Women in the ministry and shadow ministry

To great fanfare, the Albanese government announced a cabinet that had the highest rates of female representation in Australian history. In today’s analysis, Anna Hough (@AnnaC_Hough) of the Australian Parliamentary Library (@ParlLibrary) compares the gender composition of both the cabinet and the shadow cabinet with recent historical elections. While representation is important, the kinds of portfolios led by women are also analysed. This analysis was originally published on the Parliament of Australia website.

What to make of the diversity in Australia's 47th parliament

Representation is critical for effective governance and law-making, and the recent election gives Australia its most diverse Parliament yet. But there’s more to true voice and representation than photo opportunities. In today’s analysis, Yasmin Poole ((@YasminPoole) of the World Bank (@WorldBank) expands the metric of ‘diversity’ and challenges the government to ensure marginalised communities are fully engaged. This piece originally appeared in Election Watch (@electionwatch_ @Government_UOM).

Dear Prime Minister: Single mothers are asking for some hope

Single mothers have been consistently the most poverty-stricken household type for years, and the last Labor government infamously moved thousands onto the (then) NewStart Allowance. With the recent federal election outcome, Terese Edwards (@Terese_NCSMC) of the National Council for Single Mothers and Their Children shares an open letter to Anthony Albanese, who was himself raised by a single mother in difficult financial circumstances. Her letter is interspersed with the messages from single mothers to the new Prime Minister.

The Election Is Over. Now the Work of Implementing a Women’s Plan Begins

The 2022 election results were driven by women looking for real change on the issues that matter to them. In today’s analysis, Kathy MacDermott & Helen Hodgson, of the National Foundation for Australian Women (@NFAWomen), provide a prioritised list of actions that women should advocate for from the new Labor-led government.

Women have spoken: new government urged to prioritise structural reform

Women were the driving force behind the federal election outcome, which sent a reprimand to the major parties and is set to significantly increase the diversity of Parliament, including a higher number of women. What does the electorate want from the new government? In today’s analysis, five of the women’s peak organisations – the Equality Rights Alliance (@ERAAustralia), Women With Disabilities Australia (@WWDA_AU), the National Rural Women’s Coalition (@NRWNetwork), Harmony Alliance (@Aus_Harmony), and the National Women’s Safety Alliance (@NWSAAU) – come together to provide input on key priorities for Australian women. These are five of the six National Women’s Alliances, funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Office for Women.

Election 2022: The ‘persisterhood’ changes the game

Women have been the central story of the 2022 federal election. In today’s analysis, Jessica Lane of Women for Australia (@Women4Aus) provides a breakdown of the election results and what lessons can be drawn from the outcome. Women for Australia supports progressive women to run for political office.

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.

Medicare, The Education Department and a Real Estate Agent walk into a bar… Small changes equal big trouble on JobSeeker

Just days away from the Federal election, all candidates are campaigning hard. Unfortunately there are gaps in the policies on the table; a big one is the lack of focus on the social safety net and whether it is actually supporting people out of poverty. In today’s analysis, Juanita McLaren (@defrostedlady) shares just how quickly a well-managed budget can be undone, in part by changes to policies in other silos that don’t consider the constrictive budget many families need to live on.

Solomon Islands-China security pact: A feminist foreign policy answer

The recently-negotiated pact between the Solomon Islands and China has been a high-profile point of contention in the lead-up to the Federal election. Much of the debate has been focused on what Australia did - or did not do - that has led to the Solomon Islands turning to China. In today’s analysis, Joanna Pradela (@JojoMaia) of the International Women’s Development Agency (@IWDA and @Equal_Insights) applies a feminist lens to consider how Australia could learn to be a better partner to its Pacific neighbours. This piece originally appeared in The Interpreter, published by The Lowy Institute (@LowyInstitute), and is republished with permission. You can view the article in its original format here.

The power of organising: communities of colour shifting the tide towards racial justice

Communities of colour have campaigned and organised our way out of becoming an election wedge. Marcella Brassett from Democracy in Colour explains how community organising has built the power and network of people of colour in Australia to self determine their own issues and solutions, to ensure racist vilification is not at the centre of election campaigning as it has been in the past.

