Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Chandler for this very important question and for her enduring commitment to the prosperity and progress of Australian women and particularly their economic security. As Australians and those on this side of the chamber know, the Morrison government is committed to seeing more Australians in jobs, and that is particularly so for Australian women.

The best way to secure Australian women's economic security is to ensure that the economy is strong and that there are plenty of jobs to go to. At present, there are more Australians in jobs than ever before. There are more Australian jobs than there were before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In March 2021, women's employment in fact hit a record high. The women's workforce participation rate is now hovering around record highs. What's more, the gender pay gap is at record lows, at around 13.4 per cent, which of course is considerably lower than the 17.4 per cent that was observed during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor government.

But we're not resting on our laurels; there's certainly more work to do. The Morrison government is particularly focused on policies that generate jobs in emerging industries—industries that require skills in technology, science, engineering and maths, known as STEM. This is particularly so for Australian women, for these are the better and higher-paying jobs of the future. Australia's talent pool is too often limited by the underrepresentation of over half of Australia's population in STEM education and careers. We have such a highly educated workforce and a highly educated female population. In fact, we have the most highly educated female population of any developed country, and yet there is a leaky pipeline and low representation of women in STEM. That's why, in the 2021-22 budget, the Morrison government announced a $42.4 million investment to support women to— (Time expired)