On today’s International Women’s Day, the ANMF is celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political contributions women have made to successful and peaceful communities around the world, while also calling for the urgent implementation of the safeguards and reforms needed to remove barriers that continue to prevent women’s full participation in society.
The ANMF is calling on governments to:
- Ensure equal rights for working women
- Eradicate the gender pay and superannuation gap
- Act on all 55 recommendations of the RESPECT@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020)
- Provide free, accessible childcare
- Expand paid parental leave
- Embed respectful relationships in workplaces across Australia
The ANMF is also calling for governments to recognise the true value of historically ‘feminised’ care sector work.
It says that despite the enormous contribution of the largely female nursing, midwifery and aged care workforces to the health and wellbeing of all Australians, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of nurses, midwives and aged care workers continues to be undervalued and unseen, and their voices unheard.
“The extensive skills and knowledge required for this work remain largely invisible to governments and policymakers and continue to be taken for granted due to our society’s gender bias about care sector work being ‘women’s work’,” ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said.
“We need to recognise the true value of this work and reward the skills it requires and the contribution it makes to the success of our societies.”
As the federal election looms, the ANMF is calling on the Morrison Government to introduce meaningful policies that ensure women are safe and respected at work, have the same opportunities as men throughout their careers and into retirement, and have their work valued as equally important to communities as the work of male dominated sectors.
“The campaign theme for IWD this year is #BreaktheBias – which is exactly what the Morrison Government must do to ensure women’s full participation. The ANMF wishes all of our members and women right across the community, a happy International Women’s Day,” Ms Butler said.
