economic Security4Women (eS4W) welcomes the recent government announcements of increased investment in childcare and out of school hours care that will go some way to retaining the skills and experience of childcare workers and to exploring more flexible child care options: Both of which will lead to improved opportunities for working parents, especially mothers and increased productivity.

“The dynamics of the labour market are changing, and we must ensure we have a child care system to support those changes; one that gives working parents the flexibility they need to secure employment while reassuring them that their children have the highest quality care available” said Sandra Cook, chair of eS4W. “This increased funding for some wages in the sector is a good step to improving recruitment and retention in the industry. eS4W particularly favours the additional focus on Out of School Hours Services”.

“This increased investment is good for the nation as well as for parents and children” said Sally Jope, Acting Executive Officer. “We restrict a powerful driver of productivity in Australia when we lag behind our OECD equivalents in rates of female workforce participation. Restricted access to care for children once they start school limits the choices that many workers, particularly women, have in job selection and ultimately impacts on their economic security”.

“We will wait with interest for the results of the trials with Family Day Care Australia teaming up with shift workers; with Goodstart long day care centres extending their hours of operation and with out of school hours care, announced by Minister Ellis. The members of eS4W have advocated for increased attention to this care for many years, understanding that different local communities require different solutions”.

“We also recognise the increased investment in child care over the last three years and are appreciative of efforts thus far; however we are mindful of the complexity of increasing women’s participation in the workforce. That is why eS4W has written to the Prime Minister requesting the matter be referred to the Productivity Commission where an in-depth analysis can be made of the provision and financing of childcare and out of school care services” said Ms Cook who represents Business Professional Women Australia in eS4W.

“The Grattan Institute has already identified improvements to child care access and the reduction of tax disincentives as one major ‘game changer’ in seeking to improve national productivity” said Ms Marie Coleman, a representative of National Foundation of Australian Women, another member of eS4W. “The PC review needs to include consideration of changes to current policy settings for Family Tax Benefit Part B, provision patterns and user costs for child care (including for school age children) and as well, the introduction of measures to mitigate against the trends towards increasingly insecure work. Findings from the trials announced this week can be fed into such a review”.

Media contacts:

Sally Jope 0423198567 Sandra Cook 0409 608 344 Marie Coleman 0414 483 067

For a copy of eS4W’s Media Release can be downloaded here - eS4WMRChildOOSHCare20130322

National women’s groups, economic Security4Women and the National Foundation for Australian Women, welcomed The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR, Leader of the Opposition and The Hon. Sussan Ley, Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning for supporting our call for a Productivity Commission review of child care.

However the National women’s groups expressed regret that the proposed scope of the Opposition’s reference of child care to the Productivity Commission does not address the key issues that affect women’s work-force attachment.

eS4W and the NFAW previously suggested that the Productivity Commission should be tasked to examine both the supply of quality, affordable child care, as well the effect of the taxation and welfare transfer systems interacting with the cost of child care. This would have the effect of improving productivity, as well as taking account of appropriate service structure for child development.

Sandra Cook, eS4W Chair said ‘ we know that for many women the decision about whether to work  part -time, or to work at all is dependent on how much net return they receive after factoring in possible loss of Family Tax Benefit Part B, plus the net cost of child care and other expenses of returning to work.

‘Moreover, we know that Australian women have the highest rate of part-time work of all OECD countries. Balancing work and family, and the lack of good quality school vacation programs play a part in decisions about work. It is a pity that the Liberal Party proposal does not address out of school hours and school vacation care, and makes no reference to the interaction of the tax and welfare benefits with the cost of care.’

The national women’s groups plan to write to the Prime Minister asking for a reference to the Productivity Commission that will be broad based in scope and include a review of the tax and transfer measures which would encourage female workforce participation.

economic Security4Women  and the National Foundation for Australian Women calls upon the Government and the Opposition to broaden the terms of reference of any inquiry to include matters that would further identify pathways of increased participation in the workforce.

Media contact

Sandra Cook – eS4W – 0409608344

Marie Coleman -NFAW – 0414 483 067

Consider these images from contemporary Australia:

A child holds high a sign urging beheading of anyone disrespecting the “Prophet Muhammad”.

