Posts in Policy and governance
Donor-conceived adults are speaking out about their experiences, but will governments listen?

Today’s post is from Giselle Newton (@newtonatron) from the Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, about her research into donor-conceived people’s experiences, views and support needs in a digital era. She reflects on strengthening policy and legislation in this fraught and quickly-evolving policy area.

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It's time to put care at the centre of the Australian economy

Our care industries are vital to a healthy, functioning economy. In today’s analysis, Kristine Ziwica (@KZiwica), a journalist with 20 years experience working in Australia, the United States and the UK on human rights and gender equality campaigns, argues that we need to invest in our people and place care at the centre of the Australian economy.

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GENDER, PARTIES AND THE VOTE

Gender equality and the treatment of women have been persistent political and policy issues throughout the 46th Australian Parliament. In today’s analysis, Associate Professor of International Relations Katrina Lee-Koo (@KateLeeKoo), from Monash University (@MonashUni), explores how gender equality and the treatment of women are likely to shape the vote at Saturday’s election.

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Coming Together or Coming Apart? A New Phase of International Cooperation on Migration

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries introduced border closures or restrictions that essentially paused most forms of mobility, with significant consequences for migrants, their countries of origin, and destination countries. A new report by the Migration Policy Institute explores the rationale for deeper international cooperation on migration, the obstacles impeding it, and ways forward.

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Sexual violence and Covid-19: all silent on the home front

The lack of public acknowledgement of sexual violence against women and children during the first month of UK lockdown could have long-term implications not only for individuals but for the services put in place to support them, a group of UK experts have argued in an article published by the Journal of Gender-Based Violence.

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Welfare cuts and growing charity aim to mould citizens to prevailing political ideals

This blog is based on the article “Poverty by Design: The Role of Charity and the Cultivated Ethical Citizen”, published in Social Policy and Society by Cameron Parsell (@cameronparsell), Andrew Clarke (@andrew_c4000) and Francisco Perales from the University of Queensland. It originally appeared on The Social Policy Blog.

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Finding work after prison: barriers and opportunities for former detainees in the ACT

Over half of the people in Australian prisons have been incarcerated before, which means that interventions to help people stay out of prisons are crucial. If people find employment after they are released, they are less likely to return to prison. Here Dr Caroline Doyle, Dr Sophie Yates, Professor Lorana Bartels, Dr Helen Taylor and Associate Professor Anthony Hopkins discuss their research into the employment experiences of people released from prison in the ACT.

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The NDIS is letting women with disabilities down

New research reveals that women are underrepresented in Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme, and may be less likely to get the supports they need once they are on the scheme. In today’s post, three members of the research team - Sophie Yates, Gemma Carey and Jen Hargrave - present key findings from their study and call for further research and policy reform to address the gendered dimensions of inequality in the NDIS and other individualised funding models. This post was originally published on Broad Agenda and you can read the original article here.

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Ensuring Families aren't left behind in the COVID-19 recovery

New research shows households with young children are feeling the highest level of stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is highest for families in communities that experience moderate levels of poverty. Professor Abigail Payne from the University of Melbourne discusses what needs to happen to ensure families are not left behind as we look ahead to the COVID-19 economic recovery.

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Defunding the police and abolishing prisons are not radical ideas

n today’s blog post Robyn Oxley from the University of Western Sydney discusses ways to look beyond punishment as a way to address crime, with a specific focus on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. She argues that defunding police and abolishing prisons are not radical ideas when funds can then be re-directed towards areas that improve social issues such as housing, health, education and employment, which in turn reduce incarceration rates.

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What role does engineering innovation have in environmental change, and what should the balance in policy be?

Events such as wild fires, floods, and droughts in all continents remind us of how fragile and vulnerable cities, communities, and wildlife are. In this blog Dr Juan Carlos Fallas Chinchilla examines the role engineering innovation has in relation to alleviating climate change; and debate the need for new technology alongside other policy instruments and how these can be complementary in tackling the climate emergency.

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Youth partnership in suicide prevention research: A co-designed GP guide for young people with self-harm or suicidal experiences.

Young people with lived experience of self-harm or suicidal behaviour should be at the forefront of designing, evaluating and implementing suicide prevention research.

Controversial? Unfeasible? Risky?

You name it. As a suicide prevention researcher I have heard it all…by funders, ethics committees, Higher Education Health and Safety committees to name a few.

In this blog, I (Dr Maria Michail) share my experience of working in partnership with young people with lived experience of self-harm and suicidal behaviour to co-design of a guide titled “Visiting your General Practitioner: A guide for young people with lived experience of self-harm and suicidality”.

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Improving biodiversity conservation outcomes with relational value

In this short but powerful piece, PhD scholar and ANZSOG researcher Patrick Lucas (@paustinlucas) discusses how nature is valued in very different ways by different social groups, and how current policy frameworks struggle to account for this diversity. He explores the emerging framework of “relational values” and its potential to lead to more equitable and just outcomes in biodiversity conservation.

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Young People, Lowering the Voting Age & COVID-19 

Without representation, young people are struggling to get their voices heard in the decisions that affect them. Lowering the voting age to 16 is one integral way the government can reinvigorate the interest of young people in their democracy, argues Jordan Maloney, ANU Political Science and Sociology student and policy adviser

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