The Greens will today announce an investment in culturally appropriate healthcare for First Nations parents and babies, from pregnancy to early childhood, with a $144 million plan to fund five dedicated Birthing on Country/Birthing in our Community (BiOC) hubs across Australia.  

BiOC models integrate midwifery services and cultural knowledge, allowing First Nations women to give birth on Country, acknowledge connection to Country, and access healthcare that meets their social, emotional, cultural and health needs.

The Greens welcome the comprehensive In One Generation report from the National Women’s Safety Alliance today, and are proud to support its 20 priority actions. The Greens are calling on all other parties to match their commitment to fully fund frontline services, eliminate violence against women and deliver economic security.

The Greens say the Morrison Government has bungled its last chance to show it takes women’s safety and economic security seriously with an underwhelming budget of half-measures and spin.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters:

“With an election looming it’s little wonder that the Morrison Government is desperately trying to improve its standing with Australian women, who have been abandoning the Liberals in droves.

The Greens have called on universities to take a zero tolerance approach to sexual violence and harassment on campuses, after the results of the latest National Student Safety Survey revealed that many university settings remain unsafe and unsupportive of student survivors, especially young women.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters:

“It’s shocking how little has changed since the 2017 survey that formed part of the Human Rights Commission’s Change the Course report.

The Greens have responded with alarm to reports that Labor will dump its policy to add superannuation contributions to parental leave payments, abandoning young families and women at a time of mounting cost of living pressures and rising rates of poverty and homelessness among older women.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters:

This International Women’s Day, the Greens have announced a plan to deliver economic security for Australian women and work to close the persistent gender pay gap that sees too many women struggle to make ends meet, juggle multiple jobs, live in poverty or without a home, or to stay in abusive relationships. 

The Greens support the Safety. Respect. Equity. campaign and call on all other parties to match that commitment to the nine policy asks of that campaign, which would eliminate violence against women and deliver economic security.

Quotes attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters:

“The Greens are proud that our election policy platform already backs the policy asks of the Safety. Respect. Equity. campaign and we call upon all other parties to commit to those policies too, because women deserve it.

As women and allies across the country take to the streets again demanding change, the Greens have released a comprehensive plan to fully fund domestic violence services, invest in consent education and prevention programs, and trial initiatives including a national domestic violence disclosure scheme and a trauma recovery centre for victim-survivors.

[Senator Waters' speech to the Senate on the Parliamentary Workplace Reform (Set the Standard Measures No. 1) Bill 2022]

The Greens support this Bill as a tiny step in the right direction by implementing two recommendations of the Set the Standards report.  There is still so much more to do, but this is a start.

The Greens have called on all parties to pledge an end to Australia’s culture of sexual violence, harassment and predatory behavior by committing to the three asks outlined by Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins in their joint address to the National Press Club today.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters: