The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing has summarised new key measures from the federal and state budgets that are relevant to women’s safety, health and wellbeing, and gender equity.
The Federal and State Budget Papers and Federal Women’s Budget Statement provide our sector, and the broader community, with insight into the Albanese and McGowan Governments’ priorities and commitment to achieving women’s safety and wellbeing, and their vision for the path to gender equality.
While both the Albanese and McGowan Governments’ increased investment into family and domestic violence acknowledges the importance of specialist services, it doesn’t match the scale of the need. Funding is always welcome, and every bit helps, but it isn’t enough to meet the ever-increasing demand and unmet need that specialist family and domestic violence services are facing.
For decades, women’s health has been systematically under-researched, under-funded and under-valued. While CWSW welcomes the $3.5 billion investment to ensure that women on lower-incomes and younger women have better access to bulk-billing GPs by the Albanese Government, and investment in updating women’s health infrastructure by the McGowan Government, neither Federal or State Budgets provide a sufficient level of funding to address the priority areas outlined in the National Women’s Health Strategy and the Western Australian Women’s Health and Wellbeing Policy.
CWSW welcomes the Albanese Government’s focus on supporting women facing disadvantage, including single parents, and low-income workers across the care and support sector, and is very supportive of the McGowan Government’s training initiatives that address the underrepresentation of women in trades and technical occupations. While this year’s Federal Budget is off to a good start in supporting women’s economic security, more can be done in future State Budget’s to address the gendered drivers of poverty.
Attached is our full budget breakdown which you can also find on the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing Website here.
