NFAW is dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of Australian women, including intellectual, cultural, political, social, economic, legal, industrial and domestic spheres, and ensuring that the aims and ideals of the women’s movement and its collective wisdom are handed on to new generations of women. NFAW is a feminist organisation, independent of party politics and working Supporting women to achieve VET-based careers –Discussion Paper in partnership with other women’s organisations.
We are responding to the terms of reference through a gender lens. Women’s workforce participation reflects their role as unpaid carers as it changes over the working lifecycle. The industrial relations framework penalises women as it is based on the male breadwinner model, while the tax-transfer system imposes high EMTRs on second incomes and gender segregation limits career progression.
The National Foundation for Australian Women strongly supports the following measures - Improving women’s economic security through access to more affordable child care (including raising the Child Care Subsidy from 85% to 95% for low income families) and NSW Government commitment to support vulnerable families in accessing child care places.
Women’s career development is generally different from men. It is often more complex (for example, conflict between work and family) and is often characterised by different career stages or patterns (for example, intervals away from full time employment to assume care responsibilities).
