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Following last Tuesday’s budget announcement, there is a growing consensus that the federal budget needs fundamental change. Seventeen organisations have come together to call for a new approach to budgeting which will bring women’s needs into sharper focus.

“The Minister for Women, Marise Payne, has made it clear that she understands that women will play a vital role in this recovery and the measures outlined in the Women’s Economic Security Statement are a strong first step in that direction,” said Helen Dalley-Fisher, Senior Manager of the Equality Rights Alliance. “It’s therefore concerning that the rest of the budget failed to address the key structural issues facing women. It’s become clear that the budget process itself is one of the barriers we have to address.”

The job of confronting the bias in the budget has been made a little easier by a recognition of the need for more robust data about women’s lives. “It was pleasing to see that there will be a revision and enhancement of the ABS’ Gender Indicators report,‘ said Trish Bergin of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation. ‘Gender relevant data is essential as a building block towards understanding the gender impact of both current and prospective policy changes”.

However, despite widespread calls for investment in social housing from economists, housing specialists and women’s groups, the budget didn’t address Australia’s dire lack of affordable housing. “We have known for years that Australia is experiencing a housing affordability crisis, with older women the fastest growing group experiencing homelessness,” said Emma Davidson of the Women’s Electoral Lobby. “Building more social housing would help with the rising tide of homelessness, while also creating jobs.”

Another area which needed but failed to get urgent attention in this budget was childcare. Chief Executive Women President, Sue Morphet, said “Increasing female full-time workforce participation is one of Australia’s biggest economic opportunities; and making early childhood education and care more affordable is one of the most effective policy levers to do that. This is not welfare; it is investment in the infrastructure women need to participate more fully in the workforce and maximise their productivity and opportunities.”

“With soaring rates of all forms of violence against women and their children, it is vital that we fund long-term solutions and building a future free from violence for people in Australia” said Tina Dixson, Acting Program Manager of the Australian Women Against Violence Alliance. “The COVID-19 pandemic has not only increased the prevalence of violence but created additional barriers for women to seek safety. Without gender responsive budgeting and commitment to ending violence against women we risk losing lives”.

The Aid budget saw a slight increase for gender equality initiatives but at just 32 per cent of overseas development assistance it falls far short of what’s needed. “Women worldwide are experiencing the worst impacts of the economic and health crises brought on by COVID-19, yet the Government continues to make cuts to the Aid budget in regions where women face persistent gender inequality, alongside the growing impacts of the pandemic,” said Michelle Higelin, Executive Director of global women’s rights organisation ActionAid Australia. “At a time when gender equality is deteriorating worldwide at an alarming pace, Australia’s leadership is vital to address the disproportionate impact this pandemic is having on women and support women leading local responses.”

“It’s time for us to join the majority of nations in the OECD and work towards a budget that is truly gender responsive,” said Helen Dalley-Fisher. “We need a budget and policy process that makes it possible for policy makers to see and address the needs of women.”

For media comment or speakers for interview, please contact:

Emma Davidson – Women’s Electoral Lobby on 0459 901 306
Tina Dixson – AWAVA on 0428 541 396 or [email protected]

Download a copy of this media release here:  

Violence prevention advocates, sexual and reproductive health advocates and legal experts have today released a paper that underlines the importance of safe access zones as a key violence prevention measure in Australia.

Safe access zones are allocated ‘bubbles’ of safety around facilities that provide abortion care that prohibit harassment and intimidation of patients and staff. Safe access zones are in place in all States and Territories apart from South Australia and Western Australia.

The paper highlights that picketers outside of abortion care facilities can erode community trust and feelings of safety for staff working at these facilities and patients accessing services. With a majority of patients accessing these facilities being women, ensuring patients feel safe to access abortion services is key to primary prevention of violence against women.

The University of Queensland’s Pro Bono Centre, the Australian Women Against Violence Alliance and Marie Stopes Australia have developed the paper to inform legislative debate in South Australia and Western Australia, with both States in the process of, or committed to progressing safe access zone legislation.

The paper highlights key issues in debates surrounding safe access zones, specifically, implied freedom of political communication and whether safe access zones breach this constitutional right. This was a matter considered by the High Court recently with all seven judges agreeing that safe access zones do not breach the constitutional right of implied freedom of political communication.

The paper also considers and provides recommendations on key aspects of safe access zone legislation in South Australia and Western Australia including size, definitions of prohibited behaviour, premises that are covered by the zones and exemptions.

In the next two years Australia is providing its human rights review as a part of the Universal Periodic Review as well as its report on women’s rights under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This paper provides a key argument for the harmonization of Australia’s safe access zone laws to prevent violence against women and pregnant people accessing vital sexual and reproductive health services.

QUOTES FROM Professor Heather Douglas, Law School, the University of Queensland:

‘Safe access to health care should be available to everyone and safe access to abortion care should be no different to other health care.’

‘Experience shows that legislation providing for safe access zones improves the safety and security for both health workers attending work and people seeking abortion care.’

QUOTES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE ALLIANCE (AWAVA), Tina Dixson, Acting Program Manager:

“Access to reproductive healthcare is crucial for women and people who are pregnant in upholding their reproductive rights and bodily autonomy”.

“In situations of violence, access to sexual and reproductive healthcare is about long term recovery and living lives free from violence. For women currently experiencing violence, clinics need to be safe, calm and accessible environments free from judgement and harassment”.

QUOTES FROM MARIE STOPES AUSTRALIA, Jamal Hakim, Managing Director:

“Everyone has the right to access healthcare services safely and with their privacy and dignity protected and respected. Everyone has a right to access their workplace without being intimidated and harassed.”

“Sadly, the picketers outside our clinic in Western Australia believe they can harass and intimidate people without consequences, and this is unacceptable.”

“It really is sad that we need safe access zones. However, the experience of our staff and clients has shown how necessary they are. In places where they have been enacted, they have made a huge, positive impact on the feelings of safety and privacy for staff and clients.”

– Ends –

Marie Stopes Australia is a national not for profit provider of sexual and reproductive health services including permanent and long-acting reversible contraception and abortion care. For more information on our clinic network visit mariestopes.org.au

Media contact:

Jacquie O’Brien, Director Public Affairs and Policy, Marie Stopes Australia, 0428 396 391

Tina Dixson, Acting Program Manager, Australian Women Against Violence Alliance, 0428 541 396

Download a copy of this media release here: