24 MAY 2022
WEL and women voters have high expectations of the Albanese Government.
We are excited we now have a government pledged to listen to women and to make women’s equality a top priority. We are deeply appreciative of the new government’s support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a referendum on the Voice to Parliament.
When WEL surveyed our supporters in 2021, you told us that climate change, violence against women, the housing crisis and women's representation in politics mattered the most to you.
The Morrison Government’s defeat and the success of so many Labor, Greens and Independent women candidates promoting a feminist and environmentally oriented agenda demonstrate the power of the women’s vote to drive change.
On Saturday 21 May the majority of Australian voters in electorates across Australia said ‘enough is enough’.
We are buoyed that on current predictions women are projected to make up at least 57% of the Senate and 37.1% of the House of Representatives (an increase on the 29% in the last parliament) once all votes are counted. More women of colour and First Nations women will take their seats as MPs. Of the 74 seats that have so far been called for Labor, 34 have gone to women (in contrast to 10 out of 52 for the Coalition). In the coming days the number of women MPs is likely to rise.
WEL went to the election on the basis of a comprehensive policy platform which we provided to all Ministers, Shadow Ministers and party spokespeople. Our Election Scorecard based on this platform, exposed the weakness of the Coalition’s commitment to women’s equality and the relative strength of both the Labor and Greens’ policy proposals - though their commitments also fall short in a number of areas.
We were disappointed that during the election campaign few candidates made reference to critical components of our policy platform, including eliminating violence against women and sexual assault, First Nations Women, health (with no reference to inadequate access to reproductive health services) and women’s poverty due to low levels of jobseeker and little or no superannuation, especially for women on maternity leave.
WEL will vigorously pursue commitments in these areas with all parties and groups. As the government takes shape and new MPs begin their work, WEL will monitor funding and implementation of the important commitments already made.
Anything less than full funding and implementation of Labor commitments on wage parity and wage justice for women workers, making workplaces safe for women, moving towards universal childcare, increasing support for domestic violence services, housing for women and vocational education and training will undermine the trust that Australian women voters have placed in the new government and those who pledge to support them – especially in the Senate.
We will relentlessly lobby MPs to build on and extend their commitments, starting with the aim of eliminating violence, dramatically increasing social housing, increasing women’s financial and workplace security and access to health services.
WEL is Australia’s most enduring national women’s lobbying organisation. We want to maintain and strengthen our lobbying work and our impact. To ride this 2022 feminist wave we need your support more than ever.
Women decide Elections & we NEED your support! Donate Today
WEL depends more than ever on the support of our members and followers, to continue our essential work of lobbying and campaigning to protect the rights of Australian women. Armed with policies setting out our demands, we run campaigns and lobby politicians and governments to make women’s equality central to policy making and implementation.We need your ongoing support!
Consider becoming a member and be kept WEL-Informed with our regular newsletter or become a monthly supporter– all proceeds go towards WEL’s work gathering research, meeting with industry leaders, lobbying politicians, collaborating with other women’s organisations, holding policy roundtables and conducting political education programs for women in the community.
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