Page 2537 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 9 August 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
processes clearer and more available for mums and carers who are breastfeeding or returning to work.
It is not the only area that needs additional work for women in our city. Women also need support and mentoring when they re-enter a workplace or when they want to achieve well in the workplace, whether or not they are having children. We sometimes need help in rewriting and refreshing resumes, which I know is work that the ACT government has done with many lower income women.
They need help in polishing or developing interview skills and to understand the unique employment environment that Canberra is. No other city is as heavily influenced by public service departments as Canberra is. If you are a woman seeking to enter a departmental environment, some understanding is required of how to navigate the process. There is still work to be done to help women either progress professionally or get back into the workplace after they have been out for a while after having children.
With the closure of the women’s information and referral centre, several programs that contributed to this process for women seem to be no longer available. The ability for a woman to access suitable employment and to have the opportunity to earn and progress professionally is vital not just for her wellbeing but also for her economic and financial success. (Second speaking period taken.)
We know that women tend to retire with significantly less superannuation than men, with the average Australian woman retiring with around half the superannuation balance of the average man. What this means is that women are more likely to be solely reliant on the government age pension in retirement, which leaves them more vulnerable to poverty.
It is also important that we continue to look at public policy and the framework around the life cycle of a woman in the workforce and be willing to continually address the barriers—sometimes unintended barriers—that are contributing not only to the difficulty of women returning to work after having a baby but also to the gender pay gap and the challenge to superannuation savings for women.
A young woman when she gives birth to her first child does not expect that there will be barriers to her ability to breastfeed and her ability to return to work. I think that many young women are shocked when they experience the realities of even very modern workforces. I see that there is plenty of work to be done in public policy to support women, to remove such barriers. We still have a long way to go to get all the details right.
An issue that affects a large number of women that we have talked to a great deal over the last few years is domestic violence. No-one in this place would dispute that we need to do all we can to ensure that women are not subject to any form of violence and that women can live peacefully and safely in their homes. I do, however, want to put on the record my concern about the $30 levy per household for domestic violence.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video