The Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee is inquiring into the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026. This Bill extends Federal funding for grants to early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers to support wage increases for ECEC workers. The grants will now be available until July 2028. The Bill also allows the Commonwealth to impose obligations requiring ECEC providers to meet National Quality Standards in relation to children’s health and safety as a condition of receiving the grant.

NFAW supports the Bill. ECEC workers, who are predominantly women, have been consistently undervalued when it comes to wages, despite ECEC being critical to the Australian economy. However, we are concerned that the gendered implications of the grant are not clearly articulated in the grant legislation. For example, the stated objects of the grant legislation include implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but do not reference the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Consistently identifying the gender impacts of policy is a critical part of gender responsive budgeting. Our submission makes some suggested additions to highlight the gendered impact of the grant program.

NFAW has made a submission to the Commonwealth Treasury's inquiry into preventing perpetrators from accessing the superannuation death benefits of their victims.

This consultation takes place in the context of a broader audit of key Commonwealth systems to identify where they are being weaponised by perpetrators of family and domestic violence. NFAW's submission notes that several features of the superannuation system could magnify harm, while creating a discretion to redirect benefits away from perpetrators could potentially shift superannuation from a potential weapon to a potential disincentive for perpetrators.

NFAW has made a submission to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on the role played by gender inequality as one of the underlying preconditions for extremism and the breakdown of social cohesion.

The gendered aspects of antisemitism and social cohesion take several different forms. Firstly, the individual experience of antisemitism can be significantly affected by the intersection between Jewish identity and gender, along with and other dimensions of discrimination, such as race, age, disability and sexuality. Secondly, antisemitic discourse often genders Jewish people in ways which reinforce patriarchal norms while contributing to the othering of Jewish people. Thirdly, research is increasingly identifying misogyny and anti-feminist politics as a key gateway to, and unifier of, extremist movements and a common thread running through almost all right-wing ideology, including antisemitic narratives. Finally, improving gender equality within a community has been demonstrated to play an important role in securing and defending social cohesion and strengthening community resilience.

NFAW expresses our deepest condolences to all those affected by the shocking terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025 and welcomes this Royal Commission as a positive step towards highlighting and addressing antisemitism in Australia. We also acknowledge that for many Australians, these tragic events have occurred in a broader context of international conflict and human rights abuses. We extend our heartfelt condolences and solidarity to all Australians affected by abuses of human rights in Israel and Gaza, particularly to those who have lost loved ones, whether Israeli or Palestinian. We reiterate that respect for the human rights of all people is of paramount importance.