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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Jul-Aug 2008        |
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Women@Work: Your RightsGender EquityANU report - Gender equity in Australia, including in the workplace, has been on the decline over the last decade As the report below concludes, and we too acknowledge - on both the MUA and ITF women's committee's, there is a large need now, as much as ever, to revitalise the women's movement and again lobby and bargain for changes to gain true equality and basic working rights. This is particularly relevant in today's globalised transport industries and locally with Australia's draconian IR laws. In both areas women are disproportionately disadvantaged and are the first to feel the negative effects of restructuring and AWA's. In turn a push for greater family flexibility will benefit ALL workers and their families. - Sue Virago, MUA National Women's Coordinator Australia going backwards in gender equity: ANU report Wednesday 7th March 2007 2:24 pm EST Gender equity in Australia - including in the workplace - has been on the decline over the last decade, despite earlier gains that made the country a world leader in women's rights, according to a new academic study. The 139-page report, How well does Australian democracy serve Australian women?, prepared by academics Sarah Maddison and Emma Partridge for the ANU's Democratic Audit of Australia, focuses on legislation, policy development, NGOs and women's representation. It notes poor progress in achieving pay equity since the dismantling of centralised wage fixing in the 1980s, and reports concerns that the gender pay gap might increase as a result of the disproportionate impact on women of the weakening of state industrial commissions, casualisation, and the expansion of individual contracts. Inadequate maternity leave, flexible hours, childcare services and tax policies also presented a barrier to women's equality in the workplace. Female representation in corporate leadership remains extremely low, with women making up 8.6% of board directors of the ASX top 200 companies, and 11.5% of companies having more than one women director. Women account for 28% of federal politicians, with similar levels for most state parliaments and local government councils. While nearly 55% of all public sector employees are women, they account for only one third of Senior Executive Service members. Only 12% of Federal Court judges, 34% of Family Court judges, and 18% of state Supreme Court judges are women, The report highlights the "dismantling of women's policy machinery and the silencing of the women's NGO sector" and concludes that neither major political party is much committed to reversing these negative trends. While much gender equity legislation remains in force, the report finds laws alone are not enough, and says there is a need for a revitalised women's movement and greater political pressure from non-parliamentary advocates. The report specifically criticises the Howard Government's decision to abolish affirmative action reporting for larger companies in the 1990s, and the NSW Labor Government's downgrading of the state's Department of Women. |
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