Why is it that buying cow’s milk to feed babies contributes to gross domestic product (GDP) and economic growth, but breastfeeding babies has no measurable economic value? Milking a cow is viewed as 'productive' work, economically quantified in government statistics, and recognised as essential. Breastfeeding is not.

Unpaid work dominates the global economy but takes a back seat in economic discussions and policy-making. Everyday tasks, such as caregiving and household chores, must be recognised for what they are – invaluable unpaid labour that enables paid work to be done.

The McKell Institute developed a paper for HESTA, the industry superannuation fund for people working primarily in health and community services. It includes survey responses from HESTA members that shows how the unpaid care they do outside work hours impacts their overall paid employment and mental health.

The paper also discusses why unpaid work needs to be quantified the need for unpaid work to be properly recognised and considers the need for effective time use surveys to gather this information.

The ACCC has released its interim report for the inquiry into childcare fees and services, and are inviting submissions in response to the findings and recommendations through its website - deadline 29 October.

The ACCC is recommending price caps be considered beyond the current hourly rate backed by a "credible threat" of government intervention.

The report found childcare operators target the most profitable areas within the wealthiest suburbs in Australia’s biggest cities, meaning privileged areas are most likely to have places and competition.  The draft recommendations include that the government consider intervening to ensure supply in remote areas, as well as additional and targeted support for First Nations communities.

So great is the need for reform that the ACCC recommends government go back to first principles and consider what it wants to achieve with a childcare spend that's demanding ever more of the budget.

Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly said it was important to expand access to all families. This report will inform the in-depth Productivity Commission review, helping us chart the course to universal access to early childhood education and care.

A consortium led by Women for Election alongside gender-specialist organisations, has been awarded a $5 million federal grant over 5 years, to help increase the representation and diversity of women in public office.

Founded in 2014 WFEA aims are to inspire women to consider a career in Australian politics, to equip women with the tools and techniques to successfully get elected and to sustain women to achieve their highest potential in elective office.

Women for Election is non-partisan, with more than 2500 women across the political spectrum registering for events since 2019. A number of those women who’ve participated have gone on to launch campaigns or support the campaigns of other women, with some also being elected now at all levels of government.

Plan International Australia has released their ‘Gender Compass’  – a study revealing what ordinary Australians really think about gender equality conducted in mid-2023. Gender Compass segments the Australian public into 6 groups according to their beliefs, policy preferences and behaviours in relation to gender equality.

The findings reveal that 77% of us agree that we benefit from an equal and fair society, but the community isn’t unified on the magnitude of change required to get there. In fact, 59% of people believe that we have already achieved – or are close to achieving – gender equality.

Plan International Australia CEO, Susanne Legena, said the study was “a pulse-check” and also a “wake-up call”. Plan believes is critical to shift social norms to build a more gender-equal society. Gender Compass is a tool through which targeted communications can be designed to effectively shift the dial.

Download the full report , a summary of the six segments or a 1 page report summary

Women on Boards provides advice to women seeking Board roles: preparation is key.

• 1.    Check the ad and the key skills being sought.
• 2.       Practice your pitch - being able to confidently pitch your experience and what you bring to the board is crucial.
• 3.    When talking about your experience, make sure you can provide relevant examples.
• 4.    Remember you are being interviewed for a board position, not a job, so don’t get operational.
• 5.    Do your research about the organisation before the interview.
• 6.    When asked a question, relate answers to the organisation, not yourself, and showcase how you can add value.
• 7.    Sending a follow up thank you to the panel can leave a lasting impression and make you stand out. 

So remember it’s a board interview, not a job interview, and that you need to do your homework and be prepared.

Women are not closing the super gap with men, despite rises in the superannuation guarantee and some private employers increasing paid parental leave.  While there has been some improvement in the super gender gap in recent years, women still retire with about 23% less than men.

There are a number of factors driving the change, according to Women in Super CEO Jo Kowalczyk. One important factor is that men continue to dominate high-income jobs, the ones that allow enough free cash to make significant voluntary super contributions along with higher super guarantee payments.

KPMG, in their Towards Gender Equity in Retirement Report, claims people who leave the workforce to look after aged, infirm or ill dependents – predominantly women – could have their superannuation balances boosted by over $120,000. And that it could be done at a neutral cost to the budget by including superannuation guarantee contributions in paid parental leave and the carer payment.

Equal Pay Day is 25 August, marking the 8 weeks it has taken the average woman to earn as much as the average man in 2022/23.  We don’t celebrate Equal Pay Day, we mark it.  We’ll celebrate when Equal Pay Day is 30 June!

The ABS has released the latest data on average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults.  The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has interpreted this data and explained how the gender pay gap is calculated.  The national gender pay gap is 13%, the lowest ever pay gap.

WGEA has provided pay gap data by state and territory which clubs can use for your EPD events.  The gender pay gap went up in NSW and NT and down in the other jurisdictions. They also report the pay gap by industry, with highest gap in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and the lowest in Public Administration and Safety. 

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency notes that the private sector has a significantly higher gender pay gap than the public sector. As of November 2022:  the private sector gender pay gap is 15.7% while the public sector gender pay gap is 10.6%.

Australia’s new international development policy – the first in almost a decade – will drive the Government's aid investments in tackling regional challenges like gender equality, poverty, economic growth, healthcare, infrastructure investment, and climate change. The Government's commitment to gender equality and climate action will be at the heart of the development program. New targets will ensure Australian development assistance tackles climate impacts and improves the lives of women and girls. Under the new rules, all new international development projects worth more than $3 million will have to include a gender equality objective.

“Placing gender equality at the centre of development creates opportunities for people to thrive, making our countries stronger, more secure and more inclusive,” the statement on the policy changes noted.

Chief Executive Women has released a report demonstrating that diverse leadership is good for business.

Dr Marlene Kanga AO, a Project Steering Committee Member, believes culturally diverse women leaders are a force to be reckoned with. “With Australia facing a challenging economic climate and critical workforce shortages, businesses need to tap into a full talent pool and culturally diverse women are one of the greatest untapped resources in Australian business.”

Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, President of CEW, opines racially diverse women leaders face a double-glazed ceiling, experiencing barriers because of their gender AND race. “It’s time for leaders to talk about race in Australian workplaces and take action.” CEW calls for leaders across big business to take action to support culturally diverse women in the workforce, highlighting the need to address gender and race to support more women in leadership. CEW is committed to gathering data across its membership and setting meaningful targets to drive greater diversity within the organisations.

With almost half of Australians now having a parent born overseas and 5.5 million Australians speaking a language other than English, according to the 2021 Census, there’s a large pool of untapped leadership talent in culturally and racially diverse women.

In celebration of NAIDOC Week 2023, Women's Agenda released a publication that shines a light on the extraordinary achievements of First Nations women in Australia. This collection of stories celebrates the resilience, courage, and unwavering spirit of Indigenous women who have shaped our nation's history and continue to shape its future.