Australia makes gender equality key to foreign policy and aid

By Kirsty Needham

Gender equality is a "stronger predictor of peace than a nation's wealth or political system", Wong said in a speech at a U.N. Women event at parliament house.

Australia's new International Gender Equality Strategy aims to protect women's sexual and reproductive health rights and increase the security and financial inclusion of women.

"Across the world, women are facing more sexual and gender-based violence, and less access to sexual and reproductive health services," Wong said in announcing the new strategy.

Two in three women experience physical or sexual violence in the Pacific region, she added.

Globally, 380 million women and girls live in extreme poverty and 2.4 billion women do not have equal economic opportunities.

"Some will try to delegitimise this strategy as being about a 'special interest'... Gender equality is a matter of national interest," she added.

The United States, the biggest aid donor globally, has frozen aid funding, which includes women's reproductive health, and has criticized clean energy projects for women in the Pacific, as the Trump Administration overhauls foreign assistance.

Australia provides 40% of aid to the Pacific Islands region and already has a policy which requires gender equality goals in new aid projects of A$3 million or more.

Under the new strategy Australia will spend A$30 million to provide more assistance to aid groups to include gender and social inclusion targets in programmers, the foreign affairs department said.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Michael Perry)