Statement of Principles - Early Childhood Education and Care and Paid Parental Leave

Statement of Principles – Early Childhood Education and Care and Paid Parental Leave

March 26, 2022

This statement of principles was developed at a workshop of the Social Policy Committee in March 2021, updated to March 2022.

The National Foundation of Australian Women’s (NFAW) policy position on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is set in the context of a productivity agenda to help boost economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Women play a key role in this recovery. They took on additional hours of caring responsibility in the home during periods of COVID-19 lock-down in 2020, in many cases stopping work or reducing their hours of work and financial security to do so. By January 2021, women’s workforce participation had reached pre-COVID levels , although there is evidence that women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic (in particular, single women with families).

Compared to other OECD countries, Australia has among the highest rates of women in part-time work and among the lowest in full-time work – women constitute 37.9% of all full-time employees and 67.2% of all part-time employees in Australia. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has reported that women continue to dominate the more insecure part-time and casual roles (56.3%), including working experiences and conditions that are very different to that of men.

Together with the Equality Rights Alliance, Early Childhood Australia, The Parenthood, the Thrive by Five Campaign, key institutes and researchers, we believe that women’s participation and economic productivity can be boosted by: