CELEBRATING WINS FOR WOMEN IN EDUCATION

On International Women's Day, the Australia Education Union acknowledges the dedication of all the women who work in public education and reaffirms the union’s commitment to fight for equality for women.

More than 78% of employees in the education sector are women – women who are crucial to the school, vocational education and early childhood education sectors.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said issues around gendered violence and women’s health are dominating political discourse and will likely be a significant voter issue at the imminent federal election.

“The AEU will continue to advocate for policies that promote gender equality, defend women’s rights, and protect our ability to teach freely and honestly,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Surveys of AEU members across Australia have repeatedly highlighted the levels of gendered violence and harassment experienced by teachers in the workplace.”

“We know this is contributing to women leaving the education workforce and also creating a barrier for women to enter the workforce.”

“The Albanese Government's commitment to fully fund public schools will support teachers, the vast majority of whom are women, by helping to tackle excessive school staff workloads, employing more teachers and education support staff, reducing class sizes and making it easier to attract and retain school staff and better address teacher shortages.”

On International Women's Day, we're reflecting on recent wins for women workers in Australia including:

• paid parental leave increased to six months and superannuation on government paid parental leave
• paid family & domestic violence leave
• stronger workplace protections against discrimination – including on the basis of breastfeeding
• cheaper childcare
• new workplace protections against sexual harassment and assault at work

The Albanese Government's free TAFE initiative is also helping even more women are accessing TAFE, with 60% of enrolments in fee-free TAFE courses are women.

“These changes have been delivered under the Albanese Government, showing a commitment to advancing equality for women. We can't risk a Dutton Government taking us backwards,” Ms Haythorpe said.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kylie Jensen – 0402 298 728