A reckoning in Australian politics over the treatment of women, which began just over a year ago, has not stopped. Harrowing yet somehow inspiring stories have been told that in turn led to an nationwide outpouring of grief, rage and raised expectations.
It has been the advocacy of Brittany Higgins, Grace Tame, Dhanya Mani, Rachelle Miller and others. Many survivors remain in silence.
Women's groups say change in addressing consent, equal pay, harassment and domestic violence is long overdue. On the 2021 Global Gender Gap Index, Australia has slipped to 50th in the world for gender equality, a fall of six places in 12 months. Election pledges to better support working women and keep vulnerable women and girls safe have never been so keenly sought and dissected.
Generations of fury and disappointment have so far barely been met, and politicians on all sides should be listening. It will be up to whatever party wins to deliver.
Coalition
In the 2021-22 budget, the Morrison government shifted gear and announced $1.1 billion to be invested in women's safety, including more emergency accommodation, legal assistance counselling and emergency assistance.
$164.8 million over three years was committed to establishing escaping violence payments under a two-year trial. The payments would be up to $1,500 in immediate cash and a further $3,500 for goods or direct payments for needs such as bonds and school fees. There was also an additional $12.6 million for support accommodation and $35.1 million for violence prevention campaigns.
$129 million was promised over four years in targeted support for women's services, however it was instead broadly offered across the sector.
Announced in March, the government is pledging an extra $189 million over five years to specifically prevent domestic, family and sexual violence including a new $32 million campaign to inform children over 12 years of age and their parents about consent and respectful relationships.
The Morrison government is in the final stages of renewing the 10-year National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children and it is reviewing workplace gender equality laws and indicators including the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 and the role of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
In the field of economic security, the government has committed to the 12 per cent super guarantee. The guarantee, the proportion of wages that employers must contribute to their workers' retirement savings, is legislated to reach 12 per cent by 2025. In the 2021 budget, the government removed the current $450 per month minimum income threshold for the superannuation guarantee.
However, it has been revealed the government rejected a plan to boost women's economic security by adding superannuation to taxpayer-funded parental leave payments.
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Labor
Labor has pledged $77 million to help teachers be better equipped to talk to students about respect and relationships. The plan also provides additional support staff in schools and help for students and families who have experienced violence.
It has pledged to make sure the elimination of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation in the workplace is clear in law. It promises to update workplace laws to ban sexual harassment, and place a positive duty on employers to stamp out abusive behaviour.
Labor says it is driving to increase pay for female workers, particularly in caring jobs. It promises to legislate so companies with more than 250 employees will have to report their gender pay gap publicly. Pay secrecy clauses will be banned under a Labor government and employees will be given the right to disclose their pay, if they want to. It plans to ask all government departments and agencies to conduct gender pay audits. It will also ask the Fair Work Commission to consider whether feminised industries are paid fairly.
Labor is also committed to a 12 per cent super guarantee and a more secure, dignified retirement for Australian women.
It has pledged to legislate a right to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave and fund 500 extra community sector refuge workers.
It has also pledged to build around 20,000 social housing properties, 4000 of which will be allocated to women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and older women on low incomes. There is also $100 million earmarked for crisis and transitional housing, for women at risk.
Greens
Mindful that Australia is behind most other OECD nations when it comes to helping families in the workplace, the Greens are targeting this area. The party, which is seeking the balance of power, wants to require workplaces to consider flexible working arrangements, lift the minimum wage, boost super for low-income earners with caring responsibilities and boost parental leave settings.
It wants $24.5 billion spent over 10 years to provide a 26-week parental leave package, paid at the carer's replacement wage. Single parents would be entitled to the full 26 weeks, while there would be "use it or lose it" provisions to encourage parents to share care more equitably.
The Greens back implementing all recommendations in the Respect@Work report. They want to give the Human Rights Commission the power to investigate systemic discrimination and harassment and give employers a positive duty, or be proactive, to prevent sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination in workplaces.
They want a national roll out of Our Watch's respectful relationships program in all public schools, as well as funding for Working Women's Centres in all states and territories.
The Greens want government agencies to spend at least 3 per cent of their annual procurement budget with women-led businesses. The party also wants to establish a $10 million micro-financing facility to provide low-and no-interest loans up to $10,000 to women-led businesses in regional areas.