In 2014, when we ended a thirty year tradition of releasing a women’s impact statement with the Federal Budget,   Australia committed to reducing our workforce participation gender gap by 25% by 2025 at the G20 in Brisbane.  In 2017, we are seeing an Office for Women that doesn’t seem to have much capability in managing it, and a Minister for Women who doesn’t appear particularly interested in it.  So who  is responsible for  reducing the workforce participation gender gap? https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/eds-blog/confusion-apathy-surrounds-2025-commitment-gender-equality/ 

Sexual equality makes economic sense; governments should measure it and budgets promote it. Violence against women; failing to educate girls properly; unequal pay and access to jobs: all take an economic toll. At its simplest, gender budgeting sets out to quantify how policies affect women and men differently, which converts exhortation about treating women fairly into the coin of government: costs and benefits, and investments and returns. http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21717375-sexual-equality-makes-economic-sense-governments-should-measure-it-and-budgets-promote-it-why

The gender pay gap remains a feature of the Australian labour market for too long, and must be addressed. Persistent gender pay gaps weaken the financial position and future economic security of women, and reveal differences in how society values the respective contributions of women and men in the workforce. The 2017 WGEA report seeks to deepen the understanding of the gender pay gap in Australia; it compares the gender pay gaps across full-time, part-time and casual workers, and across industries and occupations. https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/BCEC%20WGEA%20Gender%20Pay%20Equity%20Insights%202017%20Report.pdf

Thanks in part to the gender pay gap, the gender wealth gap more than doubled between 2002 and 2014. The latest data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey shows Australian women trail men in total wealth, and are more likely than men to have their assets tied up in a family home. This means their finances are more precarious, and they have less saved for retirement.  https://theconversation.com/women-rely-on-the-family-home-to-support-them-in-old-age-76703  

For the first time, Equileap - which aims to advance gender equality in the workplace - ranked over 3,000 companies across 19 gender equality criteria, reporting on the progress towards equality within 200 companies. Global Compact Network Australia members NAB and Westpac were ranked in the top 10 in their global 2017 Gender Equality Report and Transurban was ranked in the top 20, joining only six other companies in reporting no gender pay gap. Download Equileap's full 2017 report at http://equileap.org/educate/

French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a gender-balanced cabinet in accordance with an earlier pledge, with 11 of 22 posts taken by women. Sylvie Goulard is defence minister while Olympic fencing champion Laura Flessel is sports minister.  Other women ministerial appointees include: Agnès Buzyn - health, Murielle Pénicaud - labour and Françoise Nyssen - culture.  And Marlène Schiappa, whose successful blog Maman Works saw her dubbed the "spokeswoman for working mums", becomes junior minister for equality between women and men.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39948523

It was announced at the recent Annual Global Summit of Women in Japan, a prestigious international business summit which focuses on women’s advancement in the global economy, that the next Global Summit of Women will be held in Sydney in 2018.

Listen to Anne Fulwood's presentation to the W20 as Australia’s representative to the W20 (Women20) Engagement Group – along with Dr Susan Harris Rimmer of Griffith University – at this annual gathering of women from G20 Nations. Scroll down to her video.  Anne is Co-Chair of the W20 Financial Inclusion Committee.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/week-womens-empowerment-workforce-participation-became-global-issue-ivanka-trump-helped/

The Conversation: Professor Miranda Stewart, Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute

Australia was a pioneer in gender budget analysis. From 1983 to 2013, the federal government produced a Women’s Budget Statement, while state and territory governments were also among the first in the world to scrutinise annual budgets for their impact on women and girls. But in recent years we have fallen behind. In a 2014 OECD study, the Australian Government compared poorly on gender analysis. The study found that, apart from the occasional specific programs, Australia had no systematic process to assess the impact on women and men of taxing, spending or government programs, either before or after the government enacts legislation, appropriates funds or initiates policy.

https://theconversation.com/gender-neutral-policies-are-a-myth-why-we-need-a-womens-budget-55231

An ambitious new program to elevate the profiles of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has launched today, and applications are now open.

An Australian first, Science & Technology Australia's Superstars of STEM program will train and support 30 female STEM professionals to become prominent role models for young women and girls. They will develop the skills to share their work with the public via social media, public speaking, and as spokespeople in the media. 
Participants will also be given the opportunity to speak with schools, connect with mentors, and attend events promoting gender equity in science and technology around Australia.
https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/superstars-of-stem/