PM Transcripts

JwR
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 7 MARCH 1991
EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT
JOINT STATEMENT WITH THE MINISTER ASSISTING THE PRIME
MINISTER FOR THE STATUS OF WOMEN, WENDY FATIN
The establishment of a National Child Protection Council, a
Prime Ministerial award for the encouragement of women in
sport, development of a major statement on women and the
environment and the extension for three years of the
Commonwealth/ State Council on Non-English Speaking
Background Women's Issues are among initiatives announced by
the Government for International Women's Day today.
This year's si: nitiatives will build on progress already made
by the Government in the implementation of its National
Agenda for Women.
Since the Government took office in 1983, we have
demonstrated an ongoing commitment to improving the position
of Australian women. That commitment has recognised that
real equality is founded on encouragement from an early age,
on access, on opportunity, on economic independence and
physical well-being.
The initiatives announced today are aimed at enabling the
women of Australia to participate to an even greater extent
in the economic and social framework of this nation.
This Government leads the world with its comprehensive
machinery and policies for raising the status of women.
Today's initiatives will continue this process.
In addition to the four newly funded initiatives, we also
announce a series of initiatives which will draw on existing
funding.
These include the development of a national strategy for the
implementation of the International Labour Organisation
Convention 156 on Workers with Family Responsibilities, a
new computer system monitoring the appointment of women to
Government boards and authorities and the publication of a
comprehensive statistical profile on women by the Australian
Bureau of Statistics.
A detailed list of the IWD initiatives is being distributed
by Ms Fatin.