The voices of women will underpin a long-term State Government plan to achieve gender equality in Western Australia.
Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk said Western Australian women would have an opportunity to share their aspirations, the challenges they face and the changes they would like to see to remove the barriers to full social and economic participation.
The gender pay gap continues to be a significant issue for women. At over 22 per cent, Western Australia has the worst gender pay gap in the nation, compared to under 15 per cent across Australia. Nationally, women graduates earn 4.8 per cent less than men upon graduation and men retire with almost twice the amount of superannuation as women.
Safety and homelessness continue to be important issues facing women – 42 per cent of women seek help from homelessness services due to family and domestic violence; and 60 per cent of assault victims aged 15 years and over are female.
With a recent World Economic Forum report showing the gender gap will take 108 years to close, addressing gender inequality will require a sustained and co-ordinated effort across government, business and the community.
The Department of Communities is leading the development of a long-term women’s plan for Western Australia. The plan will focus on key issues facing women – health and wellbeing; safety and justice; economic independence; and leadership.
A key focus of the consultation process and the report will be ensuring women from diverse areas of the community are represented. The Department of Communities will also work with stakeholder organisations across the State to engage with their communities and interest groups.
The State-wide consultation process will run until June 2019 and people can find out more or provide their feedback by visiting https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/women’splan
As noted by Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk:
“In all aspects of life – from schools, to the workplace, to retirement, and in our homes and communities – every girl and woman has the right to reach her potential.
“Yet despite some significant advances, women and girls in Western Australia continue to experience barriers in many important aspects of their lives.
“We need a range of strategies, across sectors and at multiple levels, shared between government, business and the community, to shift deeply embedded norms around gender.
“The good news is that the evidence is clear – if we can close the gender gap every Western Australian will share in the resulting economic and social prosperity.
“I want to hear from as many women as possible to ensure our plan addresses the issues that are important to Western Australian women, so we can create a future full of opportunity for all.”
