Thank you for your insightful contributions on this blog during the Listening Tour. Your stories and opinions have informed my agenda.

I encourage you to check this webpage next week to read about the issues I will be focussing on and the Listening Tour Community Report.

Liz

The Tour has provided me with a depth of understanding that no number of written reports could. I have had the opportunity to meet a diverse range of Australians - factory workers, investment bankers, business leaders, community legal centre workers, Indigenous Australians, academics, Ministers, women’s services, refugees, gays and lesbians, young women and older people, to name a few. The Tour has allowed me to put the human face to the information that comes across my desk everyday. Not only have I gained a sense of what really matters in the community, I have heard about how it needs to be changed.

Covering the length and breadth of this country has changed the way I see things. I have heard the complexity of the issues that women and men in the Australian community face on a daily basis. I have become stronger in my belief that a one size fits all approach to policy will not work. We need considered, evidence-based policy solutions that are tailored and responsive. Most of all, we need to take a long term view of change. Making a positive impact on women’s and men’s lives will take time, but every bit counts.

Throughout the Tour I continued to strive for work and family balance by modelling what is possible. Yes, there were stressful times travelling with the kids. Yet, the kids made me see the issues from a different perspective. I was able to engage with people on a number of dimensions - as the Commissioner, as a mum, a sister and a daughter. It is important that we present ourselves as whole people, that is, as individuals with caring responsibilities. It is not until senior men and women in public life begin to model alternative ways of balancing work and family that we will see change across all levels.

I am proud and honoured to have heard so many stories that will make me an informed advocate for gender equality in this country. I am determined to continue listening and using technology strategically to engage with each of you. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey and I look forward to continuing the conversation over the next 5 years.

Liz

Some of the challenges the Taskforce reported included the difficulties of getting women and girls interested in these areas, and for those who are interested, supporting them to stick with it. The Taskforce has run a number of successful workshops with first-year female university students to encourage them, to introduce them to women working in their field, and to highlight the array of opportunities awaiting them after study. I think this is a great initiative and would have loved to have attended something similar back when I was studying computer science.

It became clear during this meeting that government, along with the science, engineering and technology industries themselves, can do much to attract, develop, and retain women in non-traditional fields of study and employment. The Taskforce has produced a great 12- point plan of practical things that could be done to attract and retain more women to the science, engineering and technology fields. To find out more about the Taskforce and to read their action plan go to http://www.women.qld.gov.au/work-and-life/smart-state-strategy/

I also met with the organisation Sisters Inside who shared some of the difficulties facing women in prison and upon their release. They explained that over 90 per cent of women released from prison have no where to go - they are homeless. Also, women who enter prison often have their belongings (such as furniture and clothing) taken away because they don’t have family to look after them. Without the basics of accommodation and their own belongings, how can these women go about the hard work of re-establishing strong support networks and avoiding reoffending?

From Sisters Inside, I made my way to Government House to meet the Queensland Governor and Australia’s future Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC. I was thrilled when Ms Bryce’s appointment was announced. Not only because she will be Australia’s first female Governor-General, but also because of her standing as an inclusive, committed leader and advocate for women’s rights. We discussed the progress that has been made in advancing gender equality since her time as Sex Discrimination Commissioner and the limited progress made on issues like the gender pay gap and sexual harassment in our workplaces. I left feeling inspired and very excited that this visionary, compassionate woman will be our next Governor-General.

There are many more highlights from the Queensland Tour. I met with some very insightful equal opportunity practitioners and government officials, and I heard a range of concerns and views at two very diverse and well-attended community consultation events. A focus group with lesbian mums highlighted the specific barriers to full and equal participation in many spheres of life for women in same-sex relationships. I also learnt a great deal about Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) from an academic in the field and a woman whose family has been touched by FAS.

Thank you to all the wonderful Queenslanders I met along the way for your valuable contributions to the Tour.

Liz

Students from three local high schools had come to share their experiences and concerns. Some students recounted feeling discriminated against because of their race. This is happening in very direct ways like being called offensive names in the playground, and in less direct ways like being watched or followed closely by security guards in shopping centres or being directed, unprompted, to cheaper items by sales assistants. It is disappointing to hear of such incidents given the huge cost of prejudice, both to affected individuals and our society as a whole.

Many students told me about their dreams for life after high school which included further study and employment. However, some felt that because they were Indigenous, expectations for them were much lower than for non-Indigenous students. As I told them, often the best come-back to people who put you down is to believe in yourself and achieve your dreams.

One idea put forward to support these young people fulfil their potential was to connect Indigenous students with mentors - professional men and women (Indigenous and non Indigenous) from the local community. I strongly support this idea. I have always found mentoring an excellent way of providing aspiring young people the confidence, motivation, guidance and support they need to pursue their goals.

