NATIONAL AGENDA FOR WOMEN
The Commonwealth Government's plan
of action for advancing the status
of women towards the year 2000
A statement by the Prime Minister,
the Hon. R. J. L. Hawke, M. P.
28 November 1985
1985 marks the End of the United Nations Decade for Women.
All over the world governments have been reviewing their
achievements in the last 10 years in raising the status of
women.
Australia has been taking an active domestic and
international part in this process. In July we sent a
delegation to the End of Decade World Conference in
Nairobi, which was held to review the achievements of the
Decade and to devise strategies to ensure that progress
continues.
Our participation in Nairobi reminded us of the harsh
conditions under which women live and work in many parts of
the world and of the continuing need to work for progress
at the international level.
At that Conference, Australia endorsed, without
reservation, the main conference document, the ' Forward
Looking Strategies', which sets out a plan of action for
carrying progress for women through to the year 2000.
We in Australia have achieved some significant progress.
over the Decade. In several areas of achievement for women
we are in the forefront of the world's nations.
Australia's governmental machinery for ensuring that
women's concerns are taken into account in the formulation
of Government policy, is in the top rank. The Women's
Budget Program, with its full-scale assessment of the
impact on women of the Federal Budget, is without parallel
anywhere else in the world.
Our overall record is one of which we can be proud. Since.
coming to Office, we have in the short space of less than
three years:
introduced the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, which
provides the legal right to equal treatment;
S established an affirmative action pilot program for
women in the private sector workforce and introduced
legislation for Equal Employment Opportunity in the
Commonwealth Public Service;
ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and are
represented on the UN Commission on the Status of
Women;
S given high priority to the representation of women on
Government boards, authorities and instrumentalities,
appointing more than 120 women to such boards
S increased the supply of child care places by 50% in
the past two years and undertaken to provide a further
20,000 new child care places by June 1988;
significantly increased fun'ding for women's refuges
and guaranteed their funding until July 1989;
this year exceeded the 50% target for employment of
women in the Community Employment Program;
agreed to assist the transfer of nurse-* education from
hospitals to Colleges of Advanced Education;
established a National Women's Consultative Council;
initiated a $ 475,000 National Women's Consultation and
Assistance Prog-ram to provide grants to-national
women s'organisations and fund projects to improve the
status of women.
A range of general Government policies have also been of
significant benefit to women and their families. These
include our income-support measures; housing policies;
Medicare; the Home and Community Care Program, the
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program, and the
Children's Services Program. Women have also benefitted
substantially, both directly and indirectly from the almost
460,100 new jobs generated since April 1983: 56 per cent
of these jobs have gone to women, and full-time female
employment has increased by 137,100 in the same period.
As we come to the End of the Decade for Women, it is time
to say how we will continue to raise the status of women
to set out our Agenda for women as we move towards the year
2000. We want to give women the opportunity to contribute to the
full to the future development of our nation, whether in a
domestic setting, in the workforce, or in any other aspect
of life.
This opportunity must be open to all women in Australia. We
are talking about opportunties for Aboriginal women, for
women from migrant backgrounds, for women with disabilities
and for those-who are in other ways disadvantaged, for
young women and older women, for women at home and women at
work, and for women in all the wide variety of
circumstances that can face them.
The Government is proud of the fact that in the past year
an additional 107,200 women have found employment, over
half of whom have moved into full-time jobs. At the same
time the unemployment rates for both adult and young women
have dropped and the numbers of discouraged women workers
have also decreased substantially.
Although 46 per cent of women are now in the labour force,
fully 64 per cent of women workers are employed in only
three of the nine major occupation groups clerical;
sales; and service, sport and recreation, a situation which
has shown little, if any, change over the decade. In
general, jobs in these occupations attract low rates of pay
and offer little prospect of advancement. The Government
is committed, through its Affirmative Action proposals
which I shall address shortly, and other policies, to
improving this situation.
We want to give women a say on this National Agenda and a
role in determining its priorities. It is against this
background that I would like to present to the House the
Government's preliminary thinking on the content of a
National Agenda for Women.
Through our National Agenda we will aim to open up
opportunities to all women, and we will do that in three
ways. We want to give women a choice. We want to give
women a say. And we want to give women a fair go.
Giving women a choice is perhaps at the heart of our
Agenda. Women must be able to choose, more freely than has been
possible in the past, the kinds of lives they wish to live.
They must be free to achieve economic independence: to
choose employment, and the training to equip them for
adequately remunerated employment, which, as we know,
offers the best opportunity for escape from poverty and
dependence. Full access to education and post-school
training opportunities is a central aspect of our agenda to
maximise women's choices.
Women must also feel free to choose to be full-time mothers
without the fear that their contribution to family life is
somehow of a lesser status than work outside the home.
They must be able to choose to combine motherhood and
employment and not feel that the difficulties of being a
working parent receive no acknowledgement or support.
Increasingly Australian women choose different roles at
different stages of their lives. Many women want to leave
the workforce to nurture their young children and then be
able to return to employment without having to start at the
bottom again.
In the past, economic factors and social prejudices have
constrained women's choices and women have often been seen
only in their familial roles as wives or mothers.
Nevertheless, family life is the central focus for very
many Australian women and the Labor Government is committed
to giving support to families, and recognises the wide
variety of family structures now chosen by Australians.
Support is provided to all families with dependent children
through family allowance payments. Since coming to office,
one of my government's major social welfare priorities has
been to increase assistance for low income families. To
this end, the Family Income Supplement and the additional
pension/ benefit for children have been increased by 60% and
the mothers/ guardians allowance has been doubled.
As part of our strategy for young people we have announced
increases in education allowances, which should be
especially helpful in giving young women financial support
to undertake education and training. We have also
announced the introduction of a new traineeship system for
young people. This will provide important new
opportunities for young women and men.
The Commonwealth Schools Commission is developing a
national policy on the education of girls which will define
a set of principles, objectives and priorities for action
and serve as a basis for future State/ Commonwealth
collaboration on girls' education issues. On the same
theme, following its acceptance of the main recommendations
of the Quality of Education Review Committee Report, the
Commonwealth Government is pursuing resource agreements
with State Government and non-Government school
systems. Among other objectives, these agreements will
seek to obtain approximately equal representation and
attainment of girls in major subject areas.
Child care is essential for working mothers but it is also
needed by women at home who need a safe place to leave
their children while they do the family shopping, or visit
the doctor, or simply seek some relief from the demands of
full-time child-raising.
The Labor Government's approach to child-care policy has
been to expand the provision of places. When we came to
office in March 1983 there were child care places for only
4.6 per cent of Australia's under-5 children. Following
significant funding increases in our first two years in
office we have now a three year plan to provide 20,000
additional child care places by 1988 at an estimated cost
of $ 107m. By 1988 there will be government subsidised
child-care for 9.5 per cent of Australia's children aged
under 5. We have also developed needs-based planning to
ensure that new child-care places are located in areas of
high need. We are committed to funding quality care that
is affordable for low and middle income earners. Recent
changes announced to the funding arrangements for child
care centres will result in a fairer system which continues
to benefit all families irrespective of income while
recovering a proportion of the real costs involved from
those whose incomes allow it. The adequate provision of
child care will remain high on the agenda.
Women who choose employment are entitled to have access to
all the opportunities offered by the Australian labour
market, to seek employment in any occupation which
interests them, at the level which meets their
qualifications. ' They are entitled to the enhanced skills
and prospects which result from on-the-job training
measures. They are entitled to a just wage for their
efforts. The Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations
announced in September special efforts to increase women's
participation in labour market programs and open up jobs
which were traditionally performed by men. A National
Strategy on Women in the Labour Force is being developed by
his Department.
Implementation of some of the major recommendations of the
Kirby Report will improve the participation of women in
labour market programs. In addition to the traineeship
system, a new integrated adult program will provide major
support for the training of disadvantaged job-seekers,
including single parents and women re-entering the
workforce after long periods of absence due to family
responsibilities. In the Special Trade Training Program,
aimed at developing new approaches to complement
traditional apprenticeship training, 500 places have been
approved for women on preparatory pre-employment courses.
The Government is also pursuing a policy of affirmative
action to enable women in all kinds of jobs to secure their
entitlements to equal employment opportunity in the workplace.
This policy was tested in a practical fashion
through a 12-month pilot program. At the same time, we
established a representative Working Party of government,
business, trade union, higher education and women's
interests, and a member of the Federal Opposition, to
secure broad-based advice on how best to legislate to
improve women's job opportunities.
Today I tabled the report of the Working Party, whose
recommendations the Government has already accepted. I
would like to take the opportunity today to place on record
my appreciation of the constructive input to the policy
made by all members of that Working Party.
As a major initiative in advancing the status and
opportunities of women in the workforce, the Government
will introduce legislation early next year requiring all
higher education institutions and private sector employers
of more than 100 persons to report annually to the
Government on their plans for providing equality of
opportunity for women.
We will establish a new statutory Agency within the
Department of Employment and Industrial Relations portfolio
to administer the legislation. I am confident that Agency
will continue the cooperative and harmonious relationship
with business, trade unions and higher education
institutions developed by the Office of the Status of Women
during the pilot program.
Our Affirmative Action legislation will be supported by a
number of complementary measures, designed to ensure that
wherever possible obstacles to women's full participation
in employment are removed.
The Government will actively encourage large private sector
companies to supplement the child care services provided
under the Children's Services Program by establishing child
care for their employees. Tax deductions are available for
some of the expenses involved, and these services will be
exempted from the tax on fringe benefits. In addition, the
Government will approach the States and seek their
cooperation in removing regulations or other requirements
which inhibit the development of new child care facilities.
I am conscious that some State laws and awards contain
restrictions on women undertaking certain types of work.
The Government will convene a high level conference of
business, trade unions, State Governments and other
relevant parties early next year in order to determine how
these laws can be amended.
The other supportive measures will be in the vital area of
education. I have already referred to the national policy
on girls' education being developed by the Commonwealth
Schools Commission.
In the context of the demands for qualified women expected
to arise from the implementation of Affirmative Action, the
Minister for Education will be taking additional steps to
increase the enrolment of women studying engineering, the
field of study where women are least represented,
comprising only 5% of students. In introducing this
program we will be building on several smaller initiatives
already funded through the Commonwealth Tertiary Education
Commission's Equity Program.
While affirmative action is designed to increase the range
of jobs open to women, the Government is also taking action
to improve the status of predominantly female occupations.
The status of the nursing profession will be greatly
enhanced by the upgrading of its training to a higher
education diploma.
The Government is committed to encouraging the development
of more efficient small business, which is a vital sector
of the Australian economy. The Government recognises the
important role that women can play as entrepreneurs and
will ensure that its Small Business Programs are accessible
to women.
We recognise the importance of maternity leave for women
workers and that the current provisions put women in
private sector employment at a disadvantage when compared
with those in public sector employment who are entitled to
twelve weeks paid leave. Many comparable Western nations
have provisions through their social security systems for
paid maternity leave for women in both the public and
private sector. In order to be better informed on-the
subject and following an initiative of the National Labour
Consultative Council, the Institute of Family Studies i s
undertaking a review of the usage of maternity leave in the
private and public sectors. I look forward with _ fnterest
to seeing the results of this research.
I announced in June 1983 at the ILO Convention in Geneva
that the Government was committed to ratifying ILO
Convention 156, that covering Workers with Family
Responsibilities. In keeping with accepted procedure,
consultations are proceeding with State Governments with a
view to reaching an early agreement on ratification.
It will never with any truth or justice be said of the
Labor Government that we are unaware of the tremendous
contribution to our national well-being made by women in
the home. Without the work they perform the economy would
not function as smoothly. At present women's unpaid work
in the home and in voluntary activities for the community
is not measured and thus tends to be undervalued. In 1988
the Australian Bureau of Statistics will carry out a major
time use survey which will provide sound statistical data
on women's multiple responsibilities.
Health is an area of fundamental importance to all women
and to those for whom they are responsible. A National
Agenda for Women would not be complete without action in
this area.
To the traditional focus on the financing of care f or the
ill, and on women's reproductive health, needs to be added
improvements to the general physical, mental and social
status and well-being of women in our changing society.
The Commonwealth Government, in the context of its
commitment to achieve the World Health Organisation' s
target of health for all by the year 2000 and in response
to a resolution from the Second National Women's Health
Conference held in Adelaide in September 1985, will develop
a national health policy in co-operation with the States
and Territories and with women's health networks.
The policy will recognise the need to improve the overall
well-being of women and will focus on the demands on
women's health arising from their many roles.
The Minister for Health will appoint a special women's
health resource person to co-ordinate development of the
policy. From the policy will follow programs to improve
the general health status of all women in Australia, and
through them the health status of all Australians.
Giving women a say
The Labor Government places very great importance on the
need to seek the views of women on matters of concern to
them. We established the National Women's Consultative
Council in 1984 to bring together a representative group of
women to channel to Government the views of their
organisations on issues such as taxation, child care,
matrimonial property. I would like today to thank Mrs
Edith Hall, the Council's Convenor, and the Council members
for the sterling work they are doing. I look forward to
receiving the Council's first Report on its activities.
The Labor Government takes the view that women are entitled
to have a say on all subjects in all the decision-making
forums of Government and not just decisions on so-called
women s issues'.
We are determined to improve our already substantial
record in the numbers of women appointed to Government
boards and authorities and I have asked the Office of the
Status of Women to advise the Government on the means of
doing so.
We are also conscious of the need to seek the views of
particular groups of women on matters of concern to them.
To this end the Aboriginal Women's Task Force has consulted
widely with Aboriginal women throughout the country. Their
Report will be published early next year, and the
Government will provide a speedy response to it.
My colleague the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is
currently addressing the representation of Aboriginal and
Islander women while consulting with Aboriginal communities
on a replacement national Aboriginal and Islander
consultative organisation. The Minister has also recently
received a report reviewing the activities of the
Department of Aboriginal Affairs as they affect Aboriginal
women.
