Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Community Services ) Share this | Hansard source

(nternational Women's Day has always been an important date for me, but this has been a particularly significant week of celebrations as I have participated in my first International Women's Day as the Minister for the Status of Women. This year's theme in Australia was Supporting Women's Economic Empowerment, whilst the international theme was Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures. It has involved policy launches and vigorous discussions about how women can do more to recognise and celebrate women's achievements and to promote gender equality.

This morning, I co-hosted the Federal Parliamentary International Women's Day Breakfast of UN Women Australia—and parliament is a good place to start when we're talking about reform to improve gender equality. Today, for the first time in our country's history, we have a female Prime Minister, a female Governor-General, and the highest proportion of women in the ministry, at 26.7 per cent. This is better than the world's average of 16.7 per cent, but there is still unfinished work.

At a news conference last week, during proceedings of the Commission on the Status of Women, Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, emphasised the importance of women's political participation. She stated that women's participation in politics and the economy reinforces women's civil, political and economic rights and strengthens democracy, equality and the economy. Women's representation in our federal parliament is, in fact, stagnating. Women hold 38.2 per cent of the seats in the Senate and 24.7 per cent of those in the House of Representatives. We as a parliament must work to promote the increased representation of women in politics in the interest of gender equality and women's empowerment.

On this point, I am pleased to say the Australian Labor Party is doing its bit, meeting the target of 30 per cent of women in parliament set by the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women. Of our party's 31 current senators, 14, or 45 per cent, are women and there are 23 ALP women in the House of Representatives—31.9 per cent of the party's total number of MPs. The smaller representation of women in the lower house does show that women are still missing out on safe or winnable seats. Women's total representation in the lower house fell from the record high of 27.3 per cent in the previous parliament to 24.7 per cent at the last election. Michelle Bachelet's message on the importance of women's equal participation in politics is remarkably cogent for our situation. It reinforces our focus for today—and for every day—which is to break down the barriers to gender equality and to support and encourage women's economic empowerment.

Of course, men and boys have a role to play in gender equality alongside and in partnership with women and girls. The outcome of the 23rd Special Session of the UN General Assembly of 2000 stressed the need to increase research on men's and boys' roles and on the stereotyping of girls and boys. It emphasised that men must take joint responsibility with women for the promotion of gender equality. Women in every part of the world continue to be largely marginalised, often as a result of discriminatory laws, practices and attitudes but also as a result of poverty disproportionately affecting women.

Many women experience financial insecurity throughout their lifetime. We know that women's lifetime earnings are generally less than men's, and that women are much more vulnerable to poverty in retirement. Unfortunately, women in 2012 still struggle to gain senior leadership positions and they earn less pay, have less superannuation, and do more than their share of unpaid work. Recent research has found that closing the gap between women's and men's workforce participation could increase Australia's GDP by 13 per cent—so it is also an economic imperative.

This government is committed to advancing gender equality by supporting women's economic empowerment. The recent introduction of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill into the parliament is the latest example of the significant inroads that we are making though our progressive reforms. The name of the new act—the Workplace Gender Equality Act—reflects our objective for equality for women and men. It will help increase women's participation in the workforce and their economic empowerment by addressing the unequal burden of caring responsibilities. Both women and men will have equal options to balance their paid work and caring obligations. It also focuses on equal remuneration, recognising that closing the gender pay gap is central to achieving equality. That gap, for the record, remains one of the highest in three decades at 17.6 per cent. This government also introduced Australia's first national paid parental leave scheme—giving families the flexibility to make their own decisions about balancing paid work and family life. Around 150,000 families have now accessed the scheme.

We have also increased the rebate for out-of-pocket childcare expenses from 30 to 50 per cent—which is now benefiting around 800,000 families. This reform is having a significant impact on the take-home wages of women returning to work. In 2004, the out-of-pocket costs for a family with one child in long day care and earning $55,000 a year were 13.2 per cent of their disposable income—by last year this proportion had fallen to 7.5 per cent.

We have also made a commitment to achieve pay equity. The historic decision of Fair Work Australia to award equal remuneration to social and community sector workers is a significant advance for women.

Other achievements include amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act to make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of family responsibilities, and the introduction of a new Superannuation Roundtable to improve retirement incomes and superannuation.

I was also extremely proud to launch Australia's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security at Sydney's Garden Island on International Women's Day. Australia will do more as a global partner to ensure the rights and voices of women and girls are protected and promoted. The plan will also work towards the full involvement of women in the peace process. This plan is the result of a combined effort by the Australian government and non-government organisations and I thank them for their input.

A major barrier to economic empowerment for Australian women is the violence and harassment they experience at home, on the street and at work. The rates of domestic, family and sexual violence experienced by Australian women and their children are unacceptable. To become a stronger and more just society we must ensure women are liberated from living in fear of violence. The Gillard government last year launched Australia's $86 million National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. It is a 12-year strategy to reduce the amount of violence in our communities, to support survivors of violence and to prevent violence.

But, just as we celebrate advances, we are all too often reminded of how far we still have to go for women and girls to receive the respect and be treated with the dignity they deserve. This morning I announced that the Australian government is providing the Australian Red Cross with an additional $1.2 million to help victims of human trafficking, under the Australian government's Support for Trafficked People program. The tragic reality in 2012 is that trafficking exists and we must ensure survivors receive the compassionate and practical care they need to help them heal and rebuild their lives. Most victims have been women working in the sex industry but an increasing number are being brought to Australia for forced marriage. Forced marriage has no place in Australia and that is why my colleague the Attorney-General is introducing laws into parliament to criminalise the practice. I thank the Australian Red Cross for the remarkable job it does in helping victims recover from the trauma of human trafficking. This extra funding brings the Gillard government's support for the Red Cross program to $4.22 million over four years.

Much has changed since the first International Women's Day in 1911. In the past 50 years, women's workforce participation has risen from 34 per cent to around 60 per cent. There are 5.2 million women in jobs in Australia today, comprising around 46 per cent of the workforce. Australia is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve gender empowerment. There is a groundswell of support—particularly in businesses and in industries that perform well, as they come to realise the benefits that gender equality confers.

The Gillard government is redressing the economic imbalances women have inherited over centuries, by combining good economic policy with innovative social policy. I look forward to continuing to work with employers, unions and non-government organisations to promote and advance gender equality for all women in Australia. And I look forward to next year's report on International Women's Day being one of more achievements and progress.

I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the member for Farrer to speak for nine minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent Ms Ley speaking in reply to the ministerial statement for a period not exceeding nine minutes.

Question agreed to.

See this speech in context