Find out how to #VoteWomen on March 28 - Women's Agenda

Find out how to #VoteWomen on March 28

On March 28, the people of NSW will elect their next premier. When you go to the polls next weekend, will you #VoteWomen?

When it comes to gender equality, NSW has a long way to go and there are seemingly intractable problems still facing women in our state. But with good leadership and sensible policies, we can solve these problems. And we need to elect the people who will do just that.

So which of our politicians are committed to taking decisive steps toward it? And which threaten to take us backwards?

Have a look at three of the core issues affecting women this election below. 

Domestic and family violence

In NSW in 2014, 30 women were murdered by their partner, ex-partner or someone known to them. That is more than one woman every fortnight in NSW alone.

Domestic and family violence costs NSW $4.5 billion per year, yet thus far our politicians seem unwilling to adequately fund its prevention.

Last year, the O’Farrell government introduced its Going Home Staying Home reforms, which radically altered the way frontline crisis services for women in danger are provided. The reforms introduced competitive tendering to a sector that is built on collaboration; it required specialist services that had been caring for victims of domestic violence for decades to reapply and compete for their own funding, and in many cases lost it. In many cases, funding was reallocated to large, generalist homelessness services and specialist women’s refuges either closed their doors or became subsumed by one of these larger organisations.

So what are our candidates for the premiership planning to do about domestic violence?

Premier Mike Baird recently announced he will institute a domestic violence offenders register if reinstalled as premier. This register will list all known perpetrators of any type of violence against women and will make this information available to women seeking to protect themselves from these perpetrators.

The premier also promised to install a Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

Baird has not indicated whether or not he will make changes to funding for frontline services.

Labor leader Luke Foley announced a suite of domestic violence policies last week. Crucially, this included a restoration of funding to women’s refuges and all frontline domestic violence services to the tune of $10 million.

The policies are comprehensive – the package also includes the establishment of specialist courts to deal with domestic violence, better enforcement of Apprehended Violence Orders, moving the women’s portfolio to the Department of Premier and Cabinet and a domestic violence register scheme similar to Baird’s proposal.

Ask your local member and candidates: Will you allocate funds to prevent violence and ensure specialist services to support victims of domestic violence are adequately funded?

Childcare

Currently in NSW, there are 27,000 working parents who require childcare but cannot find a place for their child in a system unable to cope with demand. For those who can find a place, childcare is still prohibitively expensive.

Labor’s Luke Foley has announced he will introduce a policy to place childcare services on the premises of primary schools to avoid the “double drop off” problem for parents, but has thus far not specified any policies for increasing the capacity of the system or for making it more affordable.

Late last year Mike Baird announced he would consider a policy that involves offering tax rebates on poker machines to clubs who include childcare facilities on their premises, but many voiced concern about the effect of this on children due to increased exposure to alcohol and gambling.

Ask your local member and candidates: How will you increase the supply of affordable, high quality early childhood education?

Reproductive rights

Last year, members of the NSW parliament led by Reverend Fred Nile attempted to pass a bill – Zoe’s Law – that would bestow legal personhood to a foetus and potentially threaten women’s reproductive rights. The bill lapsed, but its proponents have signaled it may be reintroduced in the future.

Abortion is still a criminal offence in NSW, both for doctors and women. In light of the Zoe’s Law debate in the NSW Parliament, many advocacy groups began campaigning for abortion to be removed from the Crimes Act and have requested both major parties make an election promise to do this.

Both Baird and Foley have announced they will not be making any changes to the Crimes Act in regards to abortion.

The NSW Greens have a strong stance in favour of decriminalising abortion, however, and its candidates state-wide have promised to push this agenda if elected to parliament.

Ask your local member and candidates: Will you follow the lead of Victoria and Tasmania in decriminalising abortion?

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