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NFAW NEWSLETTER SPECIAL EDITION JUNE 2024
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Exploring the Federal Budget Gender Lens Analysis.
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This is our special edition the 2024 Federal Budget Gender Lens analysis created through the wonderful work of the NFAW social policy team led by Chair of the Social Policy Committee, Professor Helen Hodgson. Together the team offers an indepth gender analysis of the budget handed down in May 2024, including detailed commentary across multiple sectors impacting the lives of all women in Australia.
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Jane Madden
President | National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW)
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Gender Lens Budget Overview with Vice President Sally Moyle and Chair of Social Policy Committee, Professor Helen Hodgson.
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NFAW’s 2024 Federal Budget gender lens analysis finds that the budget’s initiatives only partially reflect the ambition outlined in the Government’s Working for Women—A Strategy for Gender Equality, released in March.
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While there are some commendable efforts to include gender impact analysis, particularly women’s careers in the Future Made in Australia program, it has not yet been fully integrated across the entire budget process.
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The government’s efforts in integrating gender analysis into the budget process, including requiring gender impact assessments for significant project proposals, are commendable,” said Sally Moyle, Acting NFAW President.
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“Nonetheless, NFAW urges further investment in gender-responsive budgeting, capacity development across government, and enhanced monitoring and accountability mechanisms.”
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“Working for Women acknowledges the economic disadvantage that women experience,” said Professor Helen Hodgson, Chair of the NFAW Social Policy Committee.
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“While some of the budget measures will reduce that disadvantage, the budget lacks ambition overall.
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“The Working for Women strategy has set high expectations for real and ambitious action. NFAW calls on the Government to realise these commitments in forthcoming budgets, ensuring comprehensive and sustained progress towards gender equality.”
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- Key budget highlights:
Support for women in the care economy: Additional support, including supporting wage
increases for care workers, payment of superannuation in the Commonwealth government’s paid parental leave scheme and tax cuts extending to low and middle-income taxpayers, is welcome.
- Investment in violence prevention: NFAW acknowledges the investment of almost $1 billion in the Leaving Violence Program, extending the Escaping Violence Payment trial. However, there is a pressing need for greater investment in frontline services and consistent national service standards.
Despite these positive measures, NFAW is concerned about several critical areas:
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1. Specialist services for violence against women:
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- The budget does not sufficiently invest in legal help, specialist domestic and family violence services, health justice partnerships, and sexual violence services.
- The Escaping Violence Payment does not adequately address the needs of diverse groups, including women with disabilities, Indigenous women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, and LGBTIQA+ individuals.
2. Recognition of unpaid care:
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- Including superannuation in paid parental leave and changes to Carer Payment and Carer Allowance are steps forward.
- Disappointingly, the budget does not relax the Child Care Activity Test, which could improve outcomes for disadvantaged children and encourage workforce participation among affected women.
3. Economic security and workforce participation:
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- Funding for aged care workers and a commitment to wage increases for early childhood
education and care workers are positive steps.
- However, the community sector, including domestic violence, homelessness, and legal services, remains undervalued and underfunded.
4. Addressing poverty and social security:
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- Measures such as the energy rebate, bulk billing changes, increased Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and Jobseeker increases for those with partial work capacity are insufficient.
- The social security safety net remains inadequate, perpetuating poverty and disadvantage, particularly among women.
5. Healthcare bias and research:
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- Initiatives addressing women’s health issues, including menopause, fertility, and pregnancy loss, are important.
- More funding is needed for mental health, drug research, and removing gender bias in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and access to abortion care.
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Links to a deep dive on Policy Reviews by the NFAW Social Policy Committee:
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About the Governments Working for Women:
A Strategy for Gender Equality.
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In March 2024 the Australian Government released “Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality”. This strategy identified five key priority areas to address the economic inequality that women experience. The five areas that the Government identified are:
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- Gender-based violence
- Unpaid and paid care
- Economic equality and security
- Health
- Leadership, representation and decision-making.
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This is the framework that NFAW adopted this year in our analysis of the 2024-25 Budget.
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We welcome the headline measures that restructure the stage 3 tax cuts and superannuation on Commonwealth funded Paid Parental Leave, both measures that we have been calling for in our previous Gender Lens projects. These will particularly help women, as shown in our detailed analysis of these measures.
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But there is a lack of ambition and structural reform across key portfolios.
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The most intractable issues relate to the effect that the Gender Pay Gap has on women’s earnings, and the causes of that pay gap. The Government supports higher wages in the Aged Care and ECEC sectors, but there is still work to be done in this space, including the feminised professions of teaching and nursing that are largely funded by the states and territories.
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We welcome the Women’s Budget Paper that has again identified some of the key initiatives and outcomes across portfolios. These examples are based on the requirement that Departments and Agencies implement gender responsive budgeting.
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We note that OECD best practice for Gender Responsive Budgeting includes an assessment of the impact of budgets as part of the implementation. It is in that spirit that we present our independent analysis: A Gender Lens on the Budget: 2024-25.
