Minister for Women Senator Katy Gallagher said the federal government is considering new recommendations from the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce ahead of the upcoming budget, due in May.
The taskforce, chaired by Sam Mostyn AO, has identified six recommendations for government action, including the reinstatement of the Parenting Payment (Single) for women with children over eight, abolition of the Parents Next Program and the Childcare Subsidy Activity Test as well as giving superannuation payments to primary carers while they’re on paid parental leave.
Another recommendation is to increase the rate of Commonwealth rental assistance to improve women’s immediate housing security stemming from the lack of affordable, appropriate and safe housing options.
The taskforce also advises the government to invest in an interim pay-rise for all early childhood educators and aged care workers. They’ve specified this is to recognise the historic undervaluation of the professions and to retain and attract more workers to the care sectors.
Speaking to ABC radio on Wednesday morning, Mostyn said we can’t build a “sustainable and vibrant economy” without dealing with the “persistent issues of disadvantage” facing women.
She noted that the six recommendations from the taskforce acknowledged that “if you start with those most affected by the economy and look at the highly gendered nature of poverty and inequality in this country, it’s women.”
“I’d rather not think of these as welfare payments but think of them as investments in 50 per cent of the population that actually hold up the whole show,” said Mostyn.
Senator Gallagher released a statement that said the government is considering the recommendations, but flagged there were “tight fiscal” conditions.
“We are considering the Taskforce’s recommendations in the context of the 2023-24 Budget, including what we can responsibly deliver in a tight fiscal environment,” she said.
“The investments we make to drive gender equality in this Budget will be built upon in subsequent Budgets, in the same way that we are already building on the over $7 billion investment made in the October Budget to make child care cheaper, boost paid parental leave and support women’s safety.”
In addition to the six priority recommendations, the Taskforce specified that the government should centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the design and delivery of all policies and programs.
Also, the group recommends investing in existing strategies such as Closing the Gap to ensure objectives are met.
The Taskforce will provide final advice to the government that looks beyond this budget towards the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality that will be finalised later this year.