Gender Equity Victoria – the state’s peak body for Gender Equity, women’s health and the prevention of violence against women – has today released a budget submission to get Victoria’s gender equity investment Back on Track.
As the first budget submission of Gender Equity Victoria, Back on Track: Victorian Gender Equity Investment calls for a significant increased investment to gender equity in Victoria, recognising that gender equity expenditure has suffered over the past decade from the absence of focused analysis and advocacy.
“With the exception of recent investments in family violence prevention, programs and services that empower women, seeking to address women’s economic insecurity, other forms of gendered violence and the unequal health consequences of inequality have been exceptionally modest,” said Tanja Kovac, CEO of Gender Equity Victoria.
“With an important parliamentary inquiry into Gender Responsive Budgeting, there is an opportunity to begin to correct historic underinvestment in gender equity in 20/21 by increasing gender equity investment to include: $21.6M to Strengthen Gender Equity in the Community and Boost Women’s Health Services.”
The submission outlines key principles for why it’s important to get gender equity investment Back on Track:
- To deliver economic returns and other benefits to the Victorian State Budget
- To increase Victoria’s gross domestic product
- To meet international best practice in promoting gender equality and violence prevention
- To invest in women across the life course approach and addressing intersectional inequity
- To include both base operational and special projects funding for gender equity
- To align to the Victorian Gender Equality Strategy
- To promote transparency and accountability through gender responsive budgeting
- To monitor investment annually against outcomes in an independent Victorian Gender Equity Report.
Back on Track: Victorian Gender Equity Investment is available here.