Listening Tour general comments?
Have your say - other comments?
What other issues would you like the Sex Discrimination Commissioner to consider?
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Karen Said,
November 26, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
Dear Elizabeth, I would like HREOC to bring to the new Federal Government’s attention the abject failure of the SDA to provide broad protection for all women, irrespective of whether the comparator is a man or another woman. I would also like the Commission to lobby for much broader anti-discrimination at the Commonwealth level than currently exists. A new Act encompassing proscriptions against both discrimination and villification/harassment to protect all vulnerable Australians must be the most immediate concern of the Commissioners today. With Labor Governments now in all jurisdictions, this is the time to put the issue to SCAG (Standing Committee of Attorneys General) and get general uniformity across the whole of the nation while addressing our many untended international Convention obligations. Please! Best wishes Kaz
Anna Said,
November 26, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
Can U give an actual date in Feb 08 when U will be in Canberra, because I want to be sure to come, but am already getting booked up!!!! Thanks.
Anonymous Said,
November 27, 2007 @ 9:46 am
I am very interested in the progress of flexible work practices to accommodate family and career responsibilities, especially for women. I work in the state public service and have experienced a considerable career ’stagnation’ since becoming part time since the birth of my 2nd child. I work 0.6 and have been unable to progress to new challenges, commensurate with my experience and qualifications - due to lack of presenting opportunities at AS07 and above levels. Although there is a clear policy statement about being a ‘family friendly and flexible working organisation, this is over-ruled by a longer stating patriarchal attitude to ‘proper resposnibilities’ needing full time employees only. This is clearly reflected in the organisational culture and job structures at most levels, and there are very few willing to engage in alternative flexible arrangements for their work units.
Confidence is a critical element of career growth; something that is harshly eroded through the experience of family leave and part time tenure. I have recently been awarded a developmental opportunity at a senior part time level. The experience for me has been exceptional - my capacity, commitment and confidence have all rosen significantly to meet the challenge.
I know I am not alone in my experiences of balancing career dedvelopment and growth with raising a young family.
Andrew Said,
December 6, 2007 @ 6:30 pm
Your Listening Tour is a great idea. I believe HREOC should also consider the economic disadvantage of older Australians as part of its listening tour. If money is to be spent on educating the young (fully suported by me) how about allowing 50+ people the opportunity to get full tax relief for any employment (including setting up small businesses) related training including university courses? Also, it is difficult to find employment on a part time basis that allows older Australians to portfolio their careers and allow for a successful transition into retirement or an alternate career. Not only do women suffer from low levels of super but so do a lot of men - if you work in low paid jobs and/or couldn’t vest your overseas pension rights if you migrated to Australia for example. Being able to continue working part time after retirement in an area of choice rather than necessity will reduce taxpayer burdens for social welfare and health. Many older people want to continue to work but for themselves rather than for someone else. As a male over 50 it has been next to impossible for me for example to find part time work. Many employers appear to actively discriminate against males - for some reason males seeking part time work are considered “suspect” in some way. There appears to be more acceptance of part time work for females because pregnancy, motherhood and looking after children or older relatives is considered more socially acceptable. It could be that older single women or women without carer responsibilities have the same problem? How about legislation that allows rights to part time work and improved transition arrangements to retirement. Trust this feedback is useful - good luck with your tour.
Dealing With the Mob Said,
December 13, 2007 @ 1:03 am
Are you coming to Cairns? I would like to discuss the working conditions of women teachers.
I am sure you will be aware of the recent research at UNE that found that more than 90% of teachers claimed that they had been bullied at work. They are being bullied by school administrators. This is a women’s issue because most teachers are women and most school administrators are men.
Robert Said,
January 9, 2008 @ 10:56 am
Dear Elizabeth. An issue I would like the Sex Discrimination Commissioner to consider? I would like to know if you will consider a review of section 40 (1) (f) of the SDA and what your views are about it? I think it is contradictory how the discrimination laws are over ridden by virtue of an E.B.A being in place, and, to have a workplace free of discrimination, this section needs to be amended. Good luck with your tour and thank you for providing a platform for all to contribute. Regards. Rob.
