Women's Agenda • 18th May 2022

Perhaps we should rebrand Senator Jane Hume to Minister for Women’s Economic InSecurity

Today, I am rather vexed (again) about Senator Jane Hume. Just over a year ago she was sworn in as Australia’s very first, dedicated Minister for Women’s Economic Security. After the devastating impacts of the pandemic on women’s economic security, in particular on their ability to work and save, many warned that it could set women back a generation. The Morrison government’s decision to dedicate a new ministerial portfolio to the issue of women’s economic security seemed like progress.

The Saturday Paper • 13th May 2022

New front in Coalition war on charities

On March 11, an email landed in the inbox of Carolyn Frohmader, the longstanding chief executive of Women with Disabilities Australia. The email was from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). It indicated the commission was conducting a “review” of charities that were registered to receive tax-deductible donations.

Women's Agenda • 30th March 2022

We must move from 'career feminism' to 'care feminism'. This #GirlBoss Budget doesn't help

In November of last year, Sam Mostyn, an independent company director, long-time women’s advocate and the current President of Chief Executive Women, arrived at the National Press Club (NPC) to deliver a landmark address.

Women's Agenda • 22nd March 2022

Let’s stop the annual “best practice” gender pay gap farce

The vibe this International Women’s Day was pretty interesting. It was decidedly angry and impatient. I suspect that reflects the layer upon layer of issues that have been piling onto women’s shoulders, particularly these last two years of the pandemic and in the year since the historic Women’s March.

The Saturday Paper • 14th March 2022

The empty plan to end violence against women

Over the past year, there’s been pressure on the Morrison government to step up and take significant action on women’s safety, as rates of sexual violence have increased. And in the wake of Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame’s campaigning - the federal government has released a draft plan that seeks to end violence against women and children. However, survivors and experts are disappointed with the draft and the lack of transparency that went into its formulation.

The Saturday Paper • 11th March 2022

Playing games with women's safety

In early September last year, in an audacious, tone-deaf act that would come to symbolise the political opportunism and bad faith with which the Morrison government has approached the development of the new National Plan to End Violence Against Women, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the keynote address at the National Summit on Women’s Safety would be reserved for himself.

Women's Agenda • 21st February 2022

'Joshonomics': How gullible does the Treasurer think women are?

Last week, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was out spinning the spin, trying to sort out the Morrison Government’s so-called “woman problem”. Unfortunately for the Treasurer, his bizarre, too-clever-by-half economic pitch to women voters that the Coalition’s economic policy is “delivering for women” – let’s call it “Joshonomics” — is easily debunked. So this begs the question: how gullible does the Treasurer think women are? First, there was the now thoroughly discredited press release put out on M

The Sydney Morning Herald • 9th February 2022

The speeches that stopped the nation: why Tame and Higgins inspire optimism

As former Australian of the Year Grace Tame and former political staffer Brittany Higgins took the stage for their much-anticipated “duet” at the National Press Club on Wednesday, I couldn’t help but recall a defining address on the same platform seven years ago.

The Sydney Morning Herald • 30th December 2021

Some say Ghislaine Maxwell is unfairly paying for Epstein’s crimes - I disagree

In 2019, when one of the most high-profile offenders to be snared in #MeToo’s net, the wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, died by apparent suicide while in jail awaiting trial on charges that he recruited dozens of underage victims as part of a sex-trafficking ring, many wondered if justice would ever be served and what form it would take.

Women's Agenda • 1st December 2021

Kate Jenkins' report: Can Scott Morrison meet the moment?

This is the first line of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ independent inquiry into Parliamentary workplaces, Set the Standard, which was released yesterday: “This is Parliament. It should set the standard for workplace culture, not the floor of what culture should be.” If you sense this rather curt opener is meant to send a strong message to the Morrison government, you’re probably right.

Women's Agenda • 9th November 2021

Ladies (of the Morrison Government) we need to talk: Why put up with it?

When will you rethink your services in support of the patriarchy, and faith in benevolent sexism? It’s not even serving the goals that experts believe motivates you to subscribe to this belief system. Just look at Senator Jane Hume, who earlier this week learned that her Liberal colleagues referred to her as “indulgent”, “bizarre” — and the classic go-to slurs men opt for when they want to put a woman down — “mad” and “unhinged”.

Women's Agenda • 27th October 2021

The Morrison Govt reveals the promises it made to women are smoke and mirrors

One of my children went back to school today, and they are both back full-time next week. I think I can safely say that I fell of the back of the lockdown 6.0 wagon here in Melbourne about six weeks ago, and it’s amazing how much more time and energy I have now with just one child back at school part-time. I, therefore, had the time to watch the Office for Women and the Minister for Women, Senator Marise Payne, at Senate Estimates yesterday. And it was very revealing. For those wondering what

The Sydney Morning Herald • 5th September 2021

Morrison forces women to keep playing ‘whack a mole’

Is this what women marched for? Is this what the countless expert advocates, women’s organisations and victims imagined, when they spent weeks preparing all those submissions and attending all those consultations for the Respect@Work inquiry into sexual harassment? Surely not.

Women's Agenda • 30th August 2021

Can't spin it? The Morrison Government is ignoring the increasing gender pay gap

Today is Equal Pay Day, marking the 61 extra days from the end of the previous financial year that women, on average, must work to earn the same annual pay as men. And this year that annual marker of the myriad of injustices that women face in the workplace falls a little bit later than last year. Why? Because the gender pay gap has increased.

Women's Agenda • 25th August 2021

The Morrison government is quietly crab-walking back from its 'landmark' sexual harassment inquiry recommendations

Back in June 2018, in the heady days after #MeToo first went viral following explosive allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Coalition government launched a “world-first” sexual harassment inquiry.

The Saturday Paper • 14th August 2021

Scott Morrison and the women’s movement

In early July, world leaders, corporate executives and activists convened in Paris to tackle gender equality at the United Nations Generation Equality Forum. The forum, co-hosted by Mexico and France, was billed as “the biggest global gathering to tackle gender equality in a generation”. But where was Australia?

Women's Agenda • 28th July 2021

The Foster inquiry recommendations for parliamentary workplaces are, at best, a band-aid

Earlier this week, the Morrison government announced that it had agreed to adopt all ten recommendations from the final report by Stephanie Foster, a Deputy Secretary at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, into the processes and procedures relating to serious incidents of bullying and sexual abuse in the parliamentary workplace.

Women's Agenda • 21st July 2021

How seriously is the Morrison government taking women's economic security? Not very.

In the midst of the pandemic, the issue of women’s economic security, or more accurately put their in-security, has moved up the agenda.

7am • 14th July 2021

The case that could help close the gender pay gap

It's been over 50 years since equal pay for equal work became law in Australia. But right now, across the workforce, women are still significantly underpaid. In recent years, efforts to better value women's work and increase wages have stalled. Now, a new case being brought to the Fair Work Commission by a group of aged care workers could change that.

The Saturday Paper • 10th July 2021

The case that might close the wage gap

Josie Peacock is a 54-year-old aged-care worker who lives just outside Sydney. She has worked in the sector for almost 30 years. “I started out in home care, then residential care,” says Peacock. “I’ve done cleaning, I’ve filled in on night shifts, I’ve done day shifts, I’ve done afternoon shifts… I’ve done whatever was required.”