Journalist Kristine Ziwica examines the government’s recognition of the needs of women and engagement with the women's movement and finds it seriously lacking.
She laments Australia’s poor showing at the UN’s Generation Equality Forum, and that Australia’s ranking in the Global Gender Gap Index, has plummeted from 15th in 2006 to 50th, close to last amongst OECD nations. The government’s high-profile announcements in relation to women have been characterised by big press conferences followed by silence or obfuscation when it comes to delivery.
The appointment of a Minister of Women's Economic Security is followed by the defunding of the Security4Women Alliance. Kristine quotes Judith van Unen, Past President of BPW Australia and the co-founder of eS4W: “There is a silencing by stealth, not inviting you to a critical meeting or not renewing your funding.”
This is the third in a three-part series on women’s economic security, supported by the Melbourne Press Club’s Michael Gordon Fellowship for social justice journalism. Part one covered older women and homelessness, while part two discussed the legal fight to close the gender pay gap.
