Here are opinions and ideas from WEL members . NOTE: these are not necessarily WEL policy. Joining WEL will allow you to participate in these open discussions about feminist matters--See Contact Us to join.
CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOL DISCUSSION
Mary Owen has a long history of working for women's rights (we all know we have responsibilities). Mary established the Working Women's Centre in Melbourne. CLICK here to read her thoughts on whether or not child care places should be only for working mothers.
Barbara Cameron, our web manager, has collected comments from recent TV and radio CLICK here to read them.
New WEL member Sonja Terpstra is lobbying hard to have good quality preschool education available for all children. CLICK here. Sonja has put together a petition to request the Victorian Government to give the responsibility for preschool education to the Victorian Department of Education and training. CLICK here to access the petition and send it. NOTE - This is not a WEL petition but we support any initiatives which will rationalise the present situation for children in this state.
Rosalinda Batson has a Masters in Gender Studies from Melbourne University and two young children. CLICK here to read her thoughts on the major issues with child care. She has some thoughts also on Paid Maternity Leave - CLICK here.
Eva Cox, WEL Australia Convenor, argues that Paid Maternity Leave at up to AWE (average weekly earnings) is NOT achievable in the present context. That was WEL's position last time and apart from the Pay Equity coalition, other women's groups and the ACTU supported the position that minimum wage should be the starting point, with employers/unions then able to argue for top-ups. If we support this view we can protect the existing arrangement in legislation and make sure it is seen as a platform.
ANNE SUMMERS LECTURE
The main points made by Anne Summers to the Democrats on 23 August 2006, as reported in The Age:
* Office of the Status of Women relegated to Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs under Minister Mal Brough.
* Sex Discrimination Commissioner stripped of powers to investigate discrimination - complaints have dropped from 2000 to 300 per annum.
* Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission cannot hold public hearings and are reduced to a research role as long as it is not an advocacy role.
* Numbers of women directors and leaders in education has declined.
* Violence and lack of affordable quality child care result in increase in women's dependency.
* HOPE that women politicians, together with supportive male colleagues, will join together across party lines to push for the defence of women's rights as they did for RU486.