Gender-based violence, homelessness and poverty are connected issues that create a cycle of disadvantage for women and gender-diverse people.
Recognising the urgent need for policies that address these interlinked issues, the Working with Women Alliance (WWWA) has created an election platform ahead of the federal election that highlights pathways to economic security, housing stability and the prevention of gender-based violence.
The federal election is due on or before May 17, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled out calling it for April.
Key priorities outlined in the report include building on the reforms of the last three years that protect women and protect their economic participation, providing homelessness support, economic security and fair wages for women, access to affordable reproductive healthcare and building a sustainable workforce for domestic and family violence support services.
Other key recommendations are to reform the Australian child support system, target funding for sexual violence specialist services, provide evidence-based payments for leaving violence and supporting gender-affirming healthcare and LGBTQIA+ rights.
“Experiences of gender inequality increase the risk of poverty, limit opportunities to escape and recover from violence, contribute to housing insecurity and homelessness, and result in lower superannuation balances and reduced financial stability in retirement,” WWWA’s report said.
Proudly led by YWCA Canberra, the WWWA represents two key portfolios: National Women’s Safety (NWS) and National Women’s Equality (NWE). The WWWA connects the critical areas of gender-based violence prevention and the advancement of women’s economic equality and leadership, bridging these important policy fields for greater impact.
Over the last three years, the Australian government has introduced reforms to benefit women, such as the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2023-2025, and the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030.
The WWWA election platform calls for continued commitment to these policies (and others) and additional support.
Homelessness
Women, especially older women, are at the forefront of the housing crisis in Australia, and the report notes that domestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women.
According to the report’s recommendations, developing a gender-responsive action plan on housing that aligns with the commitments of the National Plan is urgently needed, as is a review of the tax and transfer system.
“Tax concessions, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, incentivise the use of housing as an investment and disproportionately impact women, particularly older women, by limiting housing affordability and security,” the report says.
Poverty
Australia is also one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and yet women continue to live in poverty. Despite engaging more in higher education, they’re also more likely than men to be doing so. On average, women in Australia earn only 78 cents for every dollar men earn.
The report calls for the government to implement the recommendations of the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, including improving the wages, security, and safety of workers in the care economy, most of whom are women, incentivising men to take paid parental leave, and improving the affordability and accessibility of early childhood education.
Systemic gender bias in healthcare is also shaping women’s economic security and health, with the report noting that “economic inequality is further amplified when pain or symptoms of reproductive health issues interrupt people’s ability to work”.
The WWWA says the government must ensure universal free access to contraception and secure access to reproductive healthcare for marginalised people, particularly in rural and remote areas. Supporting reproductive leave as a universal entitlement is recommended as well.
Gender-based violence
Amid Australia’s crisis of domestic and family violence, the report also calls for the Australian Government to invest $57.1 million over five years to establish a HECS-HELP debt forgiveness program for graduates who commit to at least four years in the social services sector. This initiative would help ensure a sustainable workforce capable of delivering vital frontline services to women and children experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence.
When it comes to supporting women leaving violence, the Australian Government’s Leaving Violence Program (LVP) currently provides up to $5,000 in financial assistance to support victim-survivors of intimate partner violence in escaping unsafe situations.
The report recommends increasing this to $7,000 with targeted eligibility criteria to prioritise those facing the most severe financial hardship. This raise in payment will better reflect the actual financial cost associated with escaping violent relationships.