Submission to Department of Treasury & Finance Inquiry into economic equity for Victorian women

Good Shepherd welcomes the Inquiry into economic equity for Victorian women. Economic inequality starts early in women’s lives and continues well into older age, spanning gender segregation in education and training, the drop-off in workforce participation when children are born, lower pay, years of unpaid labour in the home, the long-term financial impacts of family violence, and inadequate retirement incomes that leave single, older women facing poverty. Unless further action is taken now, these inequalities will increase due to the impact of COVID-19 on women’s workforce participation, superannuation, and caring responsibilities.

The Victorian Government can transform women’s economic equity by:

• Creating Australia’s most progressive working environment for women: including funding social and community services to support job security and pay equity for women, and positioning women to take advantage of job opportunities in the net zero economy
• Championing women-led small businesses: create a COVID-19 small business recovery program for Victorian women
• Expanding the reach of financial capability programs: connect women with these services at major life stages and at the time of life events
• Prioritising housing for women’s economic equity: including focusing on single mothers and older women at risk of homelessness in the Big Housing Build
• Addressing the relationship between family violence and economic equity: including delivering and connecting more services to deal with the financial impacts of family violence