National Test Case to increase wages in female dominated occupations

The Australian Services Union (ASU) is aiming to increase the wages of almost 250,000 mostly female community sector workers across the country, particularly those working in caring and community industries. ASU will argue that low wages in a feminised industry like the community sector be brought into line with pay rates for work of equal or comparable value in other, often male dominated, industries.

The test case is supported by the Equal Pay Alliance as part of a national equal pay campaign. The Alliance comprises over 150 representatives from business, unions and government, and includes the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) as well as the Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick.

Commenting on the national test case on 12 March 2010, Commissioner Broderick said, “Today is a particularly important day because it is the first time that an application to test the provisions of the new Fair Work Act will be lodged with Fair Work Australia.”

The test case will potentially impact a variety of workers in the community sector including those working in disability; aged care; community legal centres; domestic violence services and sexual assault workers. Read more

Funding for National Women’s Alliances will give women a voice

Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, announced this week the establishment of six National Women’s Alliances, which will share in $3.6 million of funding from the Australian Government over three years.

Comprising women’s organisations and individuals from across Australia, each alliance has a specific focus: economic security, equality rights, violence against women, immigrant and refugee women, rural, and Indigenous women.

Ms Plibersek said through these alliances, women and women’s organisations will share information, identify issues that affect them, and identify solutions.

“The alliances will engage actively with the Australian Government on policy issues as part of a better more informed and representative dialogue between women and government,” said Ms Plibersek in a media release date 10 March 2010.

“Most importantly, the alliances are about inclusion. The National Women’s Alliances will ensure that the voices of a variety of women are heard, including those that have not been well represented in the past. They will allow women to actively engage with all levels of government by identifying and responding to current issues.” Read more

Funding Boost for National Rural Women’s Coalition

Rural and regional women across Australia will have greater opportunity to engage with government with the announcement of funding for the National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC).

Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development, Maxine McKew, announced yesterday that the Australian Government would invest $600,000 over three years to ensure women from rural, regional and remote areas are able to bring forward the concerns and issues from their communities.

“The NRWC will ensure that rural women from across Australia are better able to share information, identify issues from their communities and raise concerns, in their own words, with their own solutions,” Ms Plibersek said. Read more

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, has announced the establishment of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance, that will give indigenous women a voice on violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and social and emotional problems that are affecting family relationships.

Ms Macklin made the announcement yesterday at Oxfam’s Straight Talk Summit, which saw Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of all ages and backgrounds from across the country at Parliament House, to meet with female politicians to find ways to work together to improve the lives of Indigenous peoples.

Speaking at the summit on 9 March 2010, Ms Macklin said “This alliance of Indigenous women and their organisations from across the country will enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to bring forward the concerns and issues from their communities, in their own words, with their own agendas, and their own solutions.”

“So far it includes strong women and their organisations from Adelaide to the Torres Strait, Sydney and Melbourne to the NPY lands,” said Ms Macklin. Read more

92 percent of Australian women say gender balance not equal

92% of Australian women believe they do not enjoy equal rights according to the results of a new study conducted by cosmetic company the Heat Group and UNIFEM Australia, the United Nations Development Fund for women.

Of the 500 women polled 41% flagged domestic commitments, lack of support in the home and the resulting inability to work longer hours and promote themselves professionally, as the major stumbling blocks to gender equality in Australia. Further, more than half reported feeling pressure to conform to traditional female roles within the home.

“Programs such as the Paid Parental Leave scheme may help to move these women from the home to the workplace with greater ease, however it also highlights other issues such as access to flexible hours, the wage gap and access to affordable child care are still key issues for women,” said Gillian Franklin, Managing Director of the Heat Group. Read more

Word around the watercooler is women don’t have equal opportunity

According to the SEEK Watercooler Index, a new fortnightly poll that tracks the attitudes of Australians on various workplace issues, more than 60% of Australians believe equal opportunities do not exist for women in the workplace.

The finding from the SEEK Watercooler Index, follows a Bureau of Statistics report that showed male wages have risen by 6.4 percent, compared with only a 5% increase for women. The average gender pay gap between the full-time wage of men and women, now stands at $11,913 a year.

Responses to the online poll included comments on everything from the gender pay gap, to examples of discrimination in the interview process. While most comments supported the view that women are denied the same opportunities as men, some comments provided examples of women being treated more favouraby than men. Read more

Efforts made to advance the rights of girls in the developing world

The United Nations Adolescent Girls Task Force, has pledged to step up efforts to address the human rights of adolescent girls in the developing world.

During the next five years, the task force aims to increase support to developing countries to advance key policies and programs that empower the hardest-to-reach adolescent girls, particularly those aged 10 to 14 years.

Many of the 600 million adolescent girls living in developing countries remain invisible in national policies and programs. They live in poverty and are subject to multiple forms of violence, abuse and exploitation, such as child labour, child marriage and other harmful practices. Read more

Annie Lennox speaks up for women and girls at United Nations

You may remember her as one half of the Eurythmics, the British duo who dominated the popular music charts in the 1980s and early 90s. But in 2010, Annie Lennox (pictured) is using her powerful voice to bring global attention to the plight of women and girls infected with HIV.

Speaking at the launch of the Agenda for Accelerated Country Action, at the United Nations in New York, Annie Lennox called for a broad movement for change to address the rights of women and girls, particularly in the developing world where AIDS has reached epidemic proportions.

“We know that gender inequality puts millions of women and girls across the globe at greater risk of HIV infection. It is unacceptable that only 38% of young women have accurate, comprehensive knowledge of HIV,” Annie Lennox said.

“I’m using my voice to call on leaders—in political, religious and business spheres—and communities to change the power imbalances between men and women, for a better world.” Read more

UNIFEM’s Say NO – UNiTE Platform surpasses expectations

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has recorded 183,132 actions to end violence against women through its Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women initiative. This far surpasses the initial goal for Say NO of more than 100,000 actions by International Women’s Day 2010.

Launched in November 2009 as a web platform to facilitate, showcase and count efforts to address gender-based violence by individuals, governments and civil society, Say NO is a direct contribution to the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

People from more than 190 countries have used the web-based platform for advocacy and outreach, and participated through its related social media initiatives. Read more

AFL receives funding to reduce violence against women

The AFL will receive $400,000 in funding as part of round two of the Federal Government’s $9 million Respectful Relationships initiative.

The AFL launched its Respect and Responsibility Program in 2005 and it now runs across all states and territories, including the 16 AFL clubs. The AFL says that since it began, it has received an overwhelming number of requests from community football clubs across Australia for access to the program.

The Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, made the announcement on the 3rd of March at the Richmond Football Club, where she was joined by Tigers’ Chief Executive, Brendon Gale, and Richmond player Jack Riewoldt.

Ms Plibersek told those in attendance that nearly one in three Australian women experience physical violence in their lifetime. Read more

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