I was very impressed with the young people I met. Articulate, intelligent and engaged with their communities, they shared well thought out views and suggested simple ways to improve the lives of the people around them. Hearing from them first-hand was invaluable to me and the elders present. I find this process of coming together and sharing our stories one of the best ways to build stronger understanding and unity across communities.

Liz

Some of you may have seen the coverage of the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Paid Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave. Yesterday I appeared at the Sydney Hearing of this inquiry and put forward a two stage proposal for a national scheme of paid leave.

It has been great to see so much community interest in this important debate.

What does my proposal look like?

Stage one, for immediate introduction:

• A non-transferable national scheme of 14 weeks paid maternity leave at the rate of the federal minimum wage, or the average of the woman’s previous weekly earnings from all jobs, whichever is the lesser amount.
• A non-transferable, separate entitlement of two weeks paid ‘supporting parent leave’ calculated at the same basis as paid maternity leave. ‘Supporting parent leave’ is commonly known as paternity leave.

After Two Years an Independent review of stage one:

• To measure the impacts of the new scheme (including an analysis of the impact on small business), and make any necessary improvements.
• To develop and implement a second stage of paid leave measures.

Stage two, suggested for introduction after independent review :

• An additional 38 weeks of paid parental leave of which 4 weeks is reserved for the supporting parent on a “use it or lose it” basis.

When both stage 1 and stage 2 are in place, we will have a national paid leave scheme of one year’s duration.

The scheme will meet many objectives. Click here for more details for what my proposal seeks to achieve.

Making your voice heard

Don’t forget you can lodge your submissions to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry up until 2 June - http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiry/parentalsupport

I encourage you to put your views forward and continue the public debate.

Liz

Women’s consultation BBQ with Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre

Meeting with staff of Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services

Community consultation in Wangkatjungka, Fitzroy Valley

On these important questions, I am keen to hear from young women and men directly, to understand what you see as the critical issues for gender equality in 2008, and what role you see for yourselves in building a fairer and more equal Australia.

To hear the views of young people, I will be co-presenting a panel as part of the ‘e-Festival of Ideas’ during National Youth Week from 8-12 April 2008. The e-Festival is a yearly event presented by Vibewire Inc, a non-profit youth media organisation.

The panel is titled, ‘Reworking Feminism: What does gender equality mean in the 21st century.’

The panel will feature a number of guests who will discuss the Listening Tour themes with young people: economic independence for women, work and family balance over the life cycle, and freedom from discrimination, harassment and violence.

Participation is at the heart of human rights and this innovative event encourages young people to have your say to shape the gender equality agenda for Australia. I encourage you to pass this on to any young people whom you think might be interested.

To register for the e-Festival of Ideas and for more information please visit www.vibewire.net/efestival

Liz

Participants at the consultation put forward a very clear message about the need for a cultural shift which would allow men to readily take up flexible work practices. A few women told us that, while flexible work practices were available, men are still not taking them up because the workplace culture doesn’t allow them. This means that the status quo of women undertaking the majority of caring responsibilities remains. As well as education and empowerment of employees to better negotiate flexible work, participants agreed that employers need to be educated to understand the caring responsibilities of their employees.

One suggestion from a participant was for employers to keep statistics on the employment, pay and career progression of women in comparison to men. This could then be part of an annual report which could set out how the employer is tracking towards gender equity. I would like to build on this idea at a national level, with the introduction of gender equality benchmarking which would track our progress as a country towards full gender equality.

In the afternoon I met with people from town communities in the Darwin area with the staff from Larrakia Nation. Members of these communities expressed their concern about elements of the NT Intervention, particularly the quarantining of Centrelink payments. We heard story after story of older women and men, and women with children walking long distances in the searing heat to get their store vouchers, then either walking or needing to take a taxi to the store and a taxi home with heavy bags. These implementation problems are creating difficulties on a daily basis for many people. The availability of housing is another critical issue. In one community, up to 4 generations of family are living under one roof. In this community of 52 homes, only 3 had stoves that were functional.

The staff at Larrakia Nation informed me of the shortage of rehabilitation services for alcohol abuse in the area with a 50 person wait list for their service.

The dire need for more low cost and culturally appropriate housing was brought home to me when I visited people living in the long grass. The conditions were third world, with many people living with severe chronic illnesses. Some were long term residents of Darwin. Others were in town for a range of reasons. The camp was tucked well away in the long grass in order to avoid the daily patrols of police and council officers who will move them on when they have nowhere to go. Darwin has the highest rate of homelessness of any capital city in Australia. Visiting the long grass was a sobering experience.

Thank you to the vibrant community of Darwin for sharing your stories with me. We will be travelling to Arnhem Land over the next two days so until then..

Liz

On the night we arrived, we met up with the management committee of the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre. The committee is made up of women who volunteer from the community to oversee the strategic direction of the centre. We heard about some of the great programs run from the centre including a mobile play group which rotates around the 45 surrounding communities, providing mums and kids with educational and social activities.

The Centre also provides services for local women including counselling, legal services and social activities. The annual women’s bush camp is also organized by the Centre, where women come together from the various communities to discuss their issues and make plans for change. At last year’s camp, the women decided on three objectives – to lobby for a 12 month moratorium on the sale of alcohol, to advocate for services for men and boys, and a better relationship with Police.

Last year, a ban was put in place to restrict the sale of full strength take away alcohol. The Women’s Centre fought for this change as a measure to address the violence and associated health and social problems linked to alcohol abuse. I was shocked to hear that some estimates suggest that 30% of babies are born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Since the ban, police reports show that domestic violence reports have decreased by 43% and school attendance and engagement has risen. Some of the senior women in the community told me that, since the ban, they have been able to sleep peacefully through the night without fearing for their own safety or that of their family. Police estimate that call outs for alcohol fuelled violent incidents have decreased by 55% since the ban. I was so inspired by the collective determination of the women to ensure that every woman in the community has the right to live without the fear of violence.

Over the next two days we had meetings with service providers, a community BBQ and visits out to remote communities. I heard the consistent themes of alcohol related violence, the scarcity of housing, problems with transport and the accessibility of services, health problems associated with alcohol and poor nutrition, lack of services for men and boys, and the shortage of appropriate education and employment opportunities. I was impressed by Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services, with its focus on culturally appropriate preventative health promotion. The Health Service has installed a music studio as part of a spiritual health promotion program to encourage personal and cultural expression through music as a way to improve community health.

I want to thank June Oscar, Emily Carter and Michelle Kwikki from the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre for hosting our visit and for their warm hospitality. I am inspired and energised by their courage and determination. As our photos attest, we met many strong women and men from the diverse Fitzroy Valley, and I feel deeply privileged to have heard their stories as part of my Listening Tour.

Liz

We then made our way to the Curtin Graduate School of Business where we held a public consultation in partnership with WiSER (Women in Social and Economic Research, Curtin University) and the Equal Opportunity Commission, WA. Around 40 passionate and engaged participants raised concerns similar to the rest of the country - anxiety about retirement savings, the need to recognize and value unpaid caring work and the right for women and children to live without the fear of harassment and violence.

Specific to WA, participants put on the table the significant gender pay gap and housing affordability, particularly for women on low incomes or on welfare. One gentleman echoed the sentiments of a number of older people I have met on my Tour, telling me of his frustration about the new requirements for older drivers to sit new tests at the age of 85 and the bureacracy to be negotiated to undertake the test.

As you have read on this blog, the gender gap in retirement savings has been a significant issue raised throughout the Tour. I was fortunate to meet with the researchers at WiSER to discuss this complex issue in more detail. In the words of Therese Jefferson, a researcher at WiSER with expertise in this area:
Australia’s superannuation system poses particular difficulties for women who have broken patterns of paid employment and relatively low wages. Economic simulations show that women in the baby boomer cohort will spend around 35 percent less time in paid employment than their male counterparts. This will translate into a gender gap in compulsory accumulations of a similarly large magnitude. In addition, interview based studies reveal that many women are uncertain about how to save for retirement. For some, the problem is having too little money to participate in a savings scheme, while for others there is a real concern with ‘how to get started’.

I look forward to working with the talented team at WiSER to develop policy solutions for closing the gender gap in retirement savings during my term as Sex Discrimination Commissioner.

Our next stop was the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellanous Union (LHMU) where we held a focus group with 11 of their women members. The participants came from a range of industries including aged care, child care, hospitality and cleaning. The greater part of the discussion focused on the aged care industries where the women told me of their concerns about their own situation - level of pay, hours of work and poor stafffing levels - as well as the treament of their residents. Their testimonies reinforced my growing concern about how poorly we seem to value both the paid and unpaid work of caring in our community. One suggestion put forward was to regulate a staff to patient ratio in the aged care sector, similar to the child care sector, to ensure an appropriate workload for staff and the quality of care. The women I met with are an inspiration and I encourage all those responsible for the quality of our caring sectors to use their determination to make these changes happen.

Next time you hear from us will be from Fitzroy Crossing and the Kimberley region of WA where we will be spending the rest of the week. Until then..

Liz