PRESS RELEASE:
More ambition needed from NSW political parties on women’s policy says WEL
On International Women’s Day, Women’s Electoral Lobby has issued its demands in the six policy areas they will use to score the Coalition, Labor and the Greens’ commitment to women’s equality for the 25 March NSW Election.
Since 1972, WEL has held politicians and parties to account for their election commitments to women.
WEL is a non-party political, volunteer and not for profit organisation.
Our 2023 policy demands raise the bar for parties to deliver on women’s housing, domestic violence, health, early childhood education and care, consent education and women’s political representation should they win government.
Jozefa Sobski WEL Australia’s Convenor commented: “In a cost of living crisis which hits women hard our health, housing and early childhood education and care policies can lower living costs and deliver critical support to women. In the health sector the raising of care worker wages, the majority of whom are women, will assist in making ends meet”.
“NSW has the capacity to lead the states and stand side by side with the Federal Government in policies to create a gender equal Australia. So far we have seen limited announcements in specific areas and little to rival the cracking pace of the new Federal Government”.
“The September 2019 decriminalization of abortion in NSW was a significant milestone for women’s rights. Yet many NSW women continue to have restricted access to contraceptive advice and choices and limited or no access to abortion in public health facilities.
Our women’s health policy will require NSW to extend access to contraceptive options and to institute free reproductive health care through Medicare and the PBS.
Our housing policy requires NSW to dramatically increase social housing and lower rents with the new Commonwealth Housing Agreement as a driver.
NSW can exceed the Federal Government’s commitments for cheaper and more widely available childcare, though this needs to be within an emerging national framework to be shaped by inquiries still underway”, said Ms Sobski.
Quotes attributable to Dr Mary O’Sullivan WEL NSW Convener
“We will release our election scorecard towards the end of next week in good time for women to make up their minds before 25 March. In relation to our priority demands, our scorecard will assess which parties have committed to actions which genuinely tackle gender inequality. We will reward commitments which recognize the impacts of climate disasters on women and take account of the voices of Aboriginal women in decision making”.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Dr Mary O’Sullivan
WEL NSW Convenor
0419 444 889
Jozefa Sobski AM
WEL Australia Convenor
0403 895 929
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