Dear friends,
On Wednesday I stood proudly alongside representatives of parents, workers and business in Sydney. Along with our Patron Wendy McCarthy, we convened a historic coalition of leaders with Michele O’Neil from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Jennifer Westacott AO from the Business Council of Australia, Natalie Walker from Goodstart Early Learning and Sam Mostyn AO from Chief Executive Women.
We came together united around an important goal: Making Australia a nation in which all women can live and work freely and safely and reach their full potential. We all believe that building that nation is not beyond us, and that this is the moment for Australian leaders, in politics, business and the community, to work together to make it happen.
The issues of gender equality, women’s safety and economic security have been neglected for too long. These issues matter across party and organisational lines. A country that is unsafe for women is unsafe for all. A country in which women are equal is a country in which we can all prosper.
We believe we can become that nation and we presented a joint policy statement to the Government with five clear demands ahead of the next Federal Budget in May that we all agree will significantly improve the safety and security of all women in Australia.
The 2021/2022 Federal Budget needs to deliver for women by:
1. Reinstating the Women’s Budget Statement
2. Investing in and reforming early childhood education
3. Expanding the Government’s Paid Parental Leave Scheme to 26 weeks, flexibly shared by both parents
4. Providing new and adequate funding for domestic, family and sexual violence services
5. Adequately funding aged care 
Gender equality, women’s safety and economic security is finally taking centre stage as a significant social and economic priority. Not a side issue. Not a peripheral concern. A fundamental and urgent priority that needs to be tackled.
Join our campaign and call on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to do better – for women, children and parents - because supporting parents will create a more gender equal society. And a gender equal society is a society in which all can thrive.
We need 100 more sign ups to reach our goal of 1000 signatures by May so please sign up if you haven't done it yet. I'm going to hand over the signatures to our political leaders in Parliament House before the Federal Budget in May to help ensure women, parents and children aren’t ignored any longer!
Many thanks – TOGETHER we can do this!
Georgie Dent
