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:

The Greens have welcomed the parliament’s acknowledgement of the abuse and harassment experienced by staff in parliamentary workplaces, but have warned that words alone will not satisfy Australian women.

The Greens continue to urge the government to implement all 28 recommendations of the Set the Standard report, in addition to the remaining [email protected] recommendations, particularly fully funding working women’s centres and the centrepiece reform of legislating a positive duty on employers.

As Queensland kids return to classrooms tomorrow, the Greens have pledged to keep them safe and healthy by fully funding comprehensive consent education and providing free period products from sustainable suppliers.

While most parents will rightly be focused on ensuring their children are protected from Covid-19, the Greens recognise that many schoolkids face other significant challenges, including sexual harassment and assault, and period poverty.

The Greens will:

The Greens have announced a policy to support women-led businesses, generating more employment opportunities for women and boosting economic growth.

Businesses with female founders and executive leadership employ, on average, six times as many women as other businesses, and typically have strong parental leave and flexible working arrangements. But women-led businesses, particularly in regional areas, often find it difficult to secure finance, despite the calibre of staff or the quality of their product or service.

The Greens say the absence of meaningful commitments to addressing gender inequality and economic insecurity in the government’s draft Draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children was alarming, while the short consultation period and failure to publish the consultation report proved they had no commitment to genuine community engagement.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

The Greens have warned the government that Australian women expected them to swiftly and fully implement the recommendations of the Jenkins review, after the much-anticipated report into parliamentary workplace culture was tabled today.

The review, triggered after Brittany Higgins came forward with allegations that she had been raped in a minister’s office, makes 28 recommendations, including: