The Andrews Labor Government is supporting women with disabilities to secure work in the health, social and disability service sectors, recognising the wealth of lived experience women with disabilities can bring to these industries.
Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins has announced an investment of $400,000 in Women with Disabilities Victoria’s (WDV) Sharing Our Expertise – Building Employer Confidence to Employ Women with Disabilitiesprogram.
The program will be delivered over two years and allow WDV to engage with 40 health, social and disability sector employers across the state to address and resolve some of the barriers for women with disabilities entering their workforces.
WDV can help employers understand the attitudes, unconscious bias and barriers which prevent women with disabilities gaining employment. WDV will also provide tailored resources, training and support to address them.
Women with disabilities have long been viewed as recipients of healthcare and social services, instead of being recognised as potentially valuable employees and leaders in these sectors.
Women with lived experience of disability will co-design and deliver resources, training and technical advice to employers so they feel more confident to recruit and employ women with disabilities at all levels of their organisation, in both operational and governance roles.
The program was funded for its ability to identify structural barriers for the workforce participation and economic equity of women with disability and supports our response to the independent Inquiry into Economic Equity for Victorian Women, released in September 2022.
As stated by Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins
“To achieve greater gender equality in Victoria, we need to work together to address and resolve the barriers and attitudes that hold women back – it’s challenging but critical work.”
“Employing more women with disabilities in the health, social and disability service sector will lead to safer, more inclusive communities.”
As stated by Women with Disabilities Victoria CEO Nadia Mattiazzo
“WDV is very excited to have received this funding and we are very keen to partner with organisations such as Women’s Health Grampians to focus on increasing the employment of women with disabilities.”
“As an organisation of and for women with disabilities, we have the knowledge and expertise to support those in the social and community services sector to improve knowledge of disability and inclusive employment practices.”
