We’ve heard the stories. We’ve seen the data. And now we have the recommendations, from the Federal Government’s own taskforce appointed. The Albanese Government has the blueprint it needs to significantly improve financial security for women.
And it’s being urged to consider these budget recommendations as “investments”, with targets and data used to highlight their value.
As we reported yesterday, the blueprint from the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce to help inform the upcoming Budget includes six major recommendations that are not beyond our imagination or means to implement. Especially, if this country can still manage the stage-three tax cuts, which the Albanese Government remains determined to keep on the agenda.
Indeed, one such recommendation includes binning an entire program: The ParentsNext program.
Also recommended is reinstating the Parenting Payment (Single) for women with children over eight — after such payments were cut under the Gillard Government.
Then there is the opportunity for superannuation payments to be paid to primary carers while they’re on paid parental leave — which is likely one of the simplest of all such recommendations and would send a powerful signal on the value of parents who take this time to be their new children.
The Taskforce has also recommended that Commonwealth rental assistance be provided to improve women’s immediate housing security, stemming from the lack of affordable, appropriate and safe housing options.
Addressing the significantly underpaid female-dominated frontline workforces of early childhood education and aged care, as well as the massive shortage of workers in such sectors, the Taskforce has recommended an interim pay rise to educators and aged care workers.
Meanwhile, the Taskforce has also recommended abolishing the Childcare Subsidy Activity Test.
On top of all these six priority recommendations, the Taskforce’s message is that the Albanese Government centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander women in the design and delivery of all policies and programs.
Finally, they have also provided an extensive list of non-financial measures to drive immediate action, including gender-repsponsive budgeting, delivering a Gender Data Strategy to help inform policy development, using data to provide public reporting on gender equality progress, supporting women to enter and remain in public leadership roles, and implementing gender-responsive procurement principles.
Another overarching idea on the non-financial measures list is to view the budget priorities created as “investments”, and use targets and data to demonstrate the value such investments bring. “This must be underpinned by an enhanced, strength-based culture of engagement where women’s insights are acknowledged and used to build best quality policy,” the Taskforce says.
As the Taskforce’s Chair Sam Mostyn said on releasing the report on Wednesday, these recommendations are an opportunity to create a “sustainable and vibrant economy” that is free from the “persistent issues of disadvantage” facing women.
The Taskforce has sought to look at the most disadvantaged people across the economy, addressing the gendered nature of poverty and inequality.
This is about investing in these people, to enable the full participation of everyone across society and the economy. It’s about doing something to value the unpaid work of care and parenting, as well as the underpaid work in female-dominated care sectors.
So will the Government implement all six recommendations? So far, the Albanese Government has said they are examining them, with Minister for Women Senator Katy Gallagher welcoming the advice, and highlighting the significant and credible expertise and experience that came together to form the document.
But the “tight fiscal environment” conditions have been noted, so we may not see the full menu on the next Budget.
“We are considering the Taskforce’s recommendations in the context of the 2023-24 Budget, including what we can responsibly deliver in a tight fiscal environment,” said Minister Gallagher in a statement on the report.
“The investments we make to drive gender equality in this Budget will be built upon in subsequent Budgets, in the same way that we are already building on the over $7 billion investment made in the October Budget to make child care cheaper, boost paid parental leave and support women’s safety.”
As the Taskforce wrote in its letter to the Government on its findings: “Economic equality for women will only be achieved through courageous and urgent action in the short term, underpinned by a series of structural reforms that can build fairer, inclusive and stronger systems that enable equal economic participation across a life course for women and men.”
Most women, and especially single mothers, are experiencing the direct realities of a difficult economy themselves, given inflation and the rising cost of living. This Budget could do much to address the current economic security challenges facing women, and set everyone up to further succeed once the pressures facing the economy start to ease.