Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Women. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government's investment in essential services is supporting women's economic and physical security in response to the coronavirus pandemic?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. As someone who led an international initiative on women's economic empowerment before coming to this place, she is in a terrific position to support her community at this time. I know that she would understand really well that the choices women make for themselves, for and with their families, in the workplace are all optimised by a strong and resilient economy. Women are indeed making a significant contribution to our COVID-19 response and recovery. Women are on the frontlines, making up the majority of employees in essential services like health, education, aged care and disability services.

Prior to COVID-19, women's full-time employment and female participation reached record highs. We will absolutely continue our focus on our $158 million women's economic security plan, which we were the first to introduce and which the Prime Minister said earlier this week will get a refresh. Women have been the hardest hit though COVID-19. Our participation figures show that 325,000 women have lost their jobs and the women's workforce participation rate has fallen 0.9 percentage points to 58.4 percentage points, and this is partly due to the fact, of course, that women are heavily represented in sectors with sharp decreases in paid work: hospitality, tourism and retail. We know that increasing women's participation in paid employment will assist in accelerating Australia's overall recovery.

Our record investments are supporting women and men, households and businesses through COVID-19. Half of all JobKeeper payments are going to female workers. It has been a lifeline for female-run businesses, like that of Kerry Haskew in my electorate of Farrer, who runs a small lingerie business in city walk in Albury . She wrote to me to say that she really appreciated the relatively quick and easy way she was able to get support through JobKeeper. Kerry doesn't want a continual handout. She wants her business open. It opened on 1 June. She wants people walking in the door. She loves her elderly customers. She wants shoppers in the streets. She knows that this government has been there when she needed it.

We saw some welcome news today. ABS payroll data shows that the number of females in jobs increased by 1.4 per cent through May. We've got more work to do, but it's a really encouraging start.

Outside the workplace, unfortunately, the pandemic has meant domestic violence rates have increased. We are still working hard. The support that we added during the crisis included our domestic violence initiatives and our information campaign. Whether it be women's safety, participation in the workforce or financial security, we want to see every woman empowered to make, for themselves and their families, the choices that a strong, resilient economy will allow. (Time expired)