gains by all of us can be made.
Closing the gender gap is an issue for everyone. We all have a role to play to stand up, step forward and do what we can to make sure that gender equality and the G20 are synonymous.