8 March 2024
By Sabrina Phillips
North Sydney federal MP Kylea Tink welcomed the Federal Government’s newly announced National Strategy for Gender Equality while calling for it to “go beyond merely being a statement of intent.”
The strategy, titled Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality, addresses gender inequalities in Australia’s tax and transfer system.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency and the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce have highlighted in recent data the continuing inequalities women face in employment, including continued pay inequalities. According to the agency website, ‘The gap between women and men’s average earnings is the result of social and economic factors that combine to reduce women’s earning capacity over their lifetime. The gap currently sits at 21.7% in favour of men.’
Tink said after lobbying by her and others, payments on paid parental leave, the government announced this week that parents will receive 12 percent superannuation – or about $106 a week – on Government-funded paid parental leave from July 2025.
Tink said this is a good sign of the government’s intent to improve gaps in women’s safety and economic security. She continues to urge the government to pursue an integrated and coordinated response to domestic violence across all levels of government and services.
“Women’s rights are human rights, and women’s economic security is undeniably linked with women’s safety in society” said Tink.
Since being elected in May 2022, Tink said she has also successfully lobbied for the extension of the Single Parenting Payment. From September 2023, single parent support payments will continue until the child reaches the age of 14 instead of the current cut off age of eight years. About 57,000 Australians will benefit from the increased financial support, Tink said.
Tink said she will now be working to push for Paid Parental Leave to go beyond six months, whilst simultaneously advocating for domestic violence to be treated with urgency.
The MP wants federal funding for the state-run Staying Home Leaving Violence program to expand across NSW. The aim of the SHLV program is to support women and children to stay safely in their home and to reduce the risk of homelessness.
Tink thinks the appointment of more women to Australian Government boards and advisory bodies will help.