Public hearings commence for inquiry into gender equality as a national security and economic security imperative
Parliament of Australia
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.
Media inquiries
James Peikert, Office of Mr Tony Zappia MP (Member for Makin, SA; Chair, Human Rights Subcommittee)
Ph: (02) 6277 4147 or (08) 8265 3100
For background information
Committee Secretariat
Ph: 02 6277 2313
[email protected]
For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
