WEL's stance on varying policy areas for elections and inbetween.
Leadership, Governance and the Law
Anti-Discrimination, Boards and committees, Equal Political Representation, Family Law, Gender Mainstreaming, Media and advertising, Republic, Sexual harassment, Violence
International
Refugee Status of Women, Trafficking of Women, Women and Development
Work and income
Child Raising and other Caring Responsibilities, Economic Policy, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, Sex Workers, Superannuation and Retirement Income, Work, Wages and Industrial Relations
Community and family
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Women, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women, Disabilities, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Trans-gender Women, Older Women and Ageing, Rural and Regional Women
Habitat and services
Arts and Culture, Environment, Housing, Public Transport, Sport and Physical Activity, Women's services
Education
Health
2009 budget act allowances discrimination election Elizabeth Broderick employer of choice employment EOWA equal opportunity equal pay equity eva cox Gender equality illegal traffic income support industrial relations inquiry Jenny Macklin Maternity leave Minister paid paid maternity leave paid parental leave parental leave Pay pay and conditions pay equity pension pension review productivity commission review sex discrimination sex discrimination act sex industry sex worker sole parents submission Tax review vote wel's response workchoices work choices workplace workplace relations
Links to women's issues in the news.
A Feminist View on Improving the Tax System
16 June, 2009
When we recognise that humans are essentially connected and interdependent and that it is usually our relationships that define us, we open up the possibility for a much better tax system. This may be seen as a feminist viewpoint, as most women are acutely aware that many of their needs are not easily supplied by markets.
At last- we have a government committing to paid parental leave!
24 May, 2009
This is the real good news: the government is prepared to acknowledge a clear unequivocal financial relationship between the workplace and parenting. This is the first time that there will be a specific publicly funded program that makes the connection explicit.
This connection needs to be celebrated as a basic shift in the political perception of legitimate time off for the care of others.
New poll supports paid parental leave
9 April, 2009
A new survey has found overwhelming support for the Federal Government to fund paid parental leave in the May Budget.
The national Auspoll found two-thirds of the people surveyed support paid parental leave.
It also found strong backing for providing tax incentives to parents re-entering the workforce.
Some form of paid maternity leave is likely
5 April, 2009
It has been reported that the Federal Government is likely to announce a paid maternity leave scheme in its 2009-2010 Budget.
The recession and the forecast Budget deficit have sparked fears that the paid maternity leave scheme would have to be scrapped.
The Productivity Commission has recommended a taxpayer-funded scheme of 18 weeks paid leave at the minimum wage.
Men earn $1m more than women over a lifetime
1 April, 2009
The gender wages gap has ‘narrowed’ to $1 million over lifetime earnings
The latest formal submissions to government on specific issues.
Promoting and protecting women’s human rights in Australia
WEL is one of 39 organisations that have endorsed a submission to the National Human Rights Consultation currently under way.
WEL and the National Pay equity Coalition appear before the House of Representatives Committee Inquiring into Pay Equity
In their submission, NPEC and WEL make recommendations to “strengthen and improve the industrial framework and other legal mechanisms that address equal pay”, particularly equal remuneration provisions, the application of equal remuneration objects of the Award Modernisation Act in the award modernization process, and the strengthening on minimum entitlements and collective bargaining processes.
WEL Media release: Paid parental leave - do something now
No more excuses. How can we have $42 billion in bank guarantees; $6.2 billion in subsidies for the car industry; $30 billion in Rudd-bank guarantees plus $10.4 billion in a stimulus package and not $0.5 billion for paid parental leave? Australian women won’t buy it.
Paid maternity, paternity and parental leave
We welcomed the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report on paid parental leave as a potential feminist gain and a very good staring point for the recognition of the contributions made by both mothers and fathers in paid work.
Pension review
On 15 May 2008, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, announced that Dr Jeff Harmer, the Secretary of her department, would lead a comprehensive review of the pension system as part of the Government’s broader review of Australia’s Future Tax System.