A few months ago I was introduced to that game, never have I ever, and now it seems I am saying it about gender equality news.
In the decade that I have been covering women’s financial issues and gender equality, never have I ever read and heard so many political figures blast out commitments to make big changes in the very near future.
So what’s actually happened since Anthony Albanese (Albo) took office, let’s recap because I need to take stock myself!
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who beat former PM Scott Morrison at the recent election, will have a record number of female ministers in his new cabinet, ten to be exact, which is shaping up to become one of the most diverse governments in the country’s history.
They will take up key portfolios of foreign affairs, finance, home affairs and environment while an indigenous Australian woman heads the indigenous affairs ministry for the first time ever. This is one more female minister compared to the previous government.
Frustration among Australian women at a lack of action to address systematic sexism in Australia, including the gender pay gap and widespread sexual harassment, was a primary issue in the 2022 election.
Labor has also committed to implement all 55 recommendations of the sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Respect@Work report.
The biggest unfinished item, a recommendation the Coalition merely “noted”, is to legislate a positive duty on employers to safeguard their staff from sexual harassment.
Increased childcare subsidies – More than a million families are expected to benefit from Labor’s promised to spend an extra $5.4 billion over four years on childcare subsidies. The changes are expected to make 96% of families better off and result in a saving of about $1200 on average, but they’ll have to wait until July 2023 for the relief.
At the same time as the federal government makes a splash on gender equality, the NSW Government has also been very active of late.
Workplace gender equality progress in NSW – the state government will publish an annual list of the state’s best and worst companies on gender equality as per data provided by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
The NSW Government also plans to update its procurement policy to leverage its buying power and encourage large suppliers to support women across their own workforce, following recommendations from the Women’s Economic Opportunities Review.
The NSW government is also promising to drive down childcare costs and increase the number of places by spending $5 billion on expansion efforts across the sector over the next 10 years.
There is no question in my mind that the switch to a Labor government under Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister has spurred on appetite for action on gender equality.
But so much action does make me feel a little uneasy as I start to question: is it window dressing or will it lead to structural change?
My hope is that it will deliver on long-lasting structural change which requires shifts in our social behaviours and attitudes towards gender roles.
These are not easy things to adjust. Since time began, women have born the brunt of unpaid work and as a result have taken a back seat in the financial independence – challenging this outcome will take time.
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