Cuts to Rights & Services for Women

Over the last two years the Howard Government has introduced an astounding number of cuts to rights and services in the areas of human rights, welfare, education, community services, public housing, health, legal assistance and so on.

Rights and services which have come to be accepted and expected as the norm have been either downgraded or abolished. They are rights and services which many women consider to be high priorities in the spectrum of government responsibilities.

The community is reeling under the savagery of the attack. Many of the cuts affect women's rights and services directly. Others affect all groups but will have a major impact on women. There are lessons to be learnt. We cannot sit back and take past achievements for granted. Years of lobbying or working to improve rights and services can be undone in a flash. The retention of women's rights and services is dependent on the whims of the next minister or government any minister, any government.

It is clear from the examples listed below that all Australian women need to be alert to, and act up on, the retention and ongoing improvement of rights and services, not just now but over our lifetimes.

Abortion

Women prohibited by law from self-administering abortion drugs such as RU-486. RU-486 banned from use in Australia.

Affirmative Action

Scrutiny of affirmative action performance wound back. Affirmative Action Act under review.

Aged Residential Care

Policy in disarray after controversial nursing home accommodation bond withdrawn. Nursing home and hostel fees increased. The majority of residents are women.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

ATSIC budget slashed by over $400 million. ATSIC funded services to local communities cut. ABSTUDY cut by $39 million and assistance for away from home study restricted. Wik/native title rights under major challenge. Stolen children report and the impact of policies of forced removal issues glossed over. Aboriginal input to national policy reduced/ignored. Aboriginal reconciliation under threat. No national policy or political will to combat misinformation and increases in racism.

Child Care

Children's Services Program cut by $800 million. Child-care benefits for low income women eroded. Results have been increased fees, withdrawal of children, risk of reduced quality and closure of centres. Non work-related child care restricted.

Community Support

Eleven family resource centres defunded around Australia.

Education

Private school establishment and funding to increase at the cost of public education. University funding cut with the loss of thousands of places. HECS fees increased resulting in a drop in enrolments, particularly mature-age women. Varying rates in HECS may deter women from pursuing non-traditional forms of study. Full cost fees introduced.

Employment

Labour market training and support programs cut by $1.8 billion at a time when:

• unemployment is a major national problem;

• long term unemployment is increasing and 27.5 per cent of all unemployed women are long-term unemployed;

• female headed sole parent families suffer disproportionately high rates of unemployment and poverty and can usually only take part time work because of child care responsibilities;

• many young women and women with children are caught in a cycle of unemployment and low-skill/low-paid jobs. Increased child-care costs are likely to impact on women's employment. Longer waiting periods and harsher assets tests introduced for unemployment benefits. The new youth allowance will leave some 16- and 17-year-old women with no income support at all, and reduce assistance to many 18-20 year olds. Compulsory work for the dole introduced. Some groups to be denied free access to (CES-type) help finding a job in future.

Health

Changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will increase the cost of drugs disadvantaging particularly low-income and chronically ill women. Eligibility for the health care card tightened. National Women's Health Program devolved to the states jeopardising consistency and monitoring of quality. Dental Health Program abolished reducing affordable dental care for low income women.

Human Rights and Equal Opportunities

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission budget reduced by 40%; one third (60) of staff to go. Position of Sex Discrimination Commissioner still vacant after 12 months; attempts to abolish it unsuccessful. Other specialist commissioners to be abolished by combining the Race and Social Justice (ATSI) commissioners and the Human Rights and Disability commissioners. Sex Discrimination Act amended to restrict fertility programs to married women. Human rights staff in the attorney general's department cut from 21 to five. Industrial relations Powers of the Industrial Relations Commission reduced. Tough new industrial laws aimed at curbing the influence of unions introduced. The centralised wage fixing which has been a critical factor in achieving pay equity has been eroded. Australian Workplace Agreements introduced forcing women to bargain from weak positions.

International Funding

Women in Development grants program abolished. Funds to UNICEF cut by 10 per cent. Funds to International Planned Parenthood Federation cut by 16 per cent. Funds to WHO Human Reproduction Program abolished. Funds to UN Fund for Population Activities cut by 50 per cent.

Lesbians

National Coalition of Activist Lesbians defunded.

Legal Aid

Budgets cuts by over 20% and funding limited to matters of federal law affecting women's access to legal aid.

Media

Australian Broadcasting Corporation funding cut by over $55 million. Migrants and Multiculturalism Office of Multicultural Affairs abolished. Immigration portfolio removed from cabinet. Immigration cut during an economic upswing. Migrant liaison officers in the Department of Social Security reduced by 25%. Funds cut to community organisations: Immigrant Women's Speak Out Association of NSW; the Association of Non-English Speaking Background Women of Australia; and migrant resource centres. Two-year waiting period introduced for access to benefits by new migrants. Refugee appeals system tightened. Health care access for survivors of torture and trauma cut. Support for multiculturalism downgraded. No national policy or political will to combat misinformation and increases in racism.

National Advocacy Organisations

Funding cut to: Association of Civilian Widows; Association of Non English Speaking Women of Australia; Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission (family planning division); Australian Community Health; Association Australian Pensions and Superannuants Federation; Coalition of Activist Lesbians; Family Planning Australia; and Shelter (peak housing body).

Public Housing

Public housing cut by over $50 million and will result in fewer new houses, longer waiting lists, more low income women struggling in the private rental market and, very likely, more homelessness. Some categories of rent assistance cut.

Public services

