About PGPD

The Parliamentary Group on Population and Development was formed in 1995 to support and promote the Program of Action from the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1994.

The Group was initially co-convened by Senator Margaret Reynolds, Senator Vicki Bourne and Dr Brendan Nelson MP.

In 1998 a new constitution for the Group allowed members of state/territory parliaments to join. Under the new rules, Dr Brendan Nelson MP was elected to Chair the Group in 1999, continuing in this position until 2003 when he resigned due to his ministerial workload. Michael Johnson MP then held the position until 2006, when Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP was elected to the position. Dr Stone served until February 2007, and was succeeded by Dr Mal Washer MP.

The Group has contributed to raising awareness in Australian parliaments about international population and development issues. The Group has hosted meetings and seminars with leaders in the field, including Dr Robert Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Dr Thoraya Obaid, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and Dr Steve Sinding, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

Members of the Group have participated in study tours, to Thailand/Vietnam, Vanuatu/Fiji, and the Philippines. The Group also hosted the conference "Health for All into the 21st Century" in 1999 and the 2nd Asian Women Parliamentarians' and Ministers' Conference on Population and Development in 2004.

Members of the Group regularly participate in the meetings and activities of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD)

Mission statement

The PGPD supports the empowerment of women and girls through our commitment to gender equality and the advancement of women as set out in the ICPD Programme of Action. We affirm that equality goes hand-in-hand with investments in sexual and reproductive health, education and economic opportunity. Taken together these investments can lift millions of people out of poverty.

We work to mobilise political will in addressing discrimination and violence against women and to reverse the appallingly high rates of maternal deaths and disability by advocating for safe reproductive health care services.

We also affirm that integrated reproductive health care and HIV/AIDS policies and practices are a critical tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the empowerment of women in our region.

The objectives of the PGPD are:

To engage members of the Australian federal and state Parliaments in supporting and promoting women’s human rights and empowerment in the Asia Pacific region; in particular their sexual and reproductive rights.

To advocate that at least 5% of Australia’s aid program expenditure be directed to population and development activities as set out in the ICPD.

To advocate and promote evidence-based policies and legislation on sexual and reproductive health care policies, practices and services.

To increase support for access to systems and services which enable women and men to improve their reproductive health care options.

To pursue these objectives, the PGPD undertakes a range of activities:

Using parliamentary processes to promote issues of population and development, including issuing questions on notice, taking part in debates, participation in budget estimates, and others.
Engaging individually and collectively in public and private discussions and debates on Population and Development.
Participating in national, international and UN conferences on Population, Development, Reproductive Health and allied issues.
Engaging in person-to-person advocacy with national and international parliamentarians.