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Global progress on gender equality is stalling, and in some places going backwards. The World Economic Forum estimates that, at current rates, Asia and the Pacific won't reach gender parity for 179 years. In this episode, host Roland Rajah is joined by Grace Stanhope (Lowy Institute) and Professor Katrina Lee-Koo (University of Queensland) to analyse why gender equality is under siege. They discuss shrinking aid budgets, the politicisation of gender in foreign policy, and the retreat of the United States from global development. They ask what's working, why "gender mainstreaming" might have hit its limits, and where Australia could make an outsized difference as a middle power.
14 July 2026
179 years to parity: The Indo-Pacific’s gender equality backslide
Featuring
Grace Stanhope
Grace Stanhope is a Research Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Development Centre at the Lowy Institute, working on the Southeast Asia Aid Map. Her work focuses on tracking and analysing foreign aid and development finance flows to Southeast Asia.
Roland Rajah
Roland Rajah is Lead Economist and Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre at the Lowy Institute, focusing on economic development challenges across Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South Asia. His research spans macroeconomics, aid and development finance, geoeconomics, and regional integration.
Katrina Lee-Koo
Katrina Lee Koo is a Professor and Head of School at the School of Political Science and International Studies at The University of Queensland.