PRESS RELEASE: GENDER LENS ON THE OCTOBER 2022 BUDGET In pursuit of economic equality, first steps by National Foundation for Australian Women
The first budget of the Albanese Government has signaled welcome changes in direction, particularly in moving toward an evidence-based Women’s Budget Statement and investment in projects that will work to mitigate the impacts of climate change in this sector over the coming years in Australia.
In launching the release of the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) Gender Lens on the October 22 Budget Professor Helen Hodgson Chair, Social Policy Committee NFAW says, “the Albanese Government has taken important first steps towards an evidence-based approach to dealing with the challenges of women’s economic equality and safety.
“ We were pleased to see the way that gender impact analysis was used in a number of pilot studies to examine how the structural underpinnings of the system should be changed to deliver the critical outcomes needed to support Australian women’s economic wellbeing and safety”, said Prof Hodgson.
While these first steps are encouraging, the NFAW points out there is a long way to go, to ensure that gender impact analysis crosses over all budget measures and it is important that the government build capacity within the public sector to be able to provide the data needed to do this analysis effectively.
Says Prof Hodgson, “It will take time for these initiatives to show changes in women’s economic wellbeing and safety, and this is recognised with costs, for example in childcare, climate change and paid parental leave, being acknowledged as an investment in the future of Australian women, and their important contribution to economic growth and social reform”.
The NFAW Gender Lens review of the October 2022 budget focuses on the portfolio areas where the Government has made commitments during the election. It provides a streamlined version of the Gender Lens without the usual intersectional analysis of the impact on young women, older women, CALD women and indigenous women. NFAW will return to the full analysis in the May Budget.
The NFAW Gender Lens review of the 2022 Budget can be found by following this link:
Gender Lens on the October 2022-23 Budget | NFAW
The areas of budget review include:
1. Wellbeing Budget Framework
2. Gender-focused machinery of government
3. Fiscal outlook
4. Taxation and Superannuation
5. Industry
6. Climate Change and Energy
7. Welfare Reform
8. The Care Economy Aged Care
9. The Care Economy, Early Childhood Education and Care
10. Vocational Education and Training
11. Housing
Says Prof Hodgson, “In our review of the Wellbeing Budget Statement we have focused on how this intersects with Gender Responsive Budgeting, with particular reference to the portfolios that we have examined in this pared-back Gender Lens.
“We welcome the increased investment in childcare and the proposed changes to Paid Parental Leave, although important details are yet to be resolved by the new Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce.
“There are some notable omissions in the Budget. We recognise the need to limit spending stimulus, but those least able to afford it are the most exposed to the rising cost of living under this budget”, says Prof Hodgson.
The NFAW Gender Lens on the Budget project commenced in 2014 after the Abbott Government abolished the Women’s Budget Paper, although the gender impact analysis underlying the principle of gender responsive budgeting had not been evident for many years before that. This Government has signalled that it understands that policies affect men and women differently. The NFAW Gender Lens reports show how academic rigour, commentary, and high-level policy discussion are necessary to ensure that women are supported and not excluded in the building of equality in our society.
For Further information:
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Professor Helen Hodgson Chair, Social Policy Committee
National Foundation for Australian Women
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Liz Courtney, Marketing, Communications
National Foundation for Australian Women
