On 5 March, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, announced Ms Natasha Stott Despoja AO as Australia’s candidate for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

The Committee is a body of 23 independent experts that monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Known worldwide as a strong advocate for women’s rights and gender equality, Natasha Stott Despoja would bring a breadth of experience and passion to this important Committee.

Natasha was previously Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls. In this role, she worked tirelessly to deliver Australia’s international gender equality policies and programs, and represented Australia at crucial gender-focussed fora. In 2018 she was selected as one of the 100 most influential people in the world on gender equality.

Natasha is the inaugural Chair of Our Watch, Australia’s national foundation dedicated to ending violence against women and children. As Chair, she oversaw the development of the first-ever national framework for the prevention of violence against women.

Australia’s role as Vice-Chair of the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women, our membership of the Human Rights Council and our recent membership of the Executive Board of UN Women, highlights our commitment to advancing gender equality and promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls across the world.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will work closely with Natasha to support her campaign.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the election, originally scheduled for 29 June 2020, has been postponed to the first week of September 2020. More information is available on the CEDAW Committee webpage.