Ausralian women still earn 18% less than men.  So ask for a discount on Equal Pay Day – September 4.

• Famale graduates on entering the workforce earn $3,000 pa less than male graduates.
• Women executive managers in Australia Top 200 companies earn an average of 28.3% less than their mail peers.

Men = $1,330.60 per week

Women = $1,091.30 per week

Gender pay gap = $239.30

For more information go to eowa.gov.au

Everyone is invited to sign onto the letter and to also send individual letters to your local MPS and state senators.

S4W have signed on to the Open Letter, you will and also send a copy with your full name and address to your local Member and all the Senators in your State or Territory. NFAW will present a copy of the Open Letter with all signatures as a petition to Party leaders in Canberra during the Budget Sittings.

A copy of the letter can be viewed by clicking here and send your endorsement to Marie Coleman at NFAW at:  mariecoleman@grapevine.com.au .  Or post your endorsement in the comment section and we will forward for you.

The national policy “Women: Shaping our Future” (albeit never properly implemented) is due to expire 2010.

Without national policy guidelines for women and girls, especially those most at risk, there is no platform from which to advocate for and argue that any consideration should be directed towards girls and women in this major portfolio area, at national or state/territory levels.

Vocational training is a key central tool in federal and state government’s economic policies, strategies and economic stimulus packages to address the global economic downturn, and specifically to stimulate the economy; to link training with paid employment; to decrease unemployment of youth and other welfare recipients, as well as to ‘deepen’ Australia’s skills base.

We are concerned about current financing arrangements for child care and are focussing our strengths and collaborating with our networks to refer the issue to the Productivity Commission for thorough review and recommendations on new arrangements.

In collaboration with NFAW we have submitted on reform of child care ( including OSHC) funding to both the Henry Review of Australia’s Future Tax System, and the Senate Committee- which will start hearings in early July. We presented at the HoR standing Committee looking at Pay Equity and argued about inadequate access to child care/OSHC and other factors affecting female workforce participation. In collaboration with NFAW and AHRC we commissioned Newspoll and have that as a supporting set of data- dealing with work-life balance, and OHSC.

Letters have been sent to the Prime Minister, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Minister EEWR, Parliamentary Secretary Early Childhood, Minister FAHSCIA, Minister for Women highlighting our concerns and suggestions for future policy.

We welcome the following:

• The recent Government work through COAG to enhance minimum standards for under five’s.
• Family friendly working environments on parents’ return to work,
• Policy to develop links between early childhood care and other social institutions such as schools, TAFE, health centres.

Australian Federation of University Women (AFUW) have written a submission to the Senate Inquiry into Provision of Childcare supported by Security4women.