A feminist foreign policy calls into question the budget priorities that mean that by 2021, for every dollar spent on Official Development Assistance (ODA), Australia will spend $11 on defence and divert an additional $3.8 billion (the equivalent of the annual aid budget) towards arms manufacturers (ACFID, IWDA & CARE, 2018).
Women are more reliant on housing assistance and services because of violence, economic disadvantage and caring responsibilities. Shortcomings, gaps and failings in these systems disproportionately impact on women. For example, women make up 62.2% of the 416,640 single people who remain in housing stress after receipt of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA).
In 2017, 55.5% of all university students were women. Changes to the loan repayment scheme included in the 2017 Budget affect women disproportionately. On average, women graduates earn less over a lifetime of employment, particularly so in the first ten years after they leave university.
Women face specific health care needs and without a national women’s health policy these cannot be adequately addressed. Health care research generally focuses on men, despite symptoms often differing between men and women. For example, heart attacks in women can often present with much more subtle symptoms which are easily ignored.
Media statements (Media Release 19 March 2019) and the report of the Inquiry into Franking Credits (Standing Committee on Economics, 2019 p16 ) have expressed the view that refundable franking credits benefit women more than men. With respect, we do not agree with this assessment. • Security in retirement, particularly financial security, is a matter that concerns many women.
Australian women are nearly three times more likely than men to experience violence from an intimate partner (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4906.0) Over 62% of women experiencing family violence are in paid employment (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4906.0).
Historically low wage growth indicates that the enterprise bargaining system is not working well for employees. Last year the sense that workers were losing out while companies profited reached a peak when company profits grew by 22%
Economic and financial abuse is a form of intimate partner violence. It aims to limit a woman’s access to finances or resources in order to control her behavior and undermine her economic independence.
Nearly 1.3 million Australian children are enrolled in approved child care services.1 While the provision of affordable ECEC is a ‘workforce issue’, enabling parents to work outside the home, it is also critically important for the development of children.
