Date

Date	Issue	Resolution	Proposed/ Seconded	Action	Current Status
October 2004	Asylum Seekers	RECOGNISING THAT · asylum seekers granted refugee status need to be able to build a new life in Australia and begin the healing process · the long term mental health damage resulting from living a life in limbo and separated from spouses and children should be avoided · refugees contribute to the cultural and economic life of Australia IT WAS RESOLVED THAT the BPW Australia Conference 2004 request the Australian Government to abolish the use of Temporary Protection Visas and move to a policy of issuing Permanent Protection Visas to all our recognised refugees, many of whom are women and children.	Adelaide Hills/PP M Geddes
October 2004	National Commissioner for Children and Young People	IT WAS RESOLVED THAT the BPW Australia Conference 2004 calls for the appointment of a National Commissioner for Children and Young People, supporting the campaign currently being run by a number of national bodies including NAPCAN, CAMS and Mission Australia.	Adelaide East/BPW Qld
October 2004	Paid Maternity Leave	IT WAS RESOLVED THAT the incoming BPW Australia Council lobby the Australian Government to: 1. implement a national government funded Paid Maternity Leave scheme that meets the minimum standards established by the OECD nations is indexed to maintain its value over time ensures that women take adequate time off work for the sake of their health and that of their baby. 2. remove the Australian government’s reservation against paid maternity leave in the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.	BPW NSW/ Cessnock	Letters sent to Federal Members
October 2004	Childcare	IT WAS RESOLVED THAT the incoming BPW Australia Council request the Australian Government to review and improve its policy on the funding of childcare so that it results in appropriate and affordable services being made available to working women and their families. Specifically BPWA should seek: 1 a national review of childcare and preschool funding and services by national, state and territory governments in collaboration that results in recommendations for a high quality early childhood education and care system for Australian families and in the interim, until the review recommendations are implemented: 2 an increase in the number of government funded long day care childcare places to match demand; 3 a reduction in the gap between the costs of childcare and the child care benefit rebate by · a financial increase in childcare benefit · an increase in the assessable income level for child care benefit entitlements, and a reduction in the taper rate (the rate that the rebate reduces against the earned income increase)	Adelaide Hills/ Adelaide	Letters sent to federal Members Taskforce - BPW Sydney
October 2004	Bullying	IT WAS RESOLVED THAT 1. bullying and harassment in any of its forms, whether overt or covert, is unacceptable in any workplace 2. the incoming BPW Australia Executive and Council lobby the Federal Government political parties and clubs to lobby individual Federal politicians to initiate and approve changes to the Commonwealth Workplace Relations Act to ensure the Act includes a) a broad definition of bullying and harassment, and b) specific clauses requiring each award and certified agreement to incorporate · the definition of bullying and harassment as stated in the Act, and · a strong statement of the unacceptability of bullying and harassment in the workplace as preconditions to certification or registration of awards. 3. BPW Australia encourage and support all Divisions to lobby state and territory politicians and political parties to insert provisions similar to those above into their equivalent local legislation. IT WAS NOTED THAT where no Division currently exists, BPW Australia will support the clubs to lobby the State/Territory political parties and politicians.
October 2004	BPWA Structure	IT WAS RESOLVED THAT a) This Conference determines that a Project Taskforce be formed to review the current BPW Australia Council structure, including but not restricted to Divisions, and to make recommendations for a future overall organisational structure. The taskforce is to report to the executive 18 months prior to the 34^th Conference of BPW Australia.	Joondalup/ BPW NSW		Underway
October 2004	BPWA Structure	That BPW Australia seeks support and partnerships to review its organisational model over the next three years to improve economic and membership viability of BPW.	President – J Van Unen

