Courageous and fearless

A true trailblazer

Our grand lady

These are some of the words that have been used to describe a magnificent woman.

Someone I’ve known for more than 30 years

It is with great sadness that I too pay tribute to Lowitja O’Donoghue

Lowitja dedicated her life to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

And deserves Australia’s deepest respect, gratitude and love.

Lowitja's story

Lowitja’s story is the truth of this country

Ballumb Ambul Kaurna yindamarra Ngadu – yirra bang marang

In my language of the mighty Wiradjuri nation -

I pay my respects to the Kaurna people 

I honour their custodianship and care for country.

Thank you Elaine Magias for the warm Welcome.

It is fantastic to be here amongst so many fabulous women to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Thank you to my friend and colleague  and the longest serving female cabinet minister in Australia’s history Penny Wong for hosting this wonderful event.

It’s very famous and I can see why.

I begin by paying respect to the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the ancient Ngunnawal people, and pay my respect to their elders past and present. 

I want to acknowledge the strength and leadership of First Nations women in Australia – who are so often leaders in their communities, holders of knowledge and strong advocates for equality.

SARAH FERGUSON, HOST: Katy Gallagher, welcome to 7.30.

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Thanks for having me on, Sarah.

FERGUSON: Today you've announced super will be paid on government-funded parental leave from 2025. Why wait so long to bring it in?

JULIE HARE, HOST: This policy has had a tricky passage through to today’s announcement. It was ALP policy for a long time and then it was jettisoned before the last election. It’s now back. Can you explain for us why it’s had such a troubled time getting through to this point, and especially considering it’s still not assured because it doesn’t come into place until after the next election?

Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, has today delivered on an election commitment and released Australia’s first national strategy to achieve gender equality.

Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality is the Albanese Government’s 10-year commitment to get things working for women in Australia.

The strategy responds to voices of women from around Australia and we heard clearly that they do not want to wait another generation for change.

MICHAEL ROWLAND, CO-HOST: Thousands of Australian mums and dads could be better off with the Government promising to add super contributions to their paid parental leave scheme if it wins the next election. Under the current program, a couple with a newborn or newly-adopted child can get access to up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave at the national minimum wage, but there were calls to add on super to ensure women do not fall behind in retirement.

KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Welcome back. Matildas Captain Sam Kerr’s alleged racial slur against a police officer in London has been revealed in a British tabloid, as The Sun reports the soccer star called the officer a, quote, stupid white bastard. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is 2GB’s Chris O'Keefe and Finance Minister – on a big day for her – Katy Gallagher. Appreciate your time. Thanks so much. Katy, to you first up, do we think that's worth a four-day trial?

The Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, will travel to New York to lead Australia’s delegation to the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

The Commission is the premier global forum on gender policy issues and is instrumental in promoting women’s rights and shaping global standards on gender equality. 

Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, says she is proud to be promoting Australia’s commitment to gender equality.

The Albanese Government has released the second annual Status of Women Report Card showing what life looks like for women and girls in Australia in 2024. 

The Government promised to release a report card every International Women’s Day to shine a light on where progress towards gender equality has stalled and where more effort is needed. 

The 2024 report card shows that women in Australia are diverse, educated, and hardworking.