An affluent older man, nationally known as a radio commentator and former Prime Ministerial speech writer, orates in front of a crowd members of which held signs such as ‘Ditch the Witch’ and much worse, having previously told his radio audience that the Prime Minister of Australia should be “taken out to sea, put into a sack with a few Besser blocks, and dumped into the sea”.

Both are promoting violence, appallingly violent aggression against persons with whom they disagree. Is the child (or the individual who wrote the sign and gave it to the child), more to be blamed than the opinion leader who uses his public platform to encourage his audience to violence?

In the case of the violent demonstration at which the child was present, women leaders in the Muslim community of Sydney have stepped in to urge calm , ”The women are the ones who are often the most level-headed,” said Silma Ihram, project manager and former president of the Australian Muslim Women’s Association. ”Men have to defend the honour and women are, like, ‘hold on’.”

But the airwaves, print media, and social networking sites are alive with misogyny.

Anne Summers recently made an important speech in which she lists the many instances of sexist, violent rantings against the Prime Minister – there are two versions of her speech on her web-site, one ‘plain vanilla’, the other with the comprehensive citations – read that only if you have a strong stomach. Find both at www.annesummers.com.au

More recently, there has been a spectacular response on the Twitterverse…. click this link for a full copy of the report – JUST_WHO_IS_WRECKING_THE_JOINT_Marie_Coleman final

In addition, “A switch in time” restoring respect to Australian Politics by Mary Crooks, Victorian Women’s Trust – A Switch in Time ALL

To read what others are saying or have your say on facebook visit – http://www.facebook.com/DestroyTheJoint

Media Release – The Hon Julie Collins MP – 21 June 2012

The Australian Government is investing over $900,000 in a range of projects and services aimed at bridging the gender pay gap and supporting girls and women in the workforce and the community.

The Minister for the Status of Women, Julie Collins, announced the funding, under the Gender Equality for Women program, at the Post-Budget Women’s Breakfast at Parliament House this morning.

“The Australian Government is committed to continuing to advance equality between women and men and we are backing this up through a range of new projects and services,” Ms Collins said.

“These include resources to help women with the cost of living and programs to help young women with personal development and to boost women’s leadership in male-dominated industries.

“The Government is determined to advance gender equality and women’s economic security and will respond strongly to gender inequality anywhere.

“This Government is proud to have continued the Labor Party’s long legacy of advancing the status of women with the passage in the House of Representatives this week of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill 2012.

“This legislation is a significant step towards the removal of barriers to women’s full and equal participation in the workplace and I look forward to the legislation passing through the Senate as soon as possible,” Ms Collins said.

The latest funding measures through the Gender Equality for Women program are:

• $225,000 for a second round of 70 Australian Institute of Company Directors board diversity scholarships, as announced by the Prime Minister last week.
• $150,000 to the YWCA to extend its successful pilot program Every Girl to 10 communities across the country. The program helps girls between 9 and 14 from disadvantaged communities to improve their self-esteem and build their leadership abilities.
• $51,625 to determine how to best support emerging women leaders in the community sector.
• $100,000 towards the Sports Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women Program, to enable more women to access accredited training and education in sports management.
• $50,000 for a joint project with the Australian Human Rights Commission, in partnership with the Male Champions of Change, aimed at boosting women’s leadership in male-dominated industries.
• $89,106 to better understand how to promote women’s participation in the labour force and help inform the development of the new National Workforce Development Strategy.
• $52,500 to examine the reasons for the first year pay gap between male and female graduates from university and vocational education and training.
•  $60,000 to the 1 Million Women organisation for the development of resources to assist women in reducing their costs of living.
• $125,000 on incorporating gender equality into policy training and online modules for the Australian Public Service.
• $39,000 to enhance each portfolio’s capacity to meet the gender balance target of at least 40 per cent women on Australian Government boards by 2015.

Canberra Times 9 May 2012 - Measures impacting women.

This Budget of multiple savings and few outlays not already announced focuses on productivity and work-force attachment, not least for women, including single mothers.

The majority of women with dependent children who are in the work force are working part-time. Many are in ‘feminised’ industries where wages are relatively low, and payment of the compulsory superannuation guarantee often evaded.

These low paid workers will benefit from numerous measures in the 2012-13 Budget.

Read more>>>

Achievements and Budget Measures - May 2012

A Statement that affirms the commitment to equality, with a strong focus on increasing women’s participation in the workforce and their economic security.