October 2002	Conference	IT WAS AGREED BY MAJORITY THAT · the timing of Federation and Division Conferences be such that none is held in the same year as the BPW International Congress or each other, and that there be therefore a three year rotation in keeping with the BPW International Congress; · the Conferences to be held in 2003 be Division Conferences, followed in 2004 by Federation Conference, and thereafter at three year intervals for each level.			Implemented
October 2002	Woman of the Year	WOMAN OF THE YEAR IT WAS AGREED BY MAJORITY THAT BPW AUSTRALIA implements a national program for the recognition of BPW Woman of the Year on a similar basis to the YBPW program, adapted as necessary.			Implemented
October 2002	CEDAW	CEDAW IT WAS AGREED BY MAJORITY THAT BPW AUSTRALIA COUNCIL · take such action as required to further influence the Australian Government to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.		Letters sent to Federal members
October 2002	Unpaid Work	IT WAS AGREED BY MAJORITY THAT BPW AUSTRALIA COUNCIL · lobby the Australian Government to fully cost and include in the Federal Government's policy and decision-making processes the unpaid work undertaken by the Australian population, which work is already measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
October 2002	Asylum Seekers	IT WAS AGREED BY MAJORITY THAT BPW AUSTRALIA COUNCIL urges the Federal Government of Australia to adopt a policy whereby: · the first interview of women seeking asylum is, wherever possible, conducted by female officers of the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, and that all officers conducting such interviews are briefed to take into account the gender specific issues and cultural sensitivities of the matters to be discussed, such as torture, rape and others forms of assault; · women asylum seekers and their immediate families are not held in detention for more than three months; · that after such three month period women asylum seekers and their families are housed in the community and have access to appropriate training and development and to counselling and professional services, particularly education for children; and the so-called “pacific solution” be discontinued		Letters sent to Federal Members
October 2002	Mid Wives	IT WAS AGREED BY MAJORITY THAT BPW AUSTRALIA COUNCIL · lobby the Federal Government to implement changes to ensure an ongoing supply of well-trained midwives across Australia; and · encourage Divisions to lobby their respective State and Territory Governments to the same end.		Letters sent to Federal Members

October 2000	Women for Awards	All clubs endeavour to nominate at least one women each year from their community, either members or other deserving women who come to the attention of the club, for the various awards and honours that are given during the year and to private and public sector boards at al levels.	Adelaide/ Adelaide Hills
October 2000	Resolution Handling	Part 1 - A copy of all resolutions passed (including final agreed wording) by this and all future Conferences be forwarded to all clubs in the club mail-out within two months following close of Conference. Part 2 – A regular report on actions taken and any results achieved, and the ongoing strategy planned in respect of all resolutions passed by this and all future conferences be included in Federation News. Part 3 - A list of resolutions lost or not passed by this and all future Conferences be forwarded to all clubs in the club mail-out within two months following close of Conference.	Adelaide/ Adelaide Hills
October 2000	Child Support	BPW Australia lobby Federal Members of Parliament and Senators to amend the legislation already passed to alter the formula for child support so as to reduce child support payable by contact parents who have contact with their children between 10% and 30% of the nights of the year.	Adelaide Hills/ SA Division
October 2000	CEDAW	Recognising that the Australian Government has expressed concern about some aspects of the administration and functioning of the United Nations system and Understanding that the Federal Government has resolved to assist the United Nations administration to make suitable changes to that structure: This conference of BPW Australia meeting in Adelaide on 21^st October 2000 expresses grave concern that the Australian Government has chosen to refuse to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women as a protest to underline its views on the United Nations Committee system. It further request the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Minister assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women to ask Cabinet to reconsider its decision, remembering that Australia played a leading role in the negotiations at the United Nations to agree to the wording for the Optional Protocol throughout the four years it was under discussion. It further reminds them that whereas Australia has a reputation for defending human rights in other countries, if the Government does not sign this Document it will not be setting an example to those countries where human rights abuse against women is a very real problem nor will it be able to put pressure on the governments of those countries to change their position. Neither will the women in those countries have an appeal mechanism which is independent of national politics to achieve justice. We therefore request that this matter be brought back to Cabinet at the earliest opportunity and that the Australian Government recommend that the Optional Protocol be signed as soon as possible. This Conference also resolves to send a copy of this resolution to all Members of the Australian Parliament and asks them to take a united stand to lobby their Party to develop an all party decision to ratify the document and all BPW members be encouraged to lobby their Federal Members of Parliament.	Woy Woy/ Tuggerah Lakes

IT WAS RESOLVED THAT the BPW Australia Conference 2004 request the Australian Government to abolish the use of Temporary Protection Visas and move to a policy of issuing Permanent Protection Visas to all our recognised refugees, many of whom are women and children.

Woman of the Year

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Mid Wives

All clubs endeavour to nominate at least one women each year from their community, either members or other deserving women who come to the attention of the club, for the various awards and honours that are given during the year and to private and public sector boards at al levels.