In this run up to the 2025 Federal Elections, WEL has launched its Policy Platform which sets out key actions in ten policy areas that any elected government needs to make to achieve genuine equality for women.

Gender was a determining factor in the result of the 2022 election and some significant gains have been made since then. Yet Australian women are still facing a number of issues that cry out for urgent attention. Here are our top demands:

• Affordable and universal access to abortion
• Affordable and universal access to maternity health services (including continuity of care and Birthing on Country)
• Free universal early childhood education and care
• Increased funding for domestic violence and women’s refuge services across the nation
• Funding for public and community housing to 10% of total housing stock by 2050.

The time is past for ‘small target’ measures. We want to see major investment in initiatives that will change women’s lives for the better and deliver justice and equality. Not just flat fee childcare but free universal childcare; decent access to maternity health and reproductive services in rural and regional Australia; dramatic increases in funding for women’s refuges; major increases in public and community housing rather than reliance on market driven housing to lower rents.

We need to look at how policy decisions intersect and work to reinforce each other. For example, ensuring availability of abortion services would be underpinned by an Australian Bill of Rights. Women and children who flee violence must be able to access safe and affordable homes. Free or low cost early childhood education and care supports women’s ability to participate in the workforce as well as enhancing children’s development.

On International Women’s Day 2024 the Minister for Women launched ‘Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality 2024-2034’. Working for Women sets out a path to achieve equality for women over the next ten years with a focus on five priority areas: gender-based violence, unpaid and paid care, economic equality and security, health, and leadership, representation and decision-making.

WEL supports Working for Women. We call on all parties and groups to adopt the Strategy and commit to funding its 10 year implementation.

Since 1974 successive Federal Governments have in principle supported equal participation of women in politics, in public service, business and the workplace. There has been a bipartisan commitment to eliminating violence against women, and reducing the gender pay gap, albeit with different emphases and levels of enthusiasm.

The Office for Women, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (established in 1986 as the Affirmative Action Agency), the 1986 Australian Human Rights Commission and - since 2010 the National Women’s Alliances - have all attracted cross party support with varying levels of funding and authority. These structures are essential in underpinning gender equality and improving women’s lives and need to be strengthened by requiring gender responsive budgeting to be legislated in the Charter of Budget Honesty Act.

WEL is concerned about what currently seems to be increased support for regressive attitudes towards the ideals of gender equality. These ideologies are internationally resurgent and central to the new administration in the United States. Hostility to so called diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives could tempt a future Federal Government into undermining and even abandoning our gender equality architecture.

That is why WEL calls for all political parties and candidates to demonstrate to voters that they are serious about gender equality and to state their commitment to maintain and strengthen Australia’s gender equality institutions.

Achieving gender equality benefits the whole community.

WEL worked with the following sister organisations in developing this policy platform:
National Foundation of Australian Women, Women’s Environmental Leadership,
Australia and Women in Adult and Vocational Education.


To read and download our full policy platform please click HERE.