• 29 Dec 2019 9:03 PM | Angela Tomazos (Administrator)

    BPW Australia (the Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women) supports the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) “Raise the Rate” national campaign. The campaign urges the Morrison Government to immediately lift the single rate of Newstart, Youth Allowance and other related payments by at least $75 per week, and index Allowances to wages. The current allowance of $40 a day is too low to give people the support they need to get through tough times and into suitable work. Most people receiving Newstart live below the poverty line.

    The Australian Council of Social Service is a national advocate for action to reduce poverty and inequality and the peak body for the community services sector in Australia.  ACOSS launched the national campaign “Raise the rate” as part of Anti-Poverty week earlier this year with over 100 community organisations signed up as supporters since its launch.

    “Newstart’s purpose, to assist people back into work, is being undermined by the limited resources people on Newstart have. If we as a country wish to encourage everybody to undertake meaningful work, we should endeavour to provide a benefit program that supports this”, Jacqueline Graham, BPW Australia President said.

    “More than 100,000 parents’ on Newstart are single women who are being disproportionately impacted by the level of Newstart payments. The difficulty in entering the world of work impacts these women at the moment of their greatest need and continues to impact through their prime working lives, with concomitant effects on the broader economy and continued dependence on assistance. Just as single mother of 3 boys, Juanita, is experiencing with her story on the campaign page” Jacqueline said.

    A report issued in 2018 by Deloitte Access Economics that was commissioned by ACOSS, considers the impact of proposed policy change as a ‘catch up increase’ of $75 a week – an extra $10.71 a day that would be received by around 770,000 Australians. The report finds that increasing these payments will boost wellbeing in regional communities doing it the toughest, lifting the incomes of people most in need, as well as delivering 12,000 new jobs.

    “For over 70 years, BPW Australia has supported, encouraged and educated women and girls by succeeding in our lobbying efforts to influence local and national governments to address women’s issues. BPW Australia advocates for women at work, women who have worked and for women that  want to work. With over 75% of our membership in Regional Australia, the work of ACOSS highlights the necessary economic & well-being boost our society needs,” Jacqueline said.

    To find out more and take action go to  https://raisetherate.org.au/about/  https://raisetherate.org.au/stories/

    https://www.acoss.org.au/media-releases/?media_release=raising-newstart-and-youth-allowance-would-boost-jobs-wages-and-inject-millions-into-local-communities


  • 27 Dec 2019 2:29 PM | Angela Tomazos (Administrator)

    https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-of-the-year-that-was-2019/

    In 2019 we have seen conversation increase for family balance , financial well-being and shared parental leave. These issues for women have been presented, discussed, debated and endorsed at BPW National Conferences since 2004, with resolutions passed in 2007, 2013 and again in 2016. 

    As a non-partisan organisation, we have worked relentlessly to urge governments to continue the inclusion of equal rights for women in legislation.

    Here's to 2020 and hope becoming reality.


  • 18 Dec 2019 3:51 PM | Jean Murray (Administrator)

    Australia has failed to make the top 40 in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Index, dropping 5 places in 2 years. In East Asia and the Pacific, Australia fails to make the top 10, sitting below the Philippines and Laos. The Global Gender Gap Report lists Iceland as the most equal country overall, with Norway 2nd, Finland 4th, then Sweden, Nicaragua and New Zealand.

    Although Australia continues to lead the world in closing the education gender gap, we rank 49th on economic participation, 57th on political empowerment and 104th on health. Compare this with 2006 when Australia ranked 15th overall, 12th on economic participation, 32nd on political empowerment, 57th on health but number one on education.

    The Forum warns internationally, at the current rate of efforts being made, gender parity is a century away and the gender pay gap won’t be closed for 257 years.

  • 15 Dec 2019 3:17 PM | Angela Tomazos (Administrator)

    Valuable insights from McKinsey & Company surveying executives on leadership traits and also examples of their experiences.

    Reflective organisations are able to transform themselves into truly inclusive workplaces — women-only leadership programs help them get there. 

    Women, more often than men, exhibit leadership traits highly applicable to future global challenges.


  • 08 Dec 2019 9:37 AM | Jean Murray (Administrator)

    In her first Forbes column on women, careers and the workplace, Andie Kramer declares there is no empirical evidence that women lack confidence, are poor negotiators, are risk-averse, or are overly burdened by domestic responsibilities. Women don’t need to be fixed - they are fine the way they are. Women and men are not fundamentally different emotionally, intellectually or psychologically, in fact there is more variation among women in temperament, ability and ambition than there is between women and men. 

    In fact, women and men have similar attitudes toward families and careers.  The outmoded claim that women are best suited for caregiving and supportive roles and men for challenging, leadership roles are simply thinly disguised justifications to maintain the current workplace status quo characterised by gender-biased hiring, evaluation and promotion practices and pervasive masculine norms, values and expectations.

