BUDGET UPDATE MUST ADDRESS WOMEN’S COVID CRUNCH

The Morrison Government must use tomorrow’s Budget update to reveal a real plan to ensure Australian women don’t continue to go backwards because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Scott Morrison promised an update of the Government’s Women’s Economic Security Statement in June but is yet to deliver.
 
“But we will need to maintain a key focus on our women’s economic security plan … and that will get a refresh.”
 

PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON, 15 JUNE 2020 

Australian women are being left out and left behind by the Morrison Government. Between February and June far more Australian women lost jobs than men.
 
We know at least 200,000 Australian women who work in the accommodation, food services, and retail trade sectors alone missed out on the JobKeeper payment due to its design flaws.
 
The Government did no gender modelling on the impact of its early access of superannuation scheme despite women already retiring with half the balance of men.
 
As a result of COVID-19, mothers are spending an extra hour each day on unpaid housework and four extra hours on childcare. 
 
Day after day we see new evidence of the terrible impact COVID-19 is having on Australian women, but in response this Government fails to act. 
 
It’s time for a real plan from the Morrison Government to deal with this crisis.

This plan must include addressing job losses in industries dominated by females, the gender pay gap, and Australian women’s shrinking super balances. 
 
Australian women cannot be left to snap back to inequality, the Morrison Government must do better.