Fears foreign aid cuts will hurt the world's most vulnerable women

Updated

Cuts to foreign aid have sparked fears among aid agencies that Australia will return to "truck and chuck" operations to the detriment of women who live in some of the world's worst hotspots for physical and sexual abuse.

The Federal Government revealed its latest cut of $3.7 billion to foreign aid earlier this week as part of the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook (MYEFO) announcement which showed the nation's deficit had blown out by $10 billion to more than $40 billion.

The funding reduction comes after Foreign Minister Julie Bishop declared in a speech last June that empowering women and girls in our region was a "personal passion" and was perhaps the nation's "most important priority" in terms of aid.

At the time International Womens Development Agency chief executive Joanne Hayter praised Ms Bishop's comments as "sensational" and said they showed courageous leadership.

"Unfortunately the views of the Foreign Minister at this time would seem to be not as valid," she said.

We know that in Pacific countries the rates of violence against women are in fact the highest in the world. Oxfam Australia chief executive Dr Helen Szoke

Ms Hayter added it was "diabolical" to be discussing foreign aid cuts and the effect they would have on women six months after Ms Bishop delivered the speech to the National Press Club in Canberra.

She fears the group empowered with cutting the budget may not "put a gender lens across the impact of those decisions".

"We could see absolutely catastrophic consequences in terms of all of the work we've done to date.

"If it doesn't include men and women with the skills to be able to do a gender analysis of those impacts we're in big trouble."

Oxfam Australia chief executive Dr Helen Szoke does not doubt Ms Bishop's commitment to gender but said the cuts would undoubtedly have an impact on women trying to escape poverty.

"You can't cut a budget as harshly and as significantly as the aid budget has been cut without it having some impact on the ambition on what was put into that aid paradigm," Dr Szoke said.

...then we just go back to what we call 'truck and chuck'... driving the big trucks, distributing some buckets, and drive off again - not necessarily making the world a better place for people after disasters. Chair of Oxfam's International Gender and Emergency Group Jo Podlesak

"If you cut the aid budget it must have an impact on getting women out of poverty."

She said historically women wear the brunt of poverty, are the worst affected by humanitarian disasters, are much more vulnerable than men in times of crisis, and were marginalised when it came to economic decision making.

Dr Szoke added that Australia's region was home to some of the worst treatment of women.

"We know that in Pacific countries the rates of violence against women are in fact the highest in the world.

"Up to 68 per cent of Pacific women report physical or sexual abuse."

The chair of Oxfam's International Gender and Emergency Group, Jo Podlesak, is concerned the cuts would lead to Australia being more reactive in their response to emergency situations.

"My fear would be that we would just move back to absolute lifesaving intervention, rather than looking at a situation as a whole," she said.

"If we don't have the resources and the capacity to do that extra analysis and build back better after a disaster then we just go back to what we call 'truck and chuck'... driving the big trucks, distributing some buckets, and drive off again - not necessarily making the world a better place for people after disasters."

Foreign Minister blames Labor for aid cuts

Ms Bishop blamed the cuts to foreign aid on the Labor Party's refusal to support the Government's budget savings.

Ms Bishop said the budget cut allocations would be "consistent with the Australian Government's new aid paradigm I announced earlier this year".

"This includes a focus on women's economic empowerment, promoting women's leadership, and eliminating violence against women and children.

Gender equality is a central plank of Australia's foreign policy and development work. We must invest in women and girls, especially in our region. Australia's Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja

"At least 80 per cent of investments address gender issues in their implementation."

However, Ms Bishop did not comment on whether or not the panel making decisions about the cuts would include people with gender-specific knowledge and skills.

Australia's Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja said she understood concerns within the aid sector, particularly in the current environment.

"Gender equality is a central plank of Australia's foreign policy and development work," Ms Stott Despoja said.

The ambassador added that she expected Australia's aid program to continue emphasising gender equality.

"We must invest in women and girls, especially in our region," she said.

"One of the best ways to promote economic growth is to empower and make better use of the skills and talents of women and girls, and to advance gender equality."

Ms Bishop said she would continue to work closely with Ms Stott Despoja to ensure the challenges facing women were met.

Topics: poverty, government-and-politics, world-politics, women, australia

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