Bonney Said,
January 22, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Dear Elizabeth, I would like HREOC to consider the establishment of a National Women’s Heritage Centre - A Woman’s Place.
The need for such was identified by Michael Lavarch in Half way to equal : April 1992. Sixteen years hence and still there is no recognition of women’s history and heritage. Where places of significance for women do exist they are not identified as such on the Register of the National Estate and there is no provision for their interpretation and visibility in understanding of woman’s past and our contribution to the nation.
Australia’s first manufactured export was made by women and women led the first industrial action. For the most part our history has been excluded from the record and from historical references. One would be at pains to find one book on women’s history in any public library and yet we make up 50% of the population. With increased societal interest in the history of traditionally marginalised groups and in an age where women are reaching a level of equality with men it is necessary to ensure that equality applies to women’s history as well. Please consider recognising our history as an important contributor in breaking through the barriers of invisibility that women encounter.
Glenys Said,
January 25, 2008 @ 10:24 am
In these times where several documents are often required to establish ID and personal relationships change, it is a major problem for women who, as the result of name-change on marriage, end up with different surnames on different documents used for ID.
It was once simple. Passports were able to contain: “also known as ……” This needs to be reinstated or another simple system introduced.
For an example of the problem, my own case: The motor licence i gained prior to marriage continues to be in my maiden name. I married when i was young and with no thought of changing my name, but my employer refused to continue to pay my wages into my bank account until i did. (That may be illegal, but access to rights is theoretical when you depend on prompt payment of a meager wage.).
While not changing any existing documentation, new documentation in the time of my long marriage, carries my married name. (eg. passport, house title, Medicare card)
I am now divorced. I need to maintain my married name which i am professionally known under, and do not want to go to the bother and cost of changing existing documents to my maiden name. But I would not wish for it to be the name used in the creation of any new documents.
Examples of problems: Each year my credit card expires, I have problems providing sufficient points to collect a new one. (The bank’s system is incapable of recording that i am legally known under 2 names.) I can’t get sufficient ID which contains the same name to quality for a parking permit . (Gas bills etc. are in the name of the person I now live with.)
Any other women who experience this will know of the effort involved and huge amount of time wasted each time ID needs to be proved with more than a single document.
Danielle Said,
February 1, 2008 @ 10:21 am
Hi, Im just wondering why there is GST on tampons? And why are they so expensive? It seems discriminatory that these should be classed as luxury items! Im a uni student, and between my partner and I our shopping budget is $80 a week, and when tampons are almost $10 (they were the other day at woolies, for the carefree ones, because they are the only ones I dont have discomfort with) thats a big chunk out of our shopping budget. It just doesnt seem right is all…
Anonymous Said,
February 6, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
Dear Elizabeth, I attended a Listening Tour session in Canberra yesterday and was concerned to hear some of the older female participants expressing their fear of becoming dependent on the old age pension as it would not provide enough financial support to meet their needs. This is particularly concerning given that you said that more than half of older women have superannuation of $8000 or less.
My own mother lives on the pension. She lives in her own apartment. Despite a very basic lifestyle, my mother is struggling to meet her essential expenses and lives in fear of needing to replace or repair goods and appliances as they break. While having mobility problems, she is unable to afford the extra expense of shopping online and, being a careful budgeter, would never splurge on a taxi for transport.
God only knows how other old people survive when they have to pay rent or a mortgage or have other essential costs.
While clearly not all people and especially women have access to reasonable superannuation, many now do. Consequently, the cost to government in providing a pension for the older population is now much less than it would have been if everyone depended on receiving the pension. To counteract the discrimination against our older poorer population, I would suggest that you review the rate of the old age pension against the real costs of living with a view to really making it a safety net. These people are without a voice and may well be too sick, isolated or ashamed to speak up.
Peter Said,
February 8, 2008 @ 10:45 am
I listened with interest to the HREOQ interview with Elizabeth on Radio National this morning. I have often heard the quote that women are retiring with significantly less superannuation balances than men. I have no doubt this is true.
However, I would be interested to now whether this same research has controlled for married women whose husbands have significantly higher super balances.
