Statements
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians workshop
Statement
Hon Kate Doust (5:19 pm): Members, I rise tonight to talk about my recent attendance at the 2025 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) workshop, held in Nassau in The Bahamas from 29 April to 2 May. As Vice-Chairperson and Australian Regional Chair of the CWP, it was indeed an honour to participate in the four-day program convened under the theme "Parliamentarians as drivers of women's economic empowerment". The workshop brought together members of Parliament from across the Commonwealth, including representatives from the United Kingdom, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, the Caribbean and several African nations, to examine legislative, financial and social strategies to advance the economic inclusion of women. There were more than 50 women there and four very brave and inspired male champions of women in their Parliaments.
In November 2023, the CWP Steering Committee International identified women's employment and economic empowerment, lifelong learning and the development of women parliamentarians as potential themes for future CWP workshops. As a result of that steering committee meeting, it was agreed to convene this workshop, with the aim of strengthening parliamentarians' efforts to advance women's economic empowerment. The workshop opened with a formal ceremony during which I had the privilege of welcoming delegates on behalf of the CWP. I acknowledged the growing presence of women in our Parliaments, with the corresponding responsibility that we bear to ensure these numbers translate into amplified collective influence. As I said in my remarks at the time, whilst there is a growing density of numbers, it becomes more important for us as women in Parliament to use that density of numbers to make our voices louder.
I just want to share with members some of my words at the opening session. I talked about how researchers consistently demonstrated that women's economic empowerment and the closing of gender gaps across key sectors are associated with higher rates of economic growth, reduced inequality, increased productivity, stronger financial sector outcomes and greater financial stability for countries. The importance of the workshop was underscored by recent global developments, notably the urgent call issued at the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, urging stakeholders to strengthen national and local planning and budgetary processes to enable governments to cost, allocate and invest in policies and programs that address challenges facing all women and girls living in poverty, including through the integration of gender analysis into policy and decision-making processes and by increasing the capacity of ministries of finance to assess the differentiated impacts of fiscal policies on women.
Additionally, the workshop drew on research from economists and policy experts, indicating that voters often perceive economic issues as more technical than social and cultural ones, and that parliamentarians frequently seek to advance economic policies without adequately communicating their guiding principles and overarching vision to the public. Therefore, it is imperative that parliamentarians strengthen their skills as effective communicators, ensuring that economic policies are clearly articulated and accessible to the public and media. Building these capabilities across all parliamentarians is essential for fostering informed public engagement and for achieving broader economic and gender equality objectives.
Members, I was very pleased that during the conference we were welcomed by the President of the Senate of The Bahamas, Senator Hon J LaShell Adderley, and the Speaker of the House of the Assembly, Hon Patricia Deveaux, both of whom spoke passionately about the importance of regional and global collaboration to achieve gender equity and transformative policy change. During the conference, I also had the opportunity to attend a sitting of The Bahamas Senate and meet with the Senate President, Senator Adderley. I must say, the bill of the day was around mining and setting up a commission for mining. I thought there was lot of lot of synchronicity between what they were doing in The Bahamas and what we have to offer here in Western Australia.
All the delegates were also very fortunate to attend an event with the Governor-General of The Bahamas, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Cynthia Alexandria Pratt. I think she is referred to as "Mother Pratt" in The Bahamas. She was the first Deputy Prime Minister of The Bahamas from 2002 to 2007. She is an amazing woman, and it was indeed a privilege to have had a private meeting with her and to hear her speak at the reception for our delegates.
Over the four days, we engaged in a broad and rigorous program of discussions, workshops and site visits. Key topics included applying a gender lens to financial oversight. Delegates examined how to integrate gender-responsive budgeting into parliamentary scrutiny processes, with practical guidance provided by experts from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, UN Women and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
Another session dealt with challenging discriminatory legal frameworks. We looked closely at legislative barriers to women's economic empowerment and shared strategies for reform, learning from both international and local Bahaman experiences. Another session focused on strengthening public engagement. This workshop addressed the critical role of media and youth engagement for advancing gender equity, with parliamentarians participating in communications exercises to refine their advocacy messages for broader audiences.
We also had an opportunity to engage with future leaders in The Bahamas. This was indeed a highlight of the program. We were able to meet with the members of the Bahaman National Youth Parliament and participants in the Caribbean Women in Leadership She Leads program, reminding us of the importance of mentorship and inclusive participation in our democratic institutions. I must say, they are an outstanding group of predominantly young women.
Throughout the workshop there was a very strong and shared commitment amongst all participants to advance economic opportunities for women, not just as a matter of justice, but as a pathway to broader social and economic prosperity. The message was very clear: when women rise, communities thrive. As legislators we have the power and responsibility to help make that possible.
For our newer members who perhaps do not know a lot about Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), it is the network that represents women members of Parliament across the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's Parliaments and legislatures. The network picks up about 6,000 women parliamentarians across more than 180 national and subnational Parliaments within the CPA's nine regions. All women members of Parliament who are members of the CPA automatically become part of the CWP. I encourage all our new members, if they have not already joined the CPA, to please do so and please become active within the CWP as well. It is a very, very well organised arrangement, and I think they would have a lot to gain from participation there.
Finally, members, I would like to thank the CWP secretariat led by Benite Dibateza, Charlotte Corby, Sharon Moses and Miral Pankhania. I thank UN Women; UN Women Caribbean; the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; The Bahamas Small Business Development Commission; the Caribbean Women in Leadership Bahamas Chapter; the Parliament of The Bahamas; and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for hosting such a thoughtful and impactful program.
I must say in my last couple of minutes, The Bahamas—which, as members would know, has 700 islands, but only about 20 on which people live—has seen a rapid increase in the number of women in its Parliament, both in the Assembly and the Senate. It has become the norm. They just accept that women will be elected. Out of their last seven women elected to its Parliament, five have become ministers. It has a long history. We were able to meet women who voted for the first time in The Bahamas who became Prime Ministers and foreign ministers and who have left an indelible mark upon their community and now share that with young women coming up who also strive to take a seat in their Parliament in due course. Members of Parliament in those other places are treated in a very different way from how members of Parliament in Australia are quite often treated. It was quite an interesting thing to see.
Another thing that struck me as very different to what I have seen in our Parliament was that members of Parliament there spoke very strongly about their connection to their faith and it became part of the dialogue and their discussion around the table, certainly in the Senate, as though it was nothing unusual. That was something that I picked up as being different.
This was a great opportunity for me to not just represent the CWP, but network with fellow women parliamentarians from across the globe, learn about how they do business in their own parliaments, share our ideas and experiences and, hopefully, take forward some of the outcomes from the workshop to become part of our work plan going forward for the CWP, both at an international level and an Australian level. I certainly appreciated the opportunity to be there representing the CWP and certainly our Western Australian Parliament. I encourage others: if you get the opportunity to attend these events, please take it and make the most of it. I think you will learn a great deal from it.
