This year’s Women’s Budget Statement outlines $2.1 billion in targeted spending for women and girls to “plan for a stronger future”.
Below’s a list of measures outlined, as described in the Morrison Government’s statement. You can read our analysis on the Budget here, and see our hub of stories here.
The statement notes four key categories: safety, economic security, leadership, health and wellbeing.
Women’s safety
$1.3 billion has been slated “to improve outcomes for women’s safety”.
This comes on top of the $1.3 billion announced last year, bringing a total of $2.5 billion for transitioning to the next National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, which the Minister Anne Ruston describes as the “blueprint” for the Coalition’s commitment to end violence against women and children.
This funding includes:
- $222.6 million in prevention initiatives including expanding the role of the national prevention organisation, Our Watch, establishing a national consent campaign and extending the Stop it at the Start campaign as well as investing in community-led prevention programs. ANROWS will also receive funding to continue work on building data and evidence
- $328.2 million for expanding and establishing early intervention programs: including $127.8 million for trauma-informed national counseling services to support victim-survivors including children impacted by family and domestic violence and behaviour change services for individuals who have or are at risk of perpetuating gendered violence, supporting about 80,000 Australians. The investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Support Services for families who are experiencing, witnessing or at risk of family or domestic violence, will also be extended.
- $240 million to extend the Escaping Violence Payment, which provides up to $5,000 in financial assistance to establish a life free from violence
- $100 million for a second stage of the Safe Places Program, which will deliver around 720 new emergency and transitional accommodation places that is estimated to support up to 2,880 women and children annually.
- $290.9 million for a range of legal and health services, including $87.9 million to provide a national expansion of the Lighthouse Project, which triages FDSV matters before the family court, $52.4 million to prevent victim-survivors being cross-examined by perpetrators and $25 million to establish Australia’s first women’s trauma recovery facility at the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre.
Women’s economic security
$482 million has been slated by the Morrison Government for “enhancing women’s economic security” with the Government pushing a focus on “maximising flexibility and choice”.
This funding includes:
- $346.1 million to establish Enhanced Paid Parental Leave (PPL) for Families. This change means eligible working parents will be able to share up to 20 weeks of fully flexible leave to use in ways that suit their specific circumstances. Also broadening the PPL income test to include a household income threshold of $350,000 per year.
- $38.6 million over 4 years from 2022-23 to support women in trades. Women who commence in higher paying trade occupations on the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List will be provided additional supports, such as mentoring and wraparound services.
- $3.9 million on the ‘Supporting Women’s Mid-Career Transition to the Tech Workforce’ (although this appears to have already been funded)
- $18.5 million to support the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, which will help to focus private sector organisations on finding opportunities to close the pay gap and increase women’s workforce participation
The Morrison Government issued this reminder: “lowering the gender pay gap and increasing women’s workforce participation requires collective effort from governments, business, and the community.”
Women’s leadership
Investments here include:
- $18.2 million for the Women’s Leadership and Development Program, including $9 million from 2023-24 to 2025-26 to expand the successful Future Female Entrepreneurs program to develop and grow women’s core entrepreneurial skills. Funding will continue the successful Academy for Enterprising Girls (10-18 year olds) and the Accelerator for Enterprising Women, expanding it to include all women aged 18+, as well as adding a new Senior Enterprising Women program.
- $9.4 million to expand the Future Women’s Jobs Academy and to support gender balanced boards.
Health and wellbeing
The Morrison Government described the following initiatives as “targeted funding for women’s health and wellbeing”
- $330.6 million over four years from 2022-23 to fund initiatives supporting the maternal, sexual and reproductive health of Australian women and girls that will support the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-30.
- Funding to establish a National Women’s Health Advisory Council (figure not given)
- Additional investments to support a range of initiatives, including increasing the awareness of cardiovascular disease in women and enhancing bereavement support for families who have experienced stillbirth (figure not given)
- $58 million to support women to get an endometriosis diagnosis earlier. Funding will also support women with endometriosis to have access to resources to make informed choices for their health, and doctors will be provided with guidance on the best treatment plans.
- $9.7 million in surge capacity for BreastScreen Australia, to support women who missed or delayed breast screening because of COVID-19
- $1.2 million to engage with senior midwifery practitioners to consult and map maternity service models and develop options to integrate service models into emerging and current primary care models.