It occurs to me that many married women “retire” in their early to mid fifties while their husbands continue to work until their sixties. Regardless of the imbalance between the two super accounts, providing the woman is married, both spouses share equally in the combined balance.
I do appreciate that there are many unmarried women that have small super accounts.
In summary, when the figure “……women have a third less money in super than men…..” is quoted, is that confounded by removing the “shared super” between spouses?
Anonymous Said,
February 10, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
Much was made in the international press last week about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s comments re sharia law being an option in family disputes. As there has been no in-depth/intelligent analysis nor comment about what this actually means, I’m left to ponder how it would relate (or stand in contrast to) the progress made to protect and advance women’s rights (for eg under such tools as defacto and same-sex marriage laws). Is the Church patriarch really having an indirect go at women ?
Anonymous Said,
February 19, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
Hi HREOC.
One thing HREOC should make some statements on is the right to abortion - it is disturbing that the cost is quite high and that many abortion counselling services are run by religious groups and so they try to push those ideas on the rest of us, with little or no rationality to support them.
Pru did good work with RU486 - hope HREOC does monitor abortion access.
Good summary here http://www.childrenbychoice.org.au/nwww/access.htm
Janet Fraser Said,
March 16, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
We need someone to listen, really listen, to what is being done to birthing women in this country. Hospitals are leaving women shellshocked, scarred in body and mind. Women are denied basic human rights to autonomy, bodily integrity and the right to decide what happens in their pregnancies, births and beyond. Babies and mothers are routinely subjected to interventions with no basis in evidence and the rising rates of surgery are simply an indication of how frequently this occurs. Birth needs to be in the hands of consumers. Women need to control their own reproductive experiences whether that is the decision to choose parenthood, or not, but also what happens to us in hospitals. Governments need to actually pay attention to the research and provide independent midwives with medicare numbers and the right to insurance since they are the safest, most effective, most appropriate careproviders for pregnant women. To solve our “healthcare crises” take normal birth away from surgeons and give it back to women with midwives to assist them. Women deserve this, the public health system deserves this. Let’s not continue to subsidise surgeons, let’s make women and babies safe.
Heidi Said,
March 18, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
I would like to know were HREOC stands on decriminalising prostitution. It has just happened in WA, and I’m terribly concerned about increased trafficking of women, expansion of the sex industry, increased exploitation of women, and how our society will look when women are only valued as sexual objects, that women who are forced into the industry are “looked after” through legislation and labour laws, rather than looking at the reasons women are in the industry and not prosecuting men for using women in this way. There is no evidence that legalization of prostitution makes things better for women in prostitution.
Hey Danielle,
I agree with you, thank Howard for his ‘luxury’ item tax on tampons. Also tampons have horrible bleaches in them that make you bleed more and susceptible to TSS. Plus I’m quite certain from some of the ads from tampon companies, that these companies are owned by men, as no women, knowing what it is like to have your period would ever develop such campaigns!
I have a solution - there is this fantastic thing called “The Keeper”, It is a rubber ‘cup’ that is used like a tampon, and can be used for 10 years, It’s a little expensive ~$55, but after 6 months you have made your money! You can buy it online, or various shops have them and it’s so wonderful to walk past the tampon aisle in the shopping centre knowing that they can never rip you off again, or try and infect your body with bleach!
Anonymous Said,
April 22, 2008 @ 10:42 am
I have listened with interest to the talk back on 612ABC Brisbane. Sorry I could not make the session in Brisbane. Having worked in male (totally) dominated industries since 1980’s then owned my own consultancy since 1994. Equal (what)! It is an old stereotype to ask for equal however we are not equal because we are women and that is such strength. In the workplace we have to learn to be assertive yet compassionate, knowledgeable without ego and aware without the boys club. I recommend young women in the workplace take the training opportunities open, gather tools through good mentoring and practice knowing that there will be times when we get it wrong. I have always had a go. It is frustrating for me to hear women who are victims of today’s society when there is so much available. Knowledge creates choice. Put your techniques out to the market place more is my final recommendation. I did not know your listening tour was on til 15 minutes before it started.