  • 01 Dec 2019 3:07 PM | Jean Murray (Administrator)

    A resolution on paid eldercare leave was endorsed by the 2018 BPW Australia National Conference. BPW Australia lobbied both major parties prior to the 2019 election for this to be included in their platforms. A recent article in The Conversation advocates for a scheme similar to paid parental leave to ease the burden on those providing eldercare and help them stay in the workforce. It references a UK government study on how informal caring roles interact with employment and an article in The Australian in November.

    This public interest in paid eldercare leave is welcome.  BPW Australia members, including employers and employees from across the business, professional, government, academic and non-profit sectors, recognise how valuable and necessary a government-funded paid eldercare leave scheme is to maintain carers’ connection with the workforce.  Now we need a policy that parallels paid parental leave but addresses the challenges faced by employees trying to balance eldercare with work.   

  • 24 Nov 2019 5:59 PM | Angela Tomazos (Administrator)

    #HearMeToo - we are the Generation Equality

    BPW Australia (the Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women) is marking this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women by joining the global action to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts and share knowledge and innovations.

    As reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey ; Since the age of 15, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence, 1 in 4 have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner and 1 in 5 have experienced sexual violence

    Australia’s recognition of the urgency to respond to Violence against Women (VAW) has been translated into policy and government commitments through the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children 2010-2022 ( National Plan) and Council of Australian Governments statements .

    The National Plan has the potential to help achieve gender equality and end VAW. The latest data from Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) released last week has seen evidence in changing attitudes in the workplace with a big increase in employer action on family and/or domestic violence. An increase of 13% in a year to 60.2% of employers with family and/or domestic violence policies or strategies in place.

    “Every year in November, our clubs hold events across Australia to raise awareness of VAW and to advocate the work of the many organisations . For example, our BPW club in Melbourne highlighting the work of Tricia Currie, CEO of Women’s Health Loddon Mallee and Claire Waterman, Director of the Office of CEO Family Safety Victoria at an event held on 12th November ” Jacqueline said

    This year, BPW Australia will be sharing concepts daily via social media platforms as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence , kicking off Monday 25th November until the 10th December, United Nations Human Rights Day.

    To find out more , https://plan4womenssafety.dss.gov.au/ https://www.unwomen.org/en https://www.wgea.gov.au


  • 24 Nov 2019 11:58 AM | Jean Murray (Administrator)

    This year marks 50 years since the landmark 1969 equal pay decision that first saw Australian women win the right to be paid the same as men for doing the same work, or work of equal or comparable value.  WGEA has released a useful graphic of their gender equality scorecard.

    In the 5 decades since this momentous decision, Australia's female workforce participation rate has reached record levels. Yet the gender pay gap remains a stubborn feature of our economy.

    However, when employers take action, it makes a difference. More women are being promoted to managerial roles; more employers are offering paid parental leave to their staff; and more organisations are implementing policies or strategies to support gender equality or promote flexible working, with a rise of 13.3% in employers with a policy or strategy on family and domestic violence.

    Unfortunately, the gender pay gap in the heavily female-dominated Health Care and Social Assistance industry has barely shifted, reflecting the historic and ongoing undervaluation of care work. Our CEO roles and boardroom tables still remain dominated by men.

  • 03 Nov 2019 6:55 PM | Angela Tomazos (Administrator)

    Working Together for Equality.pdf

    Proud to again share collaborative work that BPW provided content on with 51 organisations, networks, alliances and individuals across Australia .

    Our input is reflected in critical area - Women and the economy. ( Section 2.6) 

    Thanks to the work of Carole Shaw and Sharen Page , ES4W , that coordinated and gained agreement from all involved to work together to produce a report on the 12 critical areas and emerging and persistent areas . This report will be presented to Australian Civil Society and the Australian Government . A huge effort to produce in time for InterGovernmental Meeting on Beijing+25 due to be held at UN ESCAP 26 to 29 November, 2019 in Bangkok. 

  • 03 Nov 2019 6:46 PM | Angela Tomazos (Administrator)

    https://www.agec.org.au/our-manifesto/

    In April this year , Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC) held it's annual forum in Melbourne. BPW President and Director of Policy joined 20 other organisations to develop a Manifesto for Gender Equality. A living document to guide us with our endeavours

    After months of consultation , we are delighted to share the final document that was launched by AGEC in October. 

    We are extremely proud of the result and the importance of this document as the charter of AGEC’s work and purpose that aligns with BPW members aims.



BPW Australia Newsletter Archive

Past editions of BPW Australia's electronic newsletters can be viewed as a PDF - see below.

Current editions of the quarterly e-magazine Madesin can be accessed here.


2015

2015 March
2015 February
2015 January

2014

2014 December
2014 November
2014 October
2014 September
2014 August
2014 July
2014 June
2014 May
2014 April
2014 March
2014 February
2014 January

2013

2013 December
2013 November
2013 October
2013 September

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