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In addition to the authors named on the papers NFAW would like to thank the editorial team of: Jennifer Bushell; Caroline Edwards; Helen Innes; and Mary Welsh. We also acknowledge the work of Dr Kathy MacDermott as principal editor over previous years that has shaped this year’s Gender Lens.
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“The government’s efforts in integrating gender analysis into the budget process, including requiring
gender impact assessments for significant project proposals, are commendable,” said Sally Moyle,
Acting NFAW President. “Nonetheless, NFAW urges further investment in gender-responsive
budgeting, capacity development across government, and enhanced monitoring and accountability
mechanisms.” - Sally Moyle
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"Best practice in Gender Budgeting includes an analysis of the outcomes of the gender budgeting
process as well as the inputs to the process, as set out in the OECD and WorldBank/IMF frameworks.
This is the role of the NFAW Gender Lens as an integral part of the gender budgeting process, and I would like to thank the team of experts who voluntarily contribute to the project each year." - Prof Helen Hodgson.
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NFAW is a feminist organisation independent of party politics. These position papers have been published by NFAW’s Social Policy Committee to examine the Budget measures and their effect on women.
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Keeping you up to date:
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"NFAW has recently been granted charity status by the ACNC. This has been quite a long process, and we were fortunate to have been supported pro bono by Herbert Smith Freehills lawyers. We are very grateful for their support.
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This enables us to receive further tax concessions, and potential donors are increasingly requiring this status in thinking about donations. These benefits can be passed on to our PDFs.
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This status is in addition to our Deductible Gifts Recipient (DGR) status. There are a very few
organisations listed in the Taxation Administration Act, and NFAW is one of them. The Australian Taxation Office recently reviewed our eligibility to be named in the Act, and to our credit, our ongoing eligibility was approved."
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Calender Event- Saturday 20 July Special Documentary Screening with Women’s Climate Congress
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A special screening in Canberra of the new groundbreaking documentary titled "Antarctica – The Giant Awakens" by acclaimed Australian filmmaker Liz Courtney ( board member of NFAW), sheds light on the looming threat of sea level rise. Despite Antarctica's geographical distance from Australia, Oceania, and Asia, the rapidly changing Antarctic ice sheet presents a significant danger to these regions, with potential global implications. Directed by Award-Winning Filmmaker Liz Courtney, edited by Academy award winning editor Karin Steiniger, the documentary follows a team of female scientists on a mission to Antarctica, led by Prof Benjamin Horton, Director of The Earth Observatory, and with tech support by local ANU science student Dakotah Grace.
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The documentary follows a team of climate scientists as they embark on a mission to Antarctica, to conduct innovative scientific research, including sampling airborne molecules, to provide critical insights into the pace of Antarctica's transformation, the impact of atmospheric river systems, and the rapid changes occurring in glacier melt, from warming oceans and changing environmental conditions. Antarctica, nearly twice the size of Australia, holds 75% of the world's fresh water. However, the Antarctic ice sheet, perched on a bedrock base, is now under threat as colossal ice cliffs surrounding the West Antarctic coastline collapse due to rising temperatures in the Southern Ocean, surpassing previous predictive models.
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The afternoon event will include a special Q & A panel with scientists from the Earth Science Faculty at ANU involved in research projects across Antarctica, the writer Director Liz Courtney, and our host for the event, Dr Janet Salisbury from Women’s Climate Congress.
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Supporting NFAW into the Future
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"Empower Australian Women: Leave a Lasting Legacy with NFAW
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Your dedication to gender equality has played a crucial role in shaping a brighter future for Australian women. Today, we invite you to consider leaving a gift in your will to the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) to extend your impact beyond your lifetime.
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Why Consider a Gift in Your Will?
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A gift, regardless of size, is a powerful statement of your values and a commitment to lasting change. It ensures your dedication to gender equality resonates for generations to come.
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Empowering Women Across Society
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NFAW is dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of Australian women in all aspects of society. Your gift supports vital research, advocacy, education, and programs breaking down barriers to women's equality, fostering transformational change.
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Catalyst for Policy Change and Social Justice
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Your contribution supports NFAW's role as a catalyst for policy change, advocating for legislative and social reforms that advance women's rights. Your legacy invests in a future where women's voices are heard, respected, and acted upon.
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How Your Gift Makes a Difference
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Support groundbreaking research on gender issues, shaping policies that address pay disparity and violence against women.
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Leaving a gift to NFAW is a straightforward process. Consult a legal advisor to ensure your wishes are accurately reflected. Informing us allows us to thank you and keep you updated on the impact of your future gift.
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Your Legacy is Their Future
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By leaving a gift to NFAW, you're shaping the future for Australian women, ensuring your commitment to gender equality inspires change long after your lifetime. We're here to answer any questions about leaving a gift and how your legacy contributes to a more equitable future for all women.
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Thank you for considering this powerful way to support gender equality and women's rights. Together, we create a lasting legacy of change. Click here: https://nfaw.org/making-a-bequest/
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