Advocacy, Lived experience, IssuesPower to Persuade5 May 2022racism, Election, communication, CALD communities

Underlying issues: why language matters at election time

Policy and governancePower to Persuade3 May 2022COVID-19, care work, schools, Election, education, Government, politics and democracy

To Quota or Not to Quota: Women’s political representation needs better support

While approaches to ensure better legislative decisions for women include such activities as gender responsive budgeting, the most fundamental action would ensure that women are truly representative in Australia’s legislative bodies. In the lead-up to the Federal Election, we are running a series of specific asks for policy change. Today’s piece by Sandy Venn-Brown, Menaka Cooke and Terrie Roberts, all of the Women’s Electoral Lobby (@WELAus) makes the argument for instituting a quota system.

Scrapping compulsory income management: Six options for investing in true change

In the lead-up to the Federal Election, we are running a series on specific asks for policy change at the federal level. The Federal Government has made it clear they continue to support compulsory income management; there is disproportionate targeting of Indigenous people, with Indigenous women’s experiences of such programs replicating colonial control and abuse. More broadly, there are serious concerns about the gendered impacts of compulsory income management schemes and their effects on the wellbeing of children and families. Today’s analysis by Priya Kunjan (@PriyaKunjan) and the policy team at the Accountable Income Management Network (@AIMNau) provides a specific policy ask of the Federal Government – put an end to the Cashless Debit Card and BasicsCard and invest the money in ways that will make a lasting community change.

Why the gender pay gap never closes…

In 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.

Womens Policy Action TankWomen's Policy Action Tank7 March 2022Election, gender pay gap, employment

How can we convince young women to enter politics?

Kathleen Herbert reflects on what needs to change so we can convince women to enter parliament.

From Tightropes to Gendered Tropes: A comparative study of the print mediation of women Prime Ministers

In order to truly represent Australia in all its diversity, we also need greater diversity in our politics. Evidence shows that increasing female representation has a very real impact on the legislation that is raised. In Australia, however, while the numbers of women in politics is slowly inching upward, many women have said that engaging in politics come at a cost seldom borne by their male counterparts: Consider, for example, Nova Peris’ recent comments on the racial abuse she endured, or the slander endured by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

For International Women’s Day, in today’s post Blair Williams (@BlairWilliams26) of Australian National University provides an overview of her research into the way women Prime Ministers are portrayed in the media, how that denigrates their authority and capability, and the negative impact it is having on increasing female political representation.

Fast facts: Who drove the Coalition to their election win?

In what is fast becoming a global trend, the conservative Coalition was not expected to win the election held in 2019. Understanding how they did is critical to ensuring robust democratic systems in Australia. In today’s blog, Kate Griffiths (@_KGriffiths), Tony Chen and Danielle Wood (@DanielleIWood), all of The Grattan Institute (@GrattanInst), provide an analysis of how the record $90 million spent by Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party swayed the outcome of the election and provide insight into much-needed donation reforms. This post first appeared on The Grattan Institute web site; you can read it in its original format here, or read more about the author’s analysis in their related piece in The Conversation.

Finance and economicsPower to Persuade11 February 2020Election, politics and democracy

Listening in: using the election results to create a better Australia

In the wake of the election results, Millie Rooney (Australia reMADE) describes how a united and inspiring vision for what Australia could be can help us work together across and around difference to create ‘the best version of us’.

Caring comes at a cost. How about supporting systems that allow carers to work?

The Coalition government has had a long-term focus on moving women into paid employment through increasing Welfare to Work requirements and keeping the Newstart Allowance artificially low. However, many women are unable to participate in employment due to caring duties. For some women this career break is a temporary one as children age and become less dependent, but others are looking after family members or others who have a disability or a chronic condition. In today’s piece, Melanie Zeppel (@MelanieZeppel) of GenIMPACT at Macquarie University shares findings from co-authored research on the economic analysis of the cost of caring, which overwhelmingly impacts on women.

As safe as houses? Comparing Liberal and Labor platforms on women’s safety

With the federal election campaign in its final days, people are heading to polling booths to vote in Australia’s next government. In today’s federal election series, Policy Whisperer Susan Maury (@susanmaury) and Laura Vidal (@lauraemilyvidal), both of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, break down the Government and Australian Labor Party’s policies for improving women’s safety, providing both a comparison between the platforms and commentary on how the plans fall short. Today’s piece on women’s safety is the second in a two-part series from the @GoodAdvocacy team. You can read Part 1 on economic security here.

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