The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade through its Human Rights Subcommittee will hold its first public hearing for its inquiry into gender equality as a national security and economic security imperative on Friday 27 March 2026.
Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee, Mr Tony Zappia MP, said, 'Australia is a global champion of gender equality. Today the Subcommittee will hear from government departments responsible for Australia's foreign policy, defence and national security, to understand how the Australian government is promoting gender equality in this period of shifting global norms.'
'The Department of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is the whole-of-government lead on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The Subcommittee will hear from implementation partners of Australia's action plan for Women, Peace and Security, including representatives from DFAT, the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Defence and the Australian Federal Police.'
'The Subcommittee also looks forward to hearing from representatives from the Office for Women and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research on issues relevant to the inquiry terms of reference, including the importance of gender equality to economic prosperity and food security, and their expertise on gender-responsive budgeting, research and policymaking.'
Further information, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Inquiry webpage.
Public Hearing Details
Date: Friday 27 March 2026
Time: 9:00 am–12:45 pm (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra
The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.
