“Women have finally made it to the budget.”
That’s the assessment of the Equality Rights Alliance after last night’s federal budget from Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Convenor Helen Dalley-Fisher said Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher deliberately put women at the forefront, to improve economic security, workforce participation and critical services.
Helen Dalley-Fisher of the Equality Rights Alliance.
“Have we ever had a speech from a treasurer that addressed two areas directly related to women’s economic security? Tonight it was child care and paid parental leave at the forefront,” Dalley-Fisher said.
“The budget is a real attempt to achieve economic equality for women in Australia. However, structural change will take time.
“The most important items in Labour’s election commitments are covered, with good first steps supported by evidence-based data. The measures in this budget are important first steps.”
ERA, one of six federally funded national women’s alliances, brings together 61 nonprofit organizations and advocates for gender equality, women’s leadership, and diversity.
Dalley-Fisher said the budget builds on progress from the government’s Jobs Summit, including work to repair wages, including in female-dominated industries.
“The changes to parental leave will make it easier for both parents to take time off to be with their children and for parents to spend a lifetime learning how to parent a newborn.
“This is critical if we are going to change the balance of unpaid care work in families. We look forward to more details on the [paid parental leave] changes, in particular more details on ‘use it or lose it’ periods, which have yet to be specified.”
He said the government’s new housing deal “recognises how big and deep the problems of housing supply and affordability are”.
“The new money effectively doubles down on Labour’s pre-election commitment to build social and affordable housing in partnership with the states and territories.
“Older women are the fastest-growing cohort vulnerable to homelessness, and affordable housing is a critical precondition for women’s participation in the workforce. We look forward to more details on the push to generate one million properties outside the private market”.