Page 732 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 March 2016
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While ACT women do well compared to the national average, unfortunately not all ACT women are economically and financially secure. We have too many marginalised women, including those who have experienced domestic violence, those living with a disability, those that have no English language skills and vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
In a community that is arguably overall the most affluent jurisdiction in the country, we must not be complacent and we must pay particular attention to those who are not enjoying this overall privilege. We know that the majority of Canberrans that experience financial hardship are women. The 2011 census showed that 15.2 per cent of all ACT families with children under 15 years were sole-parent families, and 84.9 per cent of these families are headed by single mothers.
Women are more likely than men, at all ages, to receive income support, due to the lower incomes and poorer job security that comes with balancing casual employment and full-time caring or household duties. We also know that caring responsibilities still largely fall on women—the children after a break-up, the ageing parents or the relatives, the child with a disability—and women are often left with the financial burden of this without having the time or resources to work or upgrade their skills sufficiently.
The ACT women’s return to work grants program, now in its eighth year, is one of several gender-specific initiatives which continue to assist women on their path back to the workforce and to financial independence. The grant of $1,000 offered in this program can be accessed by any Canberra women on a low income who has had caring responsibilities which have impacted on her ability to gain or maintain employment. This grant often goes a long way in helping successful applicants to undertake formal study or training.
Sadly, violence against women remains a great challenge in our community. It is one of the most widespread forms of human rights abuse in our society. Public discussions continue, both at individual and collective levels, to address violence against women. We need to work collaboratively to address the causes of violence and abuse against women, because the consequences have far-reaching and often long-term effects for our children, our families, our community and, sadly, our future generations. This requires us to work collaboratively, because domestic violence is not just a women’s issue; it is also a men’s issue—and, indeed, an issue for all of us in our community.
I can assure the community that support for domestic violence services will remain a priority for this government. We continue to support initiatives that address community attitudes and support women and children dealing with domestic violence. This includes the 2015 ACT women’s safety grants, with funding of $310,000 already for early intervention initiatives; projects which engage the private sector in addressing domestic violence; and projects that address the diverse needs of women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Twelve projects were funded through the 2015 women’s safety grants program. I look forward to seeing how these projects progress and how they will support the diverse needs of women and children who have experienced domestic violence in the ACT.
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