Prominent Australian advocate and UN advisor for gender equality, Elizabeth Broderick (AO) stated that women’s participation in all aspects of Sri Lanka’s economy was critical to realising its economic potential.

She made the statement during her visit to Sri Lanka for the purpose of engaging with private and public sector leaders on the importance of promoting gender equality.

The Australian High Commission in Colombo, issuing a media release, today (17) reported that Elizabeth Broderick had met with various business leaders, including members of the Prime Minister’s taskforce on female workforce participation, to discuss the business case for gender equality. Broderick had also met with senior members of the Sri Lankan Police and Defence Forces to share experiences of building cultural change within Australia’s Police and Defence Force agencies.

Upon welcoming her, Deputy High Commissioner Tim Huggins said that Australia’s aid investments in Sri Lanka were designed to ensure that women benefit from all the economic growth-related programs. Ms Broderick’s visit and her engagement with private sector leaders will encourage the development of policies that maximise the participation of women in Sri Lanka’s economy,” Mr Huggins added.

“I am excited to be meeting with business leaders and other influential men and women to share innovative strategies, learn from each other and discuss how to accelerate the pace of change”, Elizabeth Broderick said.

“Women’s participation in all aspects of Sri Lanka’s economy is critical to realising its economic potential.”

Elizabeth Broderick served as an Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner from 2007 to 2015, and is now the Global Co-Chair of UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles and Special Adviser to Under-Secretary UN Women on Private Sector Engagement, She is also the Founder of the ‘Male Champions of Change’ initiative - working with influential male leaders to become advocates for gender equality.

The Economist listed Elizabth Broderick as one of the World’s Top 50 diversity figures in public life in 2015, alongside His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Barack Obama, and Bill Gates.