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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-01 Daily Xml
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WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question regarding international students.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Education Adelaide's Women in Leadership event invites international students to meet with parliamentarians and to enjoy a tour of Parliament House. My question is: can the minister advise us about the Women in Leadership event that was held this morning?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, this morning I was very pleased to host the Education Adelaide's Women in Leadership event for international students. The students come from a wide cross-section of different countries, and these students are undertaking, or about to undertake, their studies in one of the universities.

Education Adelaide works to promote Adelaide as a centre of education excellence, and it highlights the many advantages for international students who choose to live, study and work in Adelaide. I have been very pleased to be involved with this event since its inaugural function, which was held in 2011, and I have been delighted to be able to speak to students during those past three years. These amazing women come from all different walks of life, and they are all highly successful in their field and are obviously working hard to further that. They bring a wealth of experience and insight. I have to say that I get a lot out of spending time with this particular group.

I am advised there were just over 28,000 international student enrolments in South Australia in 2012, and approximately 4,000 of these students reside in the Adelaide CBD. Women make up 46 per cent of all international students in Adelaide and, as the Minister for the Status of Women, I am passionate about ensuring that women are given the opportunity to participate as leaders in whatever field they might choose.

A number of surveys reported that international students achieve excellent employment outcomes and further study opportunities after they graduate with an Australian qualification. These surveys show that many international students educated in Australia have returned home to assume significant leadership in either government or industry whilst continuing to be strong advocates and ambassadors for Australia and maintaining often very close relationships with Australia and South Australia.

This is a relationship that flows in both directions. International students provide South Australia with significant economic benefits. I am advised that international education contributed $863 million in export earnings to the state in 2011-12. This contribution is not just in the form of student fees; it includes goods and services consumed by international students. According to ABS national data, around 50 per cent of the earnings are directed into the broader economy.

Besides economic benefits, just as important, if not more so, are the social and cultural contributions students make whilst they study here. International students add an incredible degree of energy, diversity and vibrancy to our communities. They increase ideas, experiences and ways of seeing the world in our community and, by doing so, they bring to us a much greater understanding of the wider world. I think it not only increases our understanding of different cultures and different ideas but also helps cultivate a greater degree of tolerance and understanding generally.

I was pleased to be able to share with the students today my journey into politics. I was also able to speak to them about some of the fantastic achievements of the Jay Weatherill government and our accomplishments for women from educating and training South Australian women via scholarships such as the AICD governance training I have mentioned in this place before through to the implementation of our intervention order legislation. There was quite a bit of interest in that.

I also spoke about the enshrined flexible work and leave arrangements in the public sector. For some of these women and the societies they come from, they just cannot believe that our Public Service actually has enshrined in legislation entitlements around access to flexible working arrangements. We are inclined to take these things for granted and, talking to a cross-section of international students, it is clear that this is something we should be very proud of.

I was pleased to be able to share with students so that they were aware that they have obviously come to a place that respects women's rights and believes profoundly in their potential. I certainly look forward to being updated with their progress as they settle into our community. I wish them all the very best with their academic goals while they stay here in Adelaide and I wish them every success in all their future pursuits.

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