Jakarta - Australia's Global Ambassador for Women and Girls Penny Williams began a visit to Indonesia on Tuesday to support Australian and Indonesian government programmes aimed at strengthening gender equality and women's empowerment. During her visit, Ambassador Williams will meet with Indonesian women involved in several sectors of society, reported the Australian embassy here on Wednesday. "Indonesia is my first visit to South East Asia as Ambassador for Women and Girls," announced Ambassador Williams in her statement, adding that "for Australia, there is no more important relationship than with Indonesia." "When a country as diverse and complex as Indonesia makes advances in gender equality, women's empowerment and maternal health, it demonstrates to the world what can be achieved in development more generally," she pointed out. According to her, advocacy for women and girls is a priority for Australia. "In Indonesia, I am looking to broaden support for women and women's leadership programmes," she remarked. She is scheduled to visit a community health clinic in Cipayung village, Bogor, and meet women who run a small cassava flour production business in Kedung Manggu village. Australia helps fund these projects by supporting the Indonesian government's National Community Empowerment Progamme (PNPM). PNPM benefits more than 70,000 villages, providing access to health and education services for women and children. Australia also supports Indonesia's efforts to reduce maternal mortality rates, for example, by working towards the goal of all women being able to give birth in health facilities. In 2011-2012, Australia ensured that an additional 17,800 births were overseen by skilled birth attendants in East Nusa Tenggara. (*)

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