Page 2338 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 2 August 2017
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deal with such requests using an “if not, why not” model, justifying why they could not accommodate a request, putting the onus back on them rather than on the person requesting the flexible arrangements. I stand by this policy and I think that to genuinely improve the work-life balance of many working mothers this approach would make a really big difference. I recommend that the government take on the policy.
I recall in the last term hearing about women breastfeeding and breast pumping in their cars and in toilet cubicles because their workplace had not provided an appropriate private space, with a lock, for a woman to comfortably and discreetly feed their children or to breast pump. I started by bringing the issue here, to the Legislative Assembly, and seeking change. I called for a lock to be installed on our own breastfeeding room or breast pumping room, and we have now achieved that change here. I have written off to the Chief Minister this week to find out where any such changes for ACT government departments are up to, given that we discussed that in an earlier women’s motion this year and came to an agreed position that that would be a positive thing, if safety matters could be overcome.
I also lobbied for a change table and a breastfeeding or pumping space in the publicly accessible parts of our building, which, unbelievably, had never occurred. The change table was achieved; however, pumping and feeding areas are still lacking and I will continue to lobby and try to get that achieved. I then lobbied for and achieved suitable signage for anyone visiting the Assembly so that people could actually find these facilities. I think it is so important that mums do not have to stay at home with their babies and can come out and be a regular part of the community and participate in all that our city has to offer, visiting their local members or sitting in on question time.
I have advocated for portaloos for women in the fire services. The ESA minister, who originally told me that this was not an issue, has now reluctantly admitted that there was an issue here and it is slowly being addressed.
I have also highlighted to the corrections minister the serious concerns around overcrowding of women in the prison and what a problem it is that women who are incarcerated still do not have access to work opportunities as the men do, and that our prison industries program was developed completely without women in mind. I have been told that a resolution is on the way; we will see how that goes, from the prison industries perspective. Both the issues of overcrowding and industry experience are moving at a glacial pace and the minister’s response is slow. I am not finished yet and I hope that we can get this minister to resolve the problem.
I note that this week the Australian Human Rights Commission released the report Change the course: national report on sexual assault and sexual harassment at Australian universities (2017). Here in the ACT we have a number of universities, and it is extremely concerning that the report showed that 21 per cent of students were sexually harassed in a university setting; 1.6 per cent of students were sexually assaulted in a university setting; 94 per cent of students were sexually harassed; and 87 per cent of those who were sexually assaulted did not make a formal report or complaint to the university. Women were three times as likely as men to have been sexually assaulted in the university setting. I believe that, sadly, our own ANU has one of the highest rates of assault in the nation.
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