PRIME MINISTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
LAUNCH OF RURAL WOMEN'S SURVEY
BATHURST 8 FEBRUARY 1988
David Simmons,
ministerial colleagues John Kerin and Margaret Reynolds,
Dorothy Ross
Today we are releasing the results of a very important
survey about the needs of Australia's rural women.
But we are doing more than simply publicising the results of
a survey as valuable an exercise in consultation as that
survey has been.
We are also demonstrating our recognition that women living
in rural areas face special problems which Governments have
a responsibility to understand.
In that spirit then I must at the outset make special
mention of the new Federal Minister whose responsibility it
is to assist me in the development of policies on the status
of women.
Senator Margaret Reynolds has always been active in both
women's issues and rural concerns.
Her role as minister principally responsible for the
Government's policies on women, as well as her ministerial
portfolio of Local Government, means she has a unique role
to play in the area of rural women.
of course she has a hard act to follow.
Senator Susan Ryan, as a Member of Parliament, minister and
Cabinet Minister, played a pioneering role in the
achievement by women of more equal opportunity and access
role in Australian society.
The Equal Opportunities and Sex Discrimination Acts, in
whose formulation and implementation Susan Ryan played a
major part, will stand as lasting monuments to her work, as
well as enduring proofs of my Government's commitment to
equality of opportunity for all Australians. 004311
2.
I am confident that Margaret Reynolds will be able to
continue Susan Ryan's good work in this field.
I know she will have your good wishes and your cooperation
in that task.
Let me also pay tribute to another great advocate and
promoter of the interests of Australian women who is present
today, the President of the Country Women's Association,
Dorothy Ross.
The CWA has for many years been an important community link
for country and rural women.
Under the Presidency of Dorothy Ross, it has continued to
grow.
When Dorothy approached me in July 1985 about the
possibility of canvassing women living outside Australia's
major population centres about their needs and priorities, I
welcomed her suggestion.
I saw it as a valuable opportunity to undertake
comprehensive consultations with a part of the Australian
community which is not often consulted and whose views are
little understood.
I asked the Office of the Status of Women in my department
to assist the CWA in the conduct of the survey.
As a result of the assiduous efforts and widespread networks
of both the CWA and the office of the Status of Women, some
14,000 Australian women gave us the benefit of their views.
To supplement the statistics which emerged from this
process, a series of informal discussions with rural women
was held in three states.
As a result we have a unique and valuable document which
throws new light on the problems and aspirations of
Australia's rural women.
Social issues head the list, including isolation and
remoteness, and lack of facilities, services and
information. Financial and economic issues, essential
services, education and employment are also high priorities
for attention.
Senator Reynolds, in her new capacity as Minister Assisting
me on the Status of Women,. will be working with her
Ministerial Adviser, Sue West, on refining these suggestions
and in conducting further consultations.
The Government will consider its response to this survey,
taking into account several other rural advisory groups,
including the Country Task Force a group of Government
members whose role is to listen, assess and report directly
to me on issues of importance to country people. () 04312
The Government will also ensure that all State and Territory
Governments and respective State and Territory Local
Government Associations are aware of the findings of the
survey. They will then by able to communicate any
initiatives direct to the CWA.
The rural women's survey complements other consultative
efforts we have undertaken.
The Aboriginal Women's Task Force last year produced the
report " Women's Business" on the basis of extensive
consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island
people.
And women across Australia have also been consulted as part
of the research for the National Agenda for women.
I will be releasing the Government's response to the
National Agenda later this month to set forth action plans
and goals in areas of concern to women as we move to the
year 2000.
Already, however, the Government has put in place a number
of programs which have particular relevance to rural women.
In the consultations for the National Agenda, and in the
rural survey, so many women referred to the problem of
domestic violence that we decided something had to be done
about it.
No woman should ever live in fear of such violence. We want
to let everyone know domestic violence is unacceptable and
accordingly we are developing a three year education
campaign on this problem.
Another large scale campaign involves getting more women to
have cancer screening tests. Breast cancer and cervical
cancer are major killers but many women, including those
in rural or isolated areas, don't have access to screening
services.
As part of a pilot program in the Department of Community
Services and Health, women will be encouraged to take part
in a variety of screening trials which will help determine
the best ways of reducing the incidence of cancer.
We have introduced the rural Grants for Women program to
counter the comparative disadvantage of rural and provincial
women in gaining of access to job opportunities and general
services.
These one-off grants are available to organisations, groups
or individuals for projects or research in the areas of
employment, training, or services.
Fifteen grants under the 1987-88 program were announced last
December, and John Kerin is to announce two more today. 004313
4.
A common theme which emerges from consultation with women
throughout Australia is the critical importance of access to
education and training in the achievement of full
participation by women in our economic and social life.
Since its election in 1983 this Government has made
expansion of educational opportunities a priority.
It was a national disgrace that when we came to office only
about one-third of our students were staying on at secondary
school to Year 12.
As a result of our policies, that proportion is now over one
half. By the early 1990s, we hope that two-thirds of our
students will be completing their schooling, opening the
door to a fuller and more satisfying adult life.
The expansion of the Technical and Further Education system
has provided improved access for thousands of Australians
living in rural areas. New campuses have been built, others
have been refurbished, and the range of courses has been
expanded.
As well, the National Policy for the Education of Girls is
encouraging recognition of the special needs of girls in
rural communities where the range of work and training is
restricted. In the area of child care, which has been a particular
priority of my Government, special funding has been made
available to family day care schemes serving large rural and
remote areas.
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is not my intention to list exhaustively all the efforts
we are making to improve the status of women in Australian
society including rural women and to enhance their
access to government services.
It is a record of which I am proud but much remains to be
done. In 1922, at the inaugural conference of the Queensland
Country Women's Association, the state president, Mrs
Fairfax, made this comment.
" In our Association we are a great sisterhood of
women, and a democratic one, putting aside petty
difficulties of position, wealth, and pride. We
are out to be a mutual help to one another, the
town to the country and the country to the town,
and there is plenty of room for improvement in this
way. 1 004314
That spirit of mutual help I believe summarises the great
contribution of the CWA over many years. The Association's
role in preparing this survey is yet another proof of its
longstanding commitment to seeking the improvements for
which Mrs Fairfax called in 1922.
Let me close by recording my Government's thanks to the
women on whose views this survey is based and to the broader
group of women, of today and of the future, whose interests
will be served by it. 004315
" T-