Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women's Economic Security, Senator Hume. Can the minister advise the Senate how the Liberal-National government's plans are supporting Australian women to start their own businesses, getting more women into work and helping to secure their economic future, as part of our economic recovery from COVID-19?

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

I thank Senator Chandler for this very important question. Supporting Australian women to be entrepreneurs, to start a business and to take part in the workforce is a focus of this Morrison government. We know that getting more women into work gives women economic security in life and closes the gender pay gap. That's why the Morrison government recently announced it's providing $3.5 million to Grameen Australia.

Using its proven models that have worked so well overseas, Grameen will establish and deliver an innovative program to create entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed women. The program invites participants to join small peer support groups and offers mentoring, training and access to loans and savings programs to support them as they establish their own small businesses. This initiative will create new self-employment opportunities. It will also boost financial literacy and workforce skills for Australian women. Micro-enterprise development allows women to become their own boss, offering flexibility and choice for women who have so much talent and skill to offer in the workforce. This program specifically will empower women, helping them to build their careers, but it will also provide flow-on benefits to the Australian economy. It's incredibly impressive to see Grameen using innovative measures to help women establish their businesses while providing wraparound services to ensure that women have the support available to take this very significant step in their working lives and in their careers. This very exciting new program will initially be delivered in my home state of Victoria in the suburb of Broadmeadows, before extending to other locations across Australia.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for her response. Minister, how many jobs is the program estimated to create, and how is women's employment tracking more broadly?

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

The Morrison government's economic plan is clearly delivering, and that is especially so for Australian women. In June, the workforce figures highlighted that more women are in the workforce now than ever before. The women's workforce participation rate is the highest ever recorded in Australia, and the number of women employed has also increased to record levels, and that's now at 6.25 million Australian women. What's more, Grameen Australia estimate that this program will create approximately 6,000 new jobs for Australian women just during its first two years alone of operation. This is just one element of this government's women's budget statement, a $3.4 billion package that includes a range of measures designed to remove workforce disincentives for women and increase employment in key industries.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a final supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, what are the most recent gender pay gap figures, and how have they changed over time.

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

Again, I thank Senator Chandler for this very important question. I'm extremely glad she asked about changes over time because, at present, the gender pay gap is at a record low. It's at the record low of 13.4 per cent. Australian women know that it is only coalition government policies that drive the gender pay gap lower. When the coalition left government in 2007, the gender pay gap was 15.4 per cent, and it was on its way down. However, when Labor came to government, they oversaw a rise in the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap actually widened as high as 17.4 per cent. That's right: the gender pay gap in Australia went up considerably under a Labor government, and it's taken a coalition government to get this figure back on the right trajectory, heading down once again. We won't stop here. In the 2021-22 budget we announced a targeted review of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, with the aim to push the gender pay gap even lower. (Time expired)