This submission is being made by The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW).
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 in partnership with other women’s organisations.
The terms of reference of this inquiry are extensive, however we particularly note that the inquiry is focussed on matters that are within the scope of the Victorian Government.
The National Foundation for Australian Women has been engaged in a program of work that looks at workforce conditions for women, including many of the areas referenced in the terms of reference of this enquiry. In particular we have engaged with the Federal Parliamentary inquiry in relation to insecure work; and in 2020 we commissioned modelling on the economic effects of supporting carers with additional government-funded service delivery and higher wage growth in the child care, aged care and disabled care sectors, both of which are attached (Attachments A & B). The key finding of the latter study was that investing in the three identified areas of care will increase GDP significantly for a relatively low cost to government.
Our review of the policies and commitments made by the Victorian Government indicate that it has already commenced action in many of the recommendations that we have made in the attached recommendations to the Commonwealth, making the State a leader in its commitment to gender equity. However the Victorian Government should increase its commitment to essential service workers, providing funding to support equitable remuneration and long-term employment relationships that will attract and retain skilled health workers and carers across the aged care, child care and disability care sectors. We note that recent Victorian budgets have provided funding to social infrastructure and training, although we still have concerns that workers in the care sector remain underpaid relative to the important work that they perform.
We believe that the Victorian Government would also accept that its responsibilities in employment extend outside its direct jurisdiction. The government has recently reiterated that, as a state that has referred most of its industrial powers to the Commonwealth ‘Victoria has a strong interest in advocating for an industrial relations system which is based on consultation, cooperation and good faith bargaining, underpinned by a safety net of fair employment conditions’. This being the case, the Government has a role to play in engaging in the aged care work value case to support the claim currently before the Fair Work Commission. For the same reasons, it should also consider making a late submission to the Early Childhood Education and Care Equal Remuneration and Work Value Case. Finally, it should also examine the gender workforce issues in Victorian universities, which have been decimated over the last 18 months.
We congratulate the Victorian Government on their moves to improve gender budgeting processes, and have engaged with the Victorian Public Accounts and Estimates Committee in respect of their inquiry into Gender Responsive Budgeting (Attachment C). We also recognise the commitment to gender equality expressed in the Victorian Gender Equality Act. We particularly note the requirement for entities to undertake a gender impact assessment and prepare a Gender Equality Action Plan although it is, as yet, too early to assess the effects of the requirements of the Act.
READ FULL PAPER