Join Dr Emily Porter as she responds to how we can tackle the gender divide in Australia. In the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, Australia was ranked 25th out of 182 countries back in 2013. Now, we have dropped to 50th place. Whilst we are ranked equal 1st for the education for women, we are ranked 70th in economic participation. In the final part of our In Conversation episodes, we ask Dr Porter: What sorts of gaps do you see in the system, as not being met by those millions invested by the government?
This episode is a collaboration of Just Gold and the Melbourne Women's Fund.
Melbourne Women’s Fund is a Giving Circle that brings together members’ financial, intellectual, professional and personal resources to support non-profit organisations in Melbourne that address issues undermining the quality of life and futures of women and their families. It is a charitable fund account within the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund ABN 63 635 798 473.
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Grace Packer
This is a Just Gold podcast.
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Carley Bishop
Captured on the lands of the peoples of the Asian Golden Nation. We pay our respects to the elders past, present and emerging. This podcast was recorded live during a melbourne Women's Fund In Conversation event on Thursday, the 9th of June 2022. Just Gold proudly supports the Melbourne Women's Fund. This episode is the final part of three from this event in the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index.
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Carley Bishop
Australia was ranked 25th out of 182 countries back in 2013. Now we have dropped to 50th place whilst we are ranked equal first in the education of women, we are ranked 70th in economic participation. Join Dr. Emily Porter as she responds to how we can tackle the gender divide in Australia and the sorts of gaps she sees in current systems that are not being met by government investment.
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Carley Bishop
This In Conversation event is moderated by Julie Riley OAM, CEO of Australians Investing in Women.
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Dr Emily Porter
As a listing policies said here. Housing is a really big one, so in our work and so always spoken to women here said that access costs accommodation for women domestic violence one step one and that's very much the policies that are likely to follow. I don't want to be homeless. Another woman we spoke to had spent around two months living in a tent, waiting for a long term housing with her daughter.
00:01:41:01 - 00:02:20:24
Dr Emily Porter
And this is in winter stable. So it's also women who are in economic insecurity. Often it's faced tough choices. And so we need to make those choices easier for women, and we need to make it easier for them to actually have options that are worth choosing. And that means really understanding the barriers that women face. And so, for example, providing housing, whether it's emergency accommodation or asset or in particular access to long term housing is very important because you can't you can't access things like childcare, work, Social Security, all these things become harder and don't have a place to live.
00:02:21:00 - 00:02:42:04
Dr Emily Porter
So when you start getting the basics like the problem, someone has a program called Saving the Chance to place it. Just don't take in in places and are also forced. So that means that if you want to provide if you want to provide, if you want to help women into work, it's not just about giving them the skills.
00:02:42:12 - 00:03:03:08
Dr Emily Porter
It's about making sure that they have those skills invaluable in the market. Making sure that they can attend those courses because they have access to childcare, and then making sure that the child, they can actually afford childcare in the industry that they're going to. So many women who might work and needs to work and I don't know what they can get from one or the other.
00:03:03:15 - 00:03:28:15
Dr Emily Porter
They may not have grandparents working alone, accessing childcare isn't even an option. So how can we get into long term work? All the things we're thinking always do a lot about transport. So women say, I want to work more, or that's a job across town, but like to get to it or have to move. There's only one box that goes and that's designed to help men commute to left to the army base is close by.
00:03:28:15 - 00:03:57:02
Dr Emily Porter
There's no transport that's actually sitting around women here. So if you need to do a school drop off and picked up to go shopping. So for all the transport systems that work and many women who might meet partners or what might end up just like that don't get the family helps. They may also be sold off. So these really basic services we need to provide to women, but they also need to be targeted to that to particular women.
00:03:57:02 - 00:04:18:11
Dr Emily Porter
So we're not stepping. Stone is a program that provides employment and business support for lots of migrant women. It aims to get people either starting in business or into work. So one woman was like, Well, you've provided me. I've had all these organizations try to help me to work, but my husband doesn't want me to work outside the house.
00:04:18:11 - 00:04:44:15
Dr Emily Porter
It's just not appropriate. So it was about saying, okay, well, let's start off by starting your own sewing business. And then that allowed her to get the confidence to actually see their husbands are getting a job. So it's about recognizing that the what seems like the ultimate solution. Many of these steps when you talk about investing were only investing empowerment because a lot of women coming out of particularly domestic violence will have more confidence.
00:04:44:15 - 00:04:53:13
Dr Emily Porter
And we need to bring that up as it's a perfect match. And it's not a matter of saying, well, there's a job, some skills, don't get one.
00:04:53:20 - 00:05:18:03
Carley Bishop
The Invisible Woman Project, funded by our Social Enterprises Impact Program, promotes awareness and actions for women and gender diverse people to age with dignity, security and safety. Find out more on just gold women dot net or on our socials at Just Gold Women.
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Kyriakos Gold
This was a just gold podcast. Find out more about our social enterprise at Just Gold Dot Net.