Melbourne in the running to host Women Deliver conference in 2022

Melbourne in the running to host Women Deliver conference in 2022

Melbourne is officially in the running to host the Women Deliver Conference in 2022.

The bid was made with over seventy influential advocates for gender equality gathered at Victoria’s Parliament House during a registered Women Deliver (WD) satellite event as part of the WD2019 event in Vancouver.

Hosted by the Victorian Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams MP the launch event is a unique opportunity to rally support for Melbourne’s bid and carry the momentum of Women Deliver to the arenas where changemakers are driving real progress on the path to a more gender equal world.

Headquartered in New York, ‘Women Deliver’ is a leading global advocate for gender equality and the health, rights and wellbeing of girls and women. Held every three years, the Women Deliver global conference is the world’s largest event championing the empowerment of girls and women.

The bid led by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) with support from all levels of Australian government and key stakeholders across industry and organisations, aims to bring the event to Australia for the first time.

Melbourne’s bid for the 2022 conference was submitted in August 2018 and has since been shortlisted against two other cities. As part of the bid process, Melbourne will be required to host a site visit later this year for Women Deliver executives, ahead of the host destination announcement mid-2020.

If successful, the four-day conference is estimated to attract upwards of 5,000 delegates and inject over $26 million to Victoria and the potential to deliver impactful long-lasting legacies that go beyond the dollars with initiatives stretching well into the future benefitting women and communities globally.

MCB acting chief executive Julia Swanson said Melbourne will deliver on its reputation as a leading global conference destination along with its exceptional collaborative city approach with nation-wide stakeholders working together to ensure a successful conference in 2022.

“We aim to create a lasting legacy for Women Deliver and the values it represents, as well as giving back to the local communities in Victoria and Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and globally,” she said.

“Melbourne is a gateway to the Pacific region and brings together cultures from more than 15 small island Pacific nations. The issues and challenges for women across our region are unique but will have resonance with many other countries and communities.

“It’s through events like this we can continue the global dialogue for gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women from our part of the world.  By pushing beyond boundaries, we can harvest a sustainable future for all genders.”

Australia is a world leader in prioritising women’s health and family violence reform, with Government commitment to be at the forefront of efforts to promote the empowerment of women and girls.

Victorian Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams said she hoped women and girls today would increasingly see their opportunities for success grow.

“We’re proud of our work on gender equality – Victoria led the nation in instigating the first ever royal commission into family violence and we will create once in a generation reform through our gender equality legislation,” she said.

“Our bid for the conference is another step we’re taking to help life improve for women and girls, now and in the future.”

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