The Government Just Released Its Long-Awaited Statement On Economic Protections For Women

The government is introducing a bunch of new economic protections for women, including early access to superannuation for women fleeing domestic or family violence, and more flexible paid parental leave.

The new policies were announced today by Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer, as part of the Women’s Economic Security Statement promised at this year’s federal budget. The statement delivers $109 million to help boost women’s participation in the workforce, earning potential and economic independence.

It’s about time the government announced something like this. While this is the first Women’s Economic Security Statement, it’s worth noting that a really similar statement focusing on the budget’s impact on women was included in the Federal Budget from 1983 until 2013.

So today’s statement is less of a new initiative, and more like the return of a really crucial initiative the government recently trashed. Still, many of the policies O’Dwyer announced today have the potential to be pretty important changes.

Allowing women fleeing domestic violence or abusive relationships to access their superannuation early, for instance, has the potential to provide many women with the financial resources they need to leave violent situations (though some have also criticised the policy for forcing women to rely on their superannuation for this support, putting them at risk of poverty or homelessness in future when that superannuation has been exhausted).

early release of super for DV victims??? so if you’re lucky enough to have a meaningful amount of super, which many don’t, you can take it out now and fuck yourself over in the future? MICRO LOANS??? this is absolutely depraved and immoral pic.twitter.com/Xbtjo9hucW

— Eleanor Robertson (@marrowing) 20 November 2018

instead of making women use their retirement savings to leave abusive relationships how about you just fund domestic violence crisis services properly. https://t.co/Rij1RgMju1

— Lauren Gillin (@ljgillin) November 20, 2018

The policy does also give family law courts new powers to access ATO information about superannuation, though, which will make it easier for women separating from their partners to receive their fair share of their former partner’s super. This change was recommended by the Women’s Legal Service Victoria, which has described the reform as “life changing for women fighting for fair financial outcomes in our family law system”.

Women fleeing domestic violence will also have access to interest-free loans through the Good Shepherd loan scheme, which is intended to help cover things like rental bonds, new appliances, and the costs of getting set up with a new home. The government has also promised that in many serious cases, victims of domestic violence won’t have to face alleged perpetrators under cross-examination.

Other policies include investment in strategies to boost women’s workforce participation, and the resurrection of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ time use survey, which helps gather data on which groups in the population are getting lumped with all the unpaid work. Paid parental leave will also get more flexible — at the moment, parents need to take the entire 18 weeks of leave in one block, whereas under the new system they’ll be free to take six of those 18 weeks at any point before their kid turns two.

It’s a small start, to be sure, but promising that the government has finally gotten around to addressing some of the many ways women are economically fucked over in this country. Here’s hoping they treat this as the base it is, and follow up with some more substantial action in future.