In a survey commissioned by independent lobby group WomenVote, 1065 voters –both men and women– were posed questions relating to the government’s handling of policy areas such as childcare, equal gender representation, the pay gap, and domestic violence.
The results were emphatic.
71 percent of respondents felt the government should be doing more to address the gender pay gap which currently sits at 14.1% according to 2019 WGEA reports. While 75 percent felt the superannuation gap– stuck between 15% and 19%– should be tackled.
According to the poll, voters should welcome the ALP’s promise this week to introduce a $4 billion childcare package, benefitting 887,000 families. 80 percent of respondents felt the cost of childcare right now is prohibitive and should be addressed at the next election.
76 percent of those surveyed acknowledged that while women may want to work more, right now they’re restricted by domestic and caring responsibilities. 59 percent of voters also felt that it was harder for women in the workforce to be promoted than their male counterparts.
A staggering 86 percent of voters also suggested that the government was lagging on action against domestic violence. While both Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten have released proposals to combat DV, the majority of voters feel their response is inadequate given the severity of the crisis.
“The only way to get politicians’ attention is to tell them that over 50% of the population are voting based on how they measure up against these issues” said WomenVote chief Maria O’Brien.
Will they listen? We’ll just have to wait and see.
