Page 927 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 22 March 2017
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(c) developing and delivering the ACT Women’s Plan, and the first Action Plan 2017 2019, to improve outcomes for women and girls across the whole community;
(d) establishing and maintaining the Office for Women as a central policy, strategic and coordination point for gender issues across the ACT Government;
(e) providing additional funding for women’s sport to encourage stronger participation, better infrastructure and setting new benchmarks for female representation on sporting group boards;
(f) establishing the $21.42 million Safer Families Program which will enable the biggest ever funding injection into programs and services that enable a holistic response to tackling domestic and family violence; and
(g) contributing to the achievement, along with the other parties, of being the first majority-female parliament in Australia’s history.
Labor is committed to the cause of gender equality. We recognise that inequality between the sexes is unfair, unjustified and in 2017 is unacceptable. Women and girls are pillars of our communities. They are qualified and capable in our workforces and they are indispensable voices in our governance structures. Unfortunately, this is often not reflected in the value we as a society place on women and their work.
We can begin to quantify the undervaluing of women if we look at the pay gap which is evident at every level of a woman’s career. From her first job and at every stage of her career a woman will, on average, earn less than her male colleagues. The issue is exacerbated by the under-representation of women in leadership positions. It turns out that in 2017 you are more likely to be the CEO or chair of an ASX 200 company if your name is Peter, John or David than if you are a woman. Let me say that again: Peter, John or David. Those three male names are more likely to be CEO or chair of an ASX 200 company than any female names. It is 2017 and it is disgraceful.
The under-representation of women in full-time work and the lack of flexible working arrangements also mean that women are retiring with half the superannuation of men. The decision by the Fair Work Commission will further entrench this pay gap. Cutting penalty rates will disproportionately impact women in our community, who make up 55 per cent of the hospitality and retail industries. So not only do working conditions unfairly limit women to casual and part-time work in many circumstances, but those same women are now being financially penalised even further.
Socially and culturally, we are also still denied equality. Sexual and domestic violence statistics are staggering. Sadly, the numbers on their own cannot convey the tragedy of every woman who has felt the acute fear of violence, whether at the hand of a partner, from a stranger on a walk home at night or in countless other scenarios.
It is clear that achieving gender equality requires strong and broad commitment and leadership. The ACT government is proudly leading the way with a 10-year plan for women and gender equality in the ACT: the ACT women’s plan 2016-26. The plan
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