SURGE is pleased to share DFAT’s new Guidance Note: Our Development Cooperation is Enhanced by First Nations Australians’ Perspectives.
Developed by the DFAT Office of First Nations International Engagement in collaboration with Ninti One, this Guidance Note offers practical advice on how to embed First Nations Australian perspectives into Australia’s international development programs. Grounded in the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), it highlights how a First Nations approach to foreign policy enables the leadership and participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in shaping Australia's international engagement.
This approach recognises the value of Indigenous knowledge and leadership, while also contributing to Australia’s diplomatic and development efforts by drawing on the country’s unique cultural heritage as home to some of the world’s oldest continuing cultures.
SURGE would like to acknowledge Ninti One—one of our partner organisations—and several Australian First Nations SURGE panel members for their important contributions to the development of this Guidance Note, from early consultations through to its finalisation.
We welcome this Guidance Note as a timely and significant step toward more inclusive, effective, and meaningful development practice.
New DFAT Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation in Development Programs
With support from CBM Australia (CBMA), DFAT has developed a new Good Practice Note on reasonable accommodation. This resource helps DFAT staff and partners understand what reasonable accommodation is, DFAT’s obligations to provide it, and how it can be used to enable the full and equal participation of people with disability.
Aligned with Australia’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, the Good Practice Note highlights reasonable accommodation as a key enabler of inclusion. It offers practical examples across the development program cycle and recommends systemic improvements to ensure access to reasonable accommodation wherever and whenever it is needed.
Join Canopy Lab’s Free Global Conversation Series on Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in Market Systems Development (MSD)
This virtual series brings together development professionals from around the world—whether just starting their careers or with years of experience—to explore the evolving landscape of GESI in MSD.
What to expect:
- Four engaging sessions: three interactive conversations plus a final webinar
- Each session begins with a concise framing discussion, followed by small group breakout sessions focused on practical learning and real-world experience sharing
- Two time slots per topic to accommodate global time zones: sunrise (Asia-Pacific & Europe) and sunset (Americas)
- Brief background materials and curated resources provided before each conversation
Throughout the series, running from May to November 2025, participants will reflect on the past, present, and future of advancing GESI within MSD.
Who should join:
- Anyone with some experience or interest in GESI and MSD—no expert knowledge or formal development role required
- Early-career professionals are especially encouraged to participate
Attending the full series (total of four hours) is encouraged to gain the most from the learning and networking opportunities.
We are pleased to share with you Women Count Australia: A casebook for gender-responsive budgeting, co-authored by SURGE panel member Monica Costa alongside Rhonda Sharp.
Gender-responsive budgeting was pioneered by Australian governments in the mid-1980s. It has gained international momentum as an approach for ensuring that policies and budgets are aligned with gender equality commitments. Gender-responsive budgeting involves an analysis of the impact of the budget on gender equality and a process of changing budgetary decision-making and priorities.
This casebook aims to:
- promote the benefits of gender-responsive budgeting to governments, civil society and other policy-makers
- illustrate the potential of gender analysis of economic policies to show impacts on gender gaps and inequalities
- highlight examples of engaging with the budgetary processes in the pursuit of policy and funding changes
- examine the unique role of Australian gender or women’s budget statements in gender-responsive budgeting
- build the gender-responsive budgeting capacity of government, women’s organisations and other civil society groups.
DFAT Gender Responsive Resources for Programming
To improve performance on gender equality and support the delivery of Australia's International Gender Equality Strategy, DFAT has developed a suite a of gender responsive resources to guide program implementation. These include good practice notes covering gender equality in monitoring and evaluation; investment design; and developing gender equality outcomes.
Click here to explore more gender equality resources.
DFAT's new International Gender Equality Strategy is released!
Australia’s International Gender Equality Strategy reaffirms the centrality of our commitment to gender equality and advancing the human rights of women and girls. It outlines how we will use all tools of our foreign policy to drive gender equality, including through our bilateral and regional programs and relationships, our multilateral diplomacy, trade, development and humanitarian assistance.
To read the strategy, click here: Australia’s International Gender Equality Strategy: contributing to a safer, more prosperous Indo-Pacific and world
DFAT's new International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy released!
Australia’s new International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy (IDEARS) continues the Australian Government's proud legacy of support for the rights of people with disability. It outlines how Australia will meet the demands of a changing world, integrating disability equity across our international engagement on foreign policy, international development, trade policy, humanitarian assistance and climate action.
To read the strategy, click here: https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/australias-international-disability-equity-and-rights-strategy.pdf
Select dozens of courses delivered through self-paced, scheduled, customised or community training sessions. Many trainings are offered at no cost. Topics include:
-Women's' Economic Empowerment
-Women's Leadership and Decision Making
-Trade and Gender Equality
-Gender Equality and Migration
-Gender Equality in Education
and so many more!
Find out more here: https://portal.trainingcentre.unwomen.org/
Needing to improve your knowledge in gender equality during disasters? The Gender in Emergencies (GiE) Group provides training on gender equitable data collection and analysis, donor requirements and can tailor training to your needs. Click the link below to find out more!