On 9 May 2011 the PGPD hosted a Roundtable on Ending Gender Based Violence in the Asia Pacific Region. Over 70 participants including Parliamentarians, Ambassadors and High Commissions, United Nations representatives non-government organisations and academics joined the proceedings. The day-long event offered the participants a chance to hear about and discuss the interlinkages between violence and other development outcomes including: gender equality, human rights, health, policy and legistlative change and community and grassroots responses. The Hon Kate Ellis, Minister for the Status of Women offered opening remarks during the first session where she announced 2 new funding commitments by the Australian Government to support elimination of violence against Women in the Asia Pacific Region. Senators Claire Moore, Chair of the PGPD and Helen Kroger, PGPD Member also set the tone for the day with their opening remarks. A final report of the proceedings will be available in early June including the outcomes statement of the event.

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The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance as the Secretariat for the PGPD recently completed a survey research project on Young Parliamentarians' (aged 35 years or younger) views on issues relating to population and development. We thank the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development for the funding to make this research possible. The full text of the report can be accessed by clicking here and a hard copy can be requested from our office by email request

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The Parliamentary Group on Population and Development will be hosting an Expert Panel on: Linkages between Gender Based Violence and Maternal and Reproductive Health. The event will be immediately followed by a dinner to honor Patron and Founder of the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance: Marie Coleman. Please click here for further details

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Check the PGPD Events & Activities tab for more information regarding key dates and activities for the PGPD in 2011 or click here

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On Saturday, 18 December 2010, the Regional Standing Committee of Male Parliamentarians on the Prevention of VIolence against Women and Girls gathered in Port Macquarie, at the constituency of Federal Independent Member Mr. Rob Oakeshott, MP, to discuss the situation of violence in the region and to re-affirm their commitment to take action towards its prevention. 14 MPs from 13 countries in the region committed to actions on this issue and the Standing Committee will reconvene in the next six months under the Chairmanship of The Hon. Dr. Nizar Shihab, MP, Indoneisa. Australia will continue to play an active role in this Standing Committee which is convened by the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians for Population and Development. For the full text of the commitments arising from the meeting click here

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Male Parliamentarians for the Elimination of Violence against Women (MPEVAW), a Sub-Committee of the PGPD for its Male members was launched this morning, 24 November 2010 at Parliament House. Rob Oakeshott and Mal Washer co-convene this sub-committee and at the inaugural event the members agreed to a number of time-bound and targeted actions that they can take to work towards the shared goal of elimination of violence against women.

The full text of the communique can be found here. Members not present at the event have now signed the text and Ewan Jones and Russell Broadbent also signed their names at this morning's event. The document was signed 'in the presence of' Ms. Libby Lloyd, AM, Chair, Violence against Women Advisory Group (Commonwealth) and Mr. Matt Miller, Executive Director, Australian Sports Commission and National Leaders Group, White Ribbon Foundation. Both Ms. Lloyd and Mr. Miller addressed the group during their meeting.

Follow the links for the media alert and media release for the MPEVAW launch event.

Check out photos from the event

Check out some of the media outlets that are reporting this story below:

Ninemsn
The Australian
Herald Sun
The Daily Telegraph

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2010 Spring Newsletter now available

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Press Release: Women and War

The United Nations Population Fund annual "State of World Population"

Report Launch hosted by the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development in collaboration with the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance and UNFPA will take place on Wednesday 20 October 2010 from 10:00am at the Theatrette at Parliament House, Canberra.

The Hon Kate Ellis, Minister for the Status of Women will launch the report.

The theme of this year's report is: 'From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal: Generations of Change' and focuses on gender and conflict to highlight the 10 year anniversary of the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Mr. Najib Assifi, Deputy Regional Director of UNFPA APRO and Senator Claire Moore, Chair of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development to launch the report. For full details see here

Please join us for the launch of this report and for the seminar to follow; Chair Virginia Haussegger, ABC TV News

Seminar speakers include: Dana Hovig, Chief Executive Marie Stopes International Global Partnership; Dr. Bina D'Costa, Centre for International Governance and Justice, ANU; Professor Anthony Zwi, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW and Delia Quigley, AFP and Ms. Madeleine Willis, ANU. For all the details see here or contact us at 02 6249 6566