About Us

International Women’s Development Agency is the only Australian development organisation entirely focused on women’s rights and gender equality.

IWDA’s vision is for a just, equitable and sustainable world where women have a powerful voice in economic, cultural, civil and political life.

IWDA is secular, not-for-profit and works in partnership to create positive change.

Our values:

• Gender justice and empowerment of women
• Respect and diversity
• Partnership and collaboration
• Ethics and accountability

Identity and vision

IWDA is deeply connected with the global women’s movement and the feminist history that informed the foundation of our organisation in 1985. IWDA has consistently worked to catalyse and accelerate change in our region through local, national and international partnerships, alliances and networks. Our pursuit of gender justice is focused on civil and political participation, freedom from violence, sustainable livelihoods, economic empowerment and access to appropriate health and education information and services.

IWDA recognises partnership and collaboration as fundamental to development effectiveness. As we work with partners, we build our capabilities and strengths as women to advocate for gender equality. We dedicate our support to the empowerment of local women or women’s organisations as they challenge the barriers to change. Together we create space for women’s voices to be heard and amplify those voices through networking, advocacy and research. We take an active approach to women’s leadership, building capacity and confidence for individuals and organisations to make choices and participate in decision-making at the local, national and international level.

IWDA’s rights-based approach informs our focus on the fundamental causes of poverty, injustice, exploitation and power inequality at all levels of society. We advocate for change to policy and practice within organisations and institutions to eliminate discrimination in all areas affecting women’s lives. Our programs target changes to attitudes, traditions, cultural practices, laws or governance structures which limit women’s rights.

IWDA remains firmly committed to transforming the structures and behaviours that perpetuate gender inequality. Informed by our research and practice, we continue to argue strongly for gender to be integrated across the Australian aid program, with accountability mechanisms that support implementation of policy commitments. We do not see gender as a cross-cutting issue, a ‘sector’ or a perspective. Rather, it is a way of thinking and working that is essential to development effectiveness and ensuring both men and women participate in and benefit from development. Gender justice is premised on recognising that all development activities have a gender dimension. We firmly promote gender equality as central to achieving all of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the MDGs as key to equality for women and girls and the survival of communities.

We work within a Gender and Development framework, seeking to promote respectful relationships between men and women at all levels of society. We promote the rights of women as enshrined in key international instruments, UN resolutions and agreed conference outcomes.¹

IWDA has a process for handling any complaints about it. Please direct your complaint to the Administration Officer on 03 9650 5574 or iwda@iwda.org.au.