Page 185 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 May 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
They certainly earn less than men; even in areas where they do very much the same sort of work as men they earn less. They tend to be concentrated in lower paid jobs. They tend to be more likely to take part time work, and consequently to have a lesser income. Women therefore are more likely to be living in poverty and indeed more likely to be living on social security benefits than are men. They are more likely, for instance, to head single-parent families, and that is a source of poverty, as many people will know.
It is also true to say that women are much less likely to be represented at the top levels, in business, in government, on boards of directors and so on. For instance, I draw attention to the fact that fewer than a quarter of the representatives in this Assembly are women, and indeed some parties do not have women representatives in this Assembly. I think that is a matter for shame.
Mr Speaker, it is some 14 years now since the International Women's Year, 1975, when the issue of the status of women was brought to world attention. It was brought to attention with a great deal of rhetoric, very much a warm inner glow and a feeling throughout the community and the world that this was a real opportunity for the status of women, whether in economic or social terms, to be raised so that they would be truly equal.
In those 14 years it seems to me that in fact very little has changed. I think that is a matter for great regret. There has been continuation of the rhetoric and the warm inner glow but very little in the way of programs has been delivered which would ensure that women become equal. I would like therefore to look today at some of the measures that the Government will be taking to redress the position of women and their current inequality in the ACT.
You will all know that the Labor Party campaigned on a platform of social justice. Basically that means a fair go for everybody in the community - that they have equal access, equity and participation in all aspects of the community and decision making. Of course, women's involvement is absolutely integral to the achievement of a social justice strategy.
On specific issues that the Government will be addressing the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education, Paul Whalan, himself an avowed feminist, will be speaking to us on questions of women's education and employment. He has some specific proposals to make. But one of the major issues in employment is the question of occupational health and safety. As members all know, the ACT has had no occupational health and safety legislation whatsoever. This, of course, has had an impact on women, as it has on all workers - but particularly on women.
Members will all remember the virtual epidemic of repetition strain injuries that occurred in the past few
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .