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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-29 Daily Xml
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Gender Equality

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. Can the minister update the house on progress of the government's agenda to address gender inequality and prevent domestic and family violence?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:05): I thank the member for this really important question and for her steadfast advocacy for ending gender inequality and her commitment to the prevention of violence against women and girls. This government took to the election a platform of fairness with a deep focus on the need to work together to achieve gender equality, with recognition that an equal future benefits all.

It is a stark fact that across a woman's lifetime it is likely that, compared with a man, she will earn less, be less likely to advance her career, accumulate less superannuation savings and be more likely to live in poverty in old age. We also know that gender inequality is at the core of domestic, family and sexual violence—violence that impacts one in three women from the age of 15. Doing what we can to advance gender equality is a core focus of our government. We want to empower girls and women to equally participate in our economy and in every aspect of community life.

We have recently marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the 16 Days of Activism is underway. I encourage everyone to take part in the range of awareness raising and educational activities taking place over the coming days, including the lighting up in orange of Parliament House to bring attention to the effects of gender-based violence.

One of our election commitments was to establish a Gender Pay Gap Taskforce, which we have delivered on with our task force underway and ready to consult with subject matter and industry-specific experts and people with intersectional barriers in order to form recommendations on where change can have the most impact, be that through policy, practice, legislative reform or elsewhere, taking into account the needs of those groups who experience additional challenges to participation beyond gender alone.

I am also glad to inform the house that as we committed to, a re-established Women in Sport Taskforce met for the first time just last week to progress action on all that prevents women and girls participating fully in their sporting passions. Since the election, we are also progressing legislative change, preventative actions and policies and options for recovery that help women stay safe.

Swiftly upon coming into government, we restored the $800,000 of funding over four years to the Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service, which was cruelly cut by the former government. This important vital service helps women at the most difficult time in their lives with intervention order applications, variations and revocations, ending tenancies and liaising with police to report breaches of intervention orders.

Our government also reinstated the $1.2 million of funding to Catherine House, which was shamefully also cut by the former government. Catherine House offers a safe place for women experiencing homelessness often as a result of domestic violence. Our government is staunchly committed to making a real difference to the lives of women in South Australia. We will continue to relentlessly speak up and act to help prevent and end domestic violence.

Domestic, family and sexual violence has no place in our community, and we will relentlessly work to ensure that everybody can enjoy a future where gender has no bearing whatsoever on your choices, your pathways, your participation, your safety or any other aspect of life.

The SPEAKER: In view of the fact that the minister's contribution extended beyond the four minutes, I recognise the member for Flinders.

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