Recognising the additional disadvantages experienced by
many migrant women, early in 1985 the Government consulted
with experts, most of them women of non-English speaking
backgrounds, on migrant women's issues. Recommendations
for action were formulated in the four priority areas of
health, safety and working conditions; access to language,
education, training and retraining; access to child care;
and services for aged and ageing migrant women.
These areas were specifically endorsed at a meeting of
Commonwealth and State Ministers for Immigration and Ethnic
Affairs. As part of our ongoing commitment to addressing
the special needs of migrant women, we will ensure that in
making government appointments the skills of migrant women
are not overlooked.
To gain greater insight into the special needs of rural
women, the office of the Status of Women will early next
year assist the Country Women's Association to conduct a
major survey of country women. I am particularly looking
forward to the results of this survey.
In the area of services for the aged and the disabled, the
Government seeks both input and reaction to programs
through key bodies including the Disability Advisory
Council of Australia and the Australian Council on Ageing.
Women are well represented on both these Councils.
I have invited young Australians to participate in the
review of the Government's strategy for young people.
I am personally involved in a national phone-in for youth
covering all capital cities. I hope large numbers of young
women will participate and thus have a direct chance to
make their views heard.
The Government intends to give consideration to changing
the make-up of the National Women's Consultative Council,
when the term of the present Council expires next June, so
that a number of women from community groups can be added
to those representing national organisations.
Giving women a fair go
The Labor Government is committed to ensuring that all
Australian citizens can live in dignity. We pride
ourselves on being a nation which promotes justice and
equality for all. A fair go for women is the third aspect
of our National Agenda.
The Labor Government wishes to promote the dignity of women
and to attack those attitudes or practices which undermine
it, for instance, those which downgrade women's domestic
and nurturing roles, which stereotype women as ignorant or
foolish in the media or in advertising, or which look with
equanimity on the violence perpetrated on women both
outside and inside the home.
Many of these issues can only be addressed by Government on
a long-term, considered basis. Others lie outside the
scope of direct Government influence. However we are
determined to act where we can, and to help create an
environment where women's dignity is acknowledged and
valued in those areas outside our sphere of direct
influence.
For example, because of the level of concern expressed by
women about the way they are depicted by advertisers, the
office of the Status of Women will commission research in
this area as one of its activities to mark the End of the
UN Decade for Women.
The Labor Government is committed to redressing women's
poverty. The financial plight of many sole parent
families is of particular concern to the Government. We
have recognised the problem of unintended " poverty traps"
which operate to-keep people particularly sole parent
pensioners and beneficiaries dependent on social security
payments when they, and society, would benefit if they were
able to join the paid work-force. in his September
statement on reform of the taxation system the Treasurer
announced a number of measures to reduce poverty traps. The
Government will continue-to take action to reduce poverty
traps as resources permit.
The Labor Government is aware that the ex'isting maintenance
system is sometimes ineffective and fails to provide,
adequately for children in sole parent families. Some noncustodial
parents are able to avoid making an appropriate
contribution to the financial support of their children.
The Government has under consideration a range of options
to establish a sounder structure.
The rapid growth in the number of women's refuges over the
past twelve years, so that there are now more than 165
refuges receiving State and Commonwealth Government
assistance, is grim testimony to the toll of domestic
violence. I am certain I have the full support of this
House and of State Governments when I say this kind of
violence is intolerable.
The Labor Government has significantly increased funding to
women's refuges and, through the Commonwealth-State
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program, has provided
guaranteed funding until July 1989. We will evaluate these
services to ensure the assistance provided is adequate.
Through sport women can acquire skills and enjoyment,
improved physical health, and also greater self-esteem and
a sense of achievement. The Government will continue to
facilitate women's participation in sport.
The areas covered in this statement make up our National
Agenda for Women to the year 2000. on some I have
foreshadowed immediate action by the Government. For most
our strategies will be longer-term or will need to be
further developed. Nonetheless, these are areas-* where the
Government commits itself now to effective action to
advance the status of women.
I have already said that we want to give women a say on
this National Agenda and a role in shaping its development.
We will publish it widely and invite women to comment on
it. Senator Susan Ryan, the Minister who assists me on the
Status of Women, will lead this consultation process. We
have already invited the National Women's Consultative
Council to assist the Government in seeking women's
responses.
Drawing on these widespread consultations we will develop
our proposed Agenda into a detailed set of strategies and
policies to further improve the status of women in
Australia over the next fifteen years.
I trust that we can secure bipartisan agreement to our
proposed Agenda. What we are seeking to achieve is a broad
and comprehensive approach to improving the status of
women, one that recognises women's important contribution
to our society and which allows women to make free choices,
unimpeded by discriminatory laws or practices. Under our
National Agenda women in Australia will have a choice,
women will have a say and women will have a fair go. I
commend that National Agenda to the House.