Media Release 7 March 2018
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY and THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTION
On Thursday 8th March, International Women’s Day 2018, The Women’s Parliament calls on candidates in the South Australian election to commit to improving the status of women in SA.
The inaugural Women’s Parliament, held during Open State in October 2017, brought together women from diverse backgrounds and sectors to debate ideas and implement an agenda for change.
An independent and not-for-profit initiative, The Women’s Parliament called for expressions of interest from women across South Australia to highlight the issues and priorities facing women in this state.
With over 50 expressions of interest received, three strong themes emerged with 13 women shortlisted and invited to speak to their issues in succinct three minute speeches.
- Housing Availability and Affordability
- Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence
- Work and Workplace Equality
Some key recommendations from The Women’s Parliament include:
Dr Nina Sivertsen: Addressing homelessness and increasing numbers of women becoming homeless
Ending and preventing homelessness is not as simple as getting people jobs or building houses. There are a number of investments and commitments required. These start with the Australian government and include 1) Restore funding for research to measure and maximise the effectiveness of homelessness spending, and to identity and develop innovations in homelessness prevention and interventions 2) State and Territory housing authorities must maintain their current public housing stock 3) Establish an affordable housing growth fund to deliver at least 20,000 new social and affordable housing dwellings each year in perpetuity.
Vicky Welgraven: Family violence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Statistics show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 35 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence related assaults than other Australian women. We need to adopt a holistic approach to address the causes and the consequences of family violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. If we treat these issues as simply a law and order, legal compliance or health matter, we will not achieve lasting improvements to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Barbara Hancock: Equality of Pay between the Genders
The national gender pay gap was reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2015 at a record 18.8%. Address this gap with tax incentives to businesses willing to commit to Equity Best Practice and increased investment in skills and education, and promoting access to employment across sectors and occupations.
A full report from The Women’s Parliament will be released following the state election as a position paper to provide input into government policy.
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The Women's Parliament 