The case for reproductive and menstrual health leave

Women’s engagement with employment is nearly on parity to men’s, yet workplaces have been slow to consider how women’s needs may differ. Australia is leading the way in considering how reproductive health needs can be accommodated through designated leave policies, but there is no consensus on the issue. In today’s piece, University of Sydney (@USydneyEcon) researchers Sydney Colussi (@Sydney_Colussi), Elizabeth Hill (@ElizabethHill00) and Marian Baird (@ProfMarianBaird) make the case for reproductive health leave as a key lever for gender equality in the workplace. This piece originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Beyond the rhetoric: What will the Federal Budget really mean for gender equality?

Everyone who is concerned about Australia’s economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 was glued to the presentation of the Federal Budget documents on May 11th. While the budget highlights gains for women, will it actually deliver? As a document that reflects true priorities and values, the National Foundation for Australian Women (@NFAWomen) is busy dissecting and analysing the budget to bring to light how effective this budget will be in promoting gender equality. Sally Moyle (@SallyMoyle) provides insight into this important process.

Is the Coalition solving their ‘woman problem’? The Federal budget tells the true story

Peter Martin recently argued that the government’s budget is their true statement of values. As we have watched the Federal Government trying to get onto the front foot to address their ‘woman problem’ over recent weeks, an insight into their values would be helpful. In today’s analysis, Helen Dalley-Fisher of the Equality Rights Alliance (@EraAustralia) explains how the Federal budget is the key document to provide forensic evidence that they mean business.

Poverty and its effects on school-aged children: Understanding the consequences of policy choices

While the news has been full of the increasing financial stress many Australians are facing with the withdrawal of JobKeeper and the Coronavirus Supplement, there has been little focus on what these changes mean for children. Australia has signed on to the Sustainable Development Goals, but have been criticised for the high levels of poverty, and child poverty in particular, with little progress in evidence across the years. In today’s post, Sharon Bessell (@BessellSharon) of ANU’s Crawford School of Public Policy (@ANU Crawford) shares her important research conducted with children, who explain in their own words the stressors and constraints that poverty places on their everyday decisions, plans for the future, and family relationships. This provides fresh insight into how the less generous support settings will exacerbate wellbeing and opportunities for children and families in low-income households.

Gender disparities in STEM research: A case study of cardiovascular researchers in Australia

The Federal government wants to see more women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers; a strategy for encouraging women to remain in STEM careers was a key component of the 2020 budget. While there is plenty of interest from girls and women, the well-known ‘leaky pipeline’ means women drop out of a promising STEM career trajectory at critical junctures, and those who remain are often less satisfied than their male counterparts. In today’s important analysis, Rachel Climie (@RachelClimie), Anna Calkin (@Anna_Calkin) and Niamh Chapman (@Dr_NChapman) share their research into the gender disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD), along with important insights into what would make it easier for women to thrive.

Womens Policy Action TankWomen's Policy Action Tank30 March 2021Gender Inequity, research

He said, she said: Investigating the Christian Porter Case

On the eve of International Women’s Day, allegations of rape by a senior Cabinet Minister, and what many considered a poor response from the Morrison Government, left many feeling drained and depleted. Is this another case of ‘he said, she said’ - which have been portrayed as unresolvable? In today’s important analysis, Louise Richardson-Self (@LVRSelf) of University of Tasmania (@UTAS) provides important insights into testimony and credibility, and what they mean in the Christian Porter case. This article was first published by The Ethics Centre (@ethics_centre), and is republished here with permission. You can view it in its original format here.

Women’s financial security will be further eroded by weakening consumer credit protections

The Federal government has proposed changes to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act which will, it says, make credit more accessible to individuals and small businesses during the recovery period from COVID-19. However, these changes have been critiqued as a way to circumvent some of the recommendations from the Banking Royal Commission. In today’s analysis, Lily Gardener and Madeleine Ulbrick (@MaddyUlbrick), both of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodAdvocacy) summarise their submission commenting on the Amendment, detailing how such changes are likely to further disadvantage women who are still struggling from the pink recession.

What can ABC’s 'Bluey' tell us about Australian family dynamics and work life balance?

Kids’ TV shows can play a number of roles – to entertain, to educate, to challenge and to reassure. Today’s post, written by Dr Briony Lipton (@briony_lipton), examines how the beloved ABC Kids series Bluey, about irrepressible Blue Heeler puppy Bluey and her family, portrays gender and work. Using a scene from the show as its springboard, this piece sheds light on the complex negotiations around work and family roles that are central to contemporary Australian family life.

The gender-based data gap in Australian medical research is a problem for everybody

There is a long-standing assumption that medicine, and the research underpinning medical interventions, is gender neutral. However, a growing body of evidence is demonstrating that this is not the case, with harmful consequences. Today’s analysis, from Dr Amy Vassallo (@amyjvassallo), Dr Cheryl Carcel (@cheryl_carcel), Prof Louise Chappell (@chappell_louise), Prof Robyn Norton (@RobynNorton8), Dr Janani Shanthosh (@janshanthosh), Prof Mark Woodward and Dr Zoe Wainer (@dr_zoe_wainer) of The George Institute for Global health (@GeorgeInstitute) provide an overview of current research, policy and practice gaps in Australian medical research. This analysis is drawn from their article, recently published in The Medical Journal of Australia.

Changing cultural norms is important – but it’s not a panacea for eliminating violence against women

It has been a massive step for Australian policy to recognise that domestic and family violence is underpinned by social norms, and there is an attendant increase in government programs aiming to change the narrative. In today’s analysis, Ella Kuskoff (@EllaKuskoff) and Cameron Parsell (@CameronParsell), both of University of Queensland (@HASSUQ), explain how such initiatives, while important, will ultimately come up short if they do not also address embedded structural inequalities. This analysis draws on their recently-published article, Preventing Domestic Violence by Changing Australian Gender Relations: Issues and Considerations.

Basic Income, Gender and Human Rights: reinforcing inequalities or transformative action?

The concept of a basic income, paid indiscriminately to all by the government, has had increasing support from people on all sides of politics, and this interest has only increased with the onset of COVID-19. Such a proposal has important implications for women, who are more likely to live in poverty and precarity due to their unpaid social roles. In today’s analysis, Beth Goldblatt of UTS (@UTSLaw) and the Australian Work + Family Roundtable provides a gender-sensitive human rights analysis of how a basic income could be designed to support economic justice for women. This analysis is drawn from her article Basic Income, Gender and Human Rights, recently published in the University of Oxford Human Rights Hub Journal.

Pandemic impacts on women: Insights from community law

As the Women’s Policy Action Tank has documented over the course of 2020, women have had unique impacts and challenges as a result of COVID-19, and they also have unique recovery requirements following this unprecedented year. In today’s analysis, Shorna Moore of the Federation of Community Legal Services (@CommunityLawVic) provides insight into women’s experiences through their interactions with community legal services, and shares a recovery roadmap. This analysis is drawn from the newly-released report, A Just and Equitable COVID Recovery – A Community Legal Sector Plan for Victoria.

Closing the book on 2020

As always, before our hard-working moderators and policy whisperers take a year-end break, we are providing you with some summer reading. In today’s blog we summarise our most-read pieces, and also recommend a few pieces that we felt didn’t get the attention they deserve.

Womens Policy Action TankPower to Persuade27 November 2020Policy Research, politics and democracy

Ramping up punitive mechanisms in employment services: Single mothers are the canary in the coalmine

This week Parliament will release their report on the Coronavirus supplements that have been added to selected income support payments, most notably JobSeeker. It is therefore timely to consider the impacts the government’s plan to taper off the supplement until payments are back to pre-COVID levels will have on the thousand who are currently relying on income support. In today’s analysis, Simone Casey (@SimoneCasey) of Per Capita (@PerCapita) shares her research into the impacts of the pre-pandemic ‘activation’ mechanisms on single mothers, which presages the wider impacts to be felt as the supplements disappear and mutual obligation requirements are reintroduced. This analysis is drawn from a recently-published article in AJSI which can be accessed here.

Silver linings: What are the ‘keepers’ from 2020?

Nobody would argue that 2020 has been a tough year. In today’s piece, Policy Whisperer Susan Maury (@SusanMaury) of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodAdvocacy) looks for the silver lining.

Building back better: An intersectional feminist approach to COVID-19 recovery

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to fall in Victoria, it is time to think deeply about what recovery looks like. In today’s analysis, Adele Murdolo (@AdeleMurdolo) of the Multi-Cultural Centre for Women’s Health (@MCWH1978) argue that the people most impacted by COVID-19, such as migrant and refugee women, should be integrally involved in the decision making about what happens next. This analysis has been adapted from a Pre-Budget submission to the Victorian government produced by the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health.

Womens Policy Action TankWomen's Policy Action Tank6 November 2020COVID-19, CALD communities, Policy making

Going virtual: Digital social service delivery to vulnerable families

With the onset of lockdown measures in response to COVID-19, social service providers were forced to pivot to virtual support with little warning or forward planning. For Anti-Poverty Week, we examine what this might mean for clients. In today’s analysis, Robbie Fordyce (@r4dyc) of Monash University (@Monash_Arts), Milovan Savic (@nav0lim) of Swinburne University of Technology (@Swinburne), Policy Whisperer Kay Cook (@KayCookPhD) of Swinburne University of Technology (@SwinHASS), and Kath Albury (@KathAlbury) of Swinburne University of Technology (@AdmsCentre) share their research into how family welfare workers and their clients view the potentials and drawbacks of virtual support. This blog draws from the research report Doing better for vulnerable young parents and their children: An exploration of how technology could catalyse system transformation.

Social Policy Whisperer, Womens Policy Action TankDr Kay Cook16 October 2020social services, coronavirus, COVID-19

Unravelling ‘complexity’: Keeping all women safe from violence

The phrase ‘complex forms of violence’ has been used to sequester certain types of violence to be addressed in a bespoke fashion. In today’s analysis, Laura Vidal (@lauraemilyvidal) of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodAdvocacy) and Sana Ashraf of The Harmony Alliance (@aus_harmony) consider the unintended consequences of framing certain forms of violence as complex by providing a background to diverse experiences of violence for women and their children. This post is the third in a series in response to the Senate Inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence. Part one argues for the need for a multi-disciplinary response to family violence, while Part two explains how financial independence is critical to ensuring women’s safety.

Women’s physical security cannot be achieved without securing their financial independence

In response to the Senate Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence, this is the second in a three-part series on how policy responses could be more effective in keeping women and children safe. Today’s analysis, written by Madeleine Ulbrick (@maddyulbrick) of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@goodadvocacy), highlights the relationship between women’s physical security and financial independence, identifying that unlocking financial independence is a critical step to both prevention and protection from violence. This post is drawn from Good Shepherd’s submission to the Inquiry. Part one of this series can be accessed here.

ParentsNext - after COVID-19

COVID has amplified the fact Parenting is necessary and demanding work

Womens Policy Action TankPower to Persuade29 September 2020

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