Sue Olney
For Anti-Poverty Week 2023, Dr Ana Gamarra Rondinel [@AnaGamarraRondi] Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research [@MelbInstUOM] and Life Course Centre (@lifecourseAust) and Dr Anna Price The University of Melbourne [@UniMelb] and Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute [@MCRI_for_kids] explore the interplay between first time parenthood, financial security, and early child development.
Read MoreWomen experience greater barriers to achieving financial wellbeing than men. In today’s analysis, David Prior and Imogen Morgan of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodShepANZ) and Michael Joyce from Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP) explore how existing workforce gender inequalities were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role employers can play in supporting their employees’ financial wellbeing.
Read MoreGender 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.
Read MoreThere is increasing interest in the links between women’s health and their socio-economic constraints. Today’s vitally important analysis is drawn from a newly-published longitudinal analysis that demonstrates a range of factors that are overwhelmingly gendered is creating a road to poverty for Australian women, negatively impacting on their mental health in demonstrable ways. This piece is authored by Joanne Enticott (@EnticottJo), Emily Callender (@EmilyCallander), Rhonda Garad, and Helena Teede, all of Monash University’s Centre for Health Reserach and Implementation (@MonashUni). This article originally appeared in Monash Lens and is republished with permission.
Read MoreIn the lead-up to the Federal Election, we are running a series on specific asks for policy change at the federal level. Today’s piece by Philippa Hall and Sandy Venn-Brown draws from the Women’s Electoral Lobby (@WELAust) Election 2022 Policy Platform. Here they explain what needs to change to close the gender pay gap and increase women’s financial security from employment.
Read MoreThe most recent unemployment figures show an astounding downturn, to the lowest rates since 2008. Unemployment is but one measure of a healthy economy, however. In today’s analysis, Policy Whisperer Leonora Risse (@Leonora_Risse) examines the incredible strain that has been put upon the health care sector - an industry that is female-dominated and at the heart of the government’s COVID-19 response. Despite this, there has been surprisingly little policy interest in addressing eroding employment conditions.
Read MoreLast week we learned that the gender pay gap widened in the first half of the year, with men earning on average $260 per week more than women. In today’s analysis, economist Leonora Risse (@LeonoraRisse) of RMIT, the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard (@wapppHKS), and the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia (@WLIAus), parses the numbers to provide a more nuanced understanding of where the pain points are most acute, and provides policy remedies for this seemingly intractable issue.
Read MoreOn Wednesday and Thursday of this week, 16 – 17 June 2021, the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation hosted its inaugural symposium, ‘Equals Now’ at the University of Canberra. In today’s post, Laura Davy (@LauraKDavy) and Briony Lipton (@briony_lipton) reflect on the key themes and highlights from this excellent 2-day conference.
Read MoreKids’ 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.
Read MoreWith so many Australians accessing their superannuation accounts early in response to the current economic downturn, there is more attention than ever at how the retirement scheme fails to provide adequate retirement savings for women. A new report - The Herstory of Super by Emma Dawson (@DawsonEJ) and Simone Casey (@SimoneCasey) of Per Capita (@PerCapita) – provides the historic context needed to understand why the system is failing women, and provides recommendations for sustainably supporting women into their old age.
Read MoreThere has been much talk of the ‘she-cession’ and whether the Federal government’s policy responses are adequate to respond to changes in employment. In today’s analysis, Leonora Risse (@Leonora_Risse) of RMIT (@RMIT) and the Women and Public Policy Program at Kennedy School (@wapppHKS) provides the data analysis to explain why women are being disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn and how the government could provide more targeted responses. You can also read Dr. Risse’s very popular analysis of the COVID-19 frontline workforce’s undervalued status as well as her thoughts on making the pandemic an opportunity to re-imagine a more just economy.
Read MoreMuch has been written about the gendered impacts of COVID-19, the attendant economic downturn and the government policy responses. In today’s analysis, Signe Ravn (@Ravn_Signe), Brendan Churchill (@BrenChurchill) and Leah Ruppanner (@Leahruppanner), all of University of Melbourne, explain why young women are facing particular employment challenges and how government policy responses are failing to account for their particular circumstances. Young women are at risk of falling through the policy cracks, with long-term negative outcomes for their economic security.
Read MoreIn partnership with the National Foundation for Australian Women (@NFAWomen), we are running a series of pieces that analyse how the Covid-19 pandemic is differentially impacting on women. In today’s analysis Kathy McDermott of NFAW provides the first in a three-part series that looks at women and employment. Today’s piece examines the undervaluing of female-dominated industries.
Read MoreIn partnership with the National Foundation for Australian Women (@NFAWomen), we are running a series of pieces that analyse how the Covid-19 pandemic is differentially impacting on women. In today’s analysis Helen Hodgson, of Curtin University (@CurtinUni), provides a helpful explainer of changes to early access to superannuation and the differential impacts on women who choose to access these funds.
Read MoreThe Covid-19 virus has exposed the weaknesses in every social and economic system it has touched. In today’s analysis, Leonora Risse (@Leonora_Risse) of RMIT (@RMIT) and the Women and Public Policy Program at Kennedy School (@wapppHKS) provides a 2-part analysis of what’s going wrong for women right now and how it could be addressed. Today’s Part 2 provides thoughts on how work inequalities that have been exposed by the pandemic can be addressed. You can read Part 1, which provides an overview of how women are differentially impacted by their employment and unpaid work, here.
Read MoreThe Covid-19 virus has exposed the weaknesses in every social and economic system it has touched. In today’s analysis, Leonora Risse (@Leonora_Risse) of RMIT (@RMIT) and the Women and Public Policy Program at Kennedy School (@wapppHKS) provides a 2-part analysis of what’s going wrong for women right now and how it could be addressed. Today’s Part 1 provides an overview of how women are differentially impacted by their employment and unpaid work. Tomorrow Part 2 will provide thoughts on how these inequalities can be addressed.
Read MoreAs described in our piece on what the revocation of the Equal Remuneration Order may mean for Australia’s female-dominated community services sector, ongoing government funding is critical to maintain quality services. In today’s companion piece, Kathy McDermott of the National Foundation for Australian Women (@NFAW) describes the advocacy efforts of the sector and peak bodies with the Morrison Government on this issue, and calls for meaningful engagement.
Read MoreMuch of the gender pay gap can be explained by different pay scales in male- and female-dominated industries, which raises questions of how society values health, education and social services. In a landmark ruling, an Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) was granted to social and community service workers to legislate a much-needed pay rise across the sector. In today’s piece, Natasha Cortis of UNSW shares insight from research she conducted with Megan Blaxland on the role that government supplementation has played in ensuring the sector could maintain quality service while also implementing the award. More information can be found in their report: Challenges for Australia’s Community Sector: ERO Supplementation.
Read MoreToday marks the release of the second ACOSS and UNSW Poverty in Australia report, an important document to keep civil society and government accountable to those who are being left behind in one of the most prosperous countries on Earth. In today’s analysis, Policy Whisperer Susan Maury (@SusanMaury) of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodAdvocacy) provides a gendered analysis of the Poverty in Australia report.
Read MoreWhile there is rightly considerable policy interest in gender inequality, there has been surprisingly little attention given to the high school years as a key environment for this inequality or as a possible intervention point. Today’s analysis by Abigail Lewis (@AbigailLLew) at Per Capita (@PerCapita) provides a comprehensive overview of how a number of key gender inequities take root in high school, turning happy, confident girls into anxious young women who are already accustomed to experiencing violence and are on track to be paid less than the young men they graduate alongside.
This analysis is a summary from a chapter in an upcoming Per Capita report on gender inequity across the life course in Australia, launching in March 2020 and supported by the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia (@WLIAus). Sign up to Per Capita’s newsletter to be alerted to its publication.
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