Inquiry into gender equality as a national security and economic imperative

WYUT & GIWL
July 2026

Submission co-authored by GIWL to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

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The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) and Wiyi Yani U Thangani First Nations Gender Justice Institute is pleased to provide a second submission to the Inquiry into gender equality as a national security and economic imperative. This second submission has arisen following Dr.Elise Stephenson’s attendance as a witness at a public hearing for this inquiry on the 29th of May 2026 and the request for further recommendations. The insights shared below are in addition to our first submission and focus on the gender-climate nexus, national security, and online safety at the intersection of both national and economic security.

This submission additionally weaves in evidence collected across almost a decade of engagement with First Nations women, girls and gender diverse people through the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute. The central call to action, reflecting a First Nations lens, is that advancing gender equality as a national security and economic imperative is not possible without dedicated inclusion of First Nations women and girls, who remain structurally excluded from decision-making and economic participation, and disproportionately experience violence and economic insecurity.

Policy options are derived from existing and new research, including workshops held in Australia, interviews and surveys (both with representative and targeted samples, including of the general population, experts, policymakers), and extensive literature reviews. Aspects of such research has been supported by the Australian Research Council and other government funders. The climate change research supports our development of Australia’s first Gender-Climate Nexus Strategy – a community-derived and evidence driven set of policy options to fill the policy gap at this nexus, particularly at a domestic level.

We affirm an intersectional approach to gender equality – inclusive of women, men, non-binary and trans people in all their diversity.

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Come on the Journey to designing a First Nations gender justice workplace with us! As an Institute, we strive to embody First Nations gender justice principles in our workplace culture, employment conditions, policies and practices. As we develop this approach, we hope to be able to support other individuals, groups and organisations to become safe, non-discriminatory, inclusive, creative and meaningful working environments which enhance wellbeing and drive change. The way in which we are constructing this model at the Institute is by embedding into our work process, and embodying in our actions, our Ways of Working, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning approach and systems change practices.
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Please note: These opportunities are not affiliated with the Institute. We are highlighting them in an independent capacity.
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