Hawke Research Institute
The
Centre for Work + Life at the University of
South Australia was contracted to undertake a research project for the
Premier's Council for Women (PCW) on 'Women's employment in South
Australia: towards a new strategy for women's work in South
Australia'.
This led to a research report addressing a range of questions arising from the framing questions: What is the current situation of working women, and women who want employment in South Australia at present? How does this situation affect their well-being, health and economic status? Looking ahead, what steps can government take, and encourage others to take, to improve the situation of women in employment in the state?
The draft research report was presented to focus group discussions in November 2008 and the report finalised in early February 2009. The report (PDF - 763kb) is now available on the Premier's Council for Women (publications) website.
13 July 2009, Media release from the Premier's Council for Women, More
work..more pay...for more women!
' Women continue to be employed in a
limited range of occupations and industries and paid less on average than their
male counterparts, and it is women who remain largely responsible for household
duties and childcare, states a new report released today by the Premier's
Council for Women.'
In 2009 after the Australian Government announced it would introduce the National Paid Parental Leave Scheme from 2011, the Public Service Association (PSA) of South Australia were considering their position in relation to parental leave provisions for government employees, including for Enterprise Bargaining (EB) negotiations then underway. The PSA engaged the Centre for Work + Life to prepare a report, drawing on the national and international literature, addressing the arguments about the duration and timing of parental leave and effects of income support during parental leave. The report is available below and on the PSA website together with details of the EB outcomes which included paid maternity leave provisions moving from 14 weeks to 16 weeks, and for those with more than 5 years service to 18 weeks.
The Case for Improving Paid Parental Leave in the South Australian Public Sector (PDF 498kb) 2009. Report prepared for the Public Service Association SA by the Centre for Work + Life, University of South Australia
