The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, has appointed Stephanie Copus-Campbell AM as the Ambassador for Gender Equality.

The Ambassador for Gender Equality is a lead advocate for Australia’s work on gender equality and the human rights of women and girls.

The Ambassador engages in international advocacy, public diplomacy, and outreach in support of Australian Government policies and programs to:

• ·         promote gender equality
• ·         eradicate sexual and gender-based violence
• ·         eliminate discrimination against women and girls, and persons of diverse gender identities
• ·         ensure better educational and health (including sexual and reproductive maternal health) opportunities and outcomes for women and girls
• ·         enhance the participation of women in decision-making and leadership
• ·         implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda

Stephanie has extensive experience working across the public, private, philanthropic and community sectors in Australia and the Indo Pacific. She has served as head of Australia’s bilateral aid programs with Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tuvalu and head of Australia’s Pacific Regional programs. She has also worked in senior executive roles with CARE Australia and the Oil Search Foundation.

In 2018, the PNG Government appointed Stephanie as Chair of the Southern Highlands Provincial Health Authority Board. She is also the founding Director on the Femili PNG Board (providing services to survivors of family and sexual violence) and actively involved in a not for profit, social impact coffee business that supports female coffee growers in PNG with all profits funding domestic violence services in PNG.