The highest ranking female envoy at the Australian Embassy has praised her country’s treatment of women in an International Women’s Day speech at the Australia Center in Seoul.

Joanne Pearce, counselor for agriculture at the Australian Embassy, spoke at a reception to mark the global day promoting the rights of women and girls.

“Like most Australian girls I was brought up in an environment where to me there was really no definable difference in treatment between girls and boys,” she said. “I have always been encouraged to aim high and achieve my goals.”

While a greater percentage of men still hold executive level positions within the Australian public service, Pearce put this down to factors such as women wanting to balance having children with a career. “Throughout this past 17 years I have seen women in all ranks in my department, including as secretary, head of the entire department. I have only known equal treatment of men and women in the workplace.”

Australia’s focus for International Women’s Day this year was supporting economic empowerment for women.

Although women do two thirds of the work globally, they earn less than 10 percent of the word’s wages. Women own just 1 percent of the world’s property and make up 70 percent of the world’s poor.

“This seems atrocious to me when put in these terms. I hope it would be very difficult for anyone to justify this as fair for women,” Pearce said.

Ambassador Sam Gerovich, who also spoke at the March 8 event, said: “In Australia, am proud to note that two women hold the most prominent positions, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Governor General Quentin Bryce. We also have 24 female ambassadors around the world.”