2017-06-01
Senator Larissa Waters
Women deserve to be free from domestic violence, get equal pay for equal work, to have the freedom to choose when it comes to our bodies, and have equal opportunities for successful careers. The Greens are working to make this a reality. Here are our key goals:
#1 End domestic violence
Every week, two Australian women die in an act of violence.
This is an utterly shameful national crisis, which the Greens are working to end.
The Greens initiated a Senate Inquiry into domestic violence, which found that services are over-stretched and women are forced to choose between violence and homelessness. The Greens have a plan to properly fund domestic violence services including $200 million for legal assistance, extra funding for crisis services, and a $44 million emergency shelters and housing affordability initiative.
Not only must we ensure that every woman who reaches out for help receives it, we must tackle cultural and economic gender inequality to stop domestic violence before it begins. To inform this cultural change, I've established a Senate inquiry into the relationship between gender inequality and domestic violence.
#2 Equal pay for equal work
Women working full-time earn just 82 cents in the dollar compared to men.
The gender pay gap is now 17.3 per cent or about 25 per cent including bonuses, and over the last two decades it's gone up. It's caused by discrimination, unequal caring responsibilities and by the undervaluing of feminised industries like nursing and teaching. The Greens are committed to changing those factors and closing the gender pay gap.
#3 The right to choose
If a woman chooses to have an abortion, it should be safe, accessible, legal and free.
Abortion is still a crime in Qld and NSW, in some circumstances. We are working to repeal those outdated laws to remove the stigma for women and give doctors certainty. We're also working to improve affordability and accessibility, especially in regional areas.
Globally, maternal mortality is the leading cause of death and illness for all women. We need to reverse the Liberal Government's cuts to foreign aid funding for reproductive and sexual health.
#4 Support for mums
Childcare is unaffordable and inaccessible. It's a big barrier for mothers trying to return to work.
The Greens have a plan for affordable childcare including building new community childcare centres and boosting assistance for families who need it most. We support a fair paid parental leave scheme with 6 months paid leave for the primary carer, up from the current allowance of 18 weeks.
Many Australian women, especially single mothers, are financially struggling as the single rate of Newstart is more than $130 below the poverty line. The Greens have introduced a bill to reinstate single parent payments for parents with children under 16, meaning they'll be $160 better off per week.
Flexible working hours help reduce the stress women face combining work, family and caring responsibilities. The Greens Better Work/Life Balance Bill expands the right to request flexible working hours and allows Fair Work Australia to rule on requests for flexible work arrangements.
#5 Fairer Superannuation
The average super balance for women is just half of the average for men.
This is due to the gender pay gap, and because women still carry out the bulk of unpaid domestic work. We're working to make super fairer by including superannuation in paid parental leave, and ensuring that those on low incomes have tax-free super contributions.
Under the Liberal Government, for the first time in two decades, there is no women's budget impact statement. Women are off the agenda. The Greens are working to bring back transparency by reinstating the Women's budget impact statement.
#6 Women in leadership
Women make up less than a quarter of company directors and only 15 per cent of CEOs.
Women are still poorly represented in Parliament — only 30 per cent of federal members are women. The Greens are actively working to strengthen our democracy by increasing representation of women at all levels of government. Fifty-six per cent of The Greens' federal and state MPs are female — the highest of any party.
We can also improve the leadership culture of our companies by having more women on boards. The Greens are standing up to ensure that women hold 40 per cent of board positions within five years.
Successful women should be role models, not minorities — we need to break the glass ceiling and see more women in senior positions.
Senator Larissa Waters is the Australian Greens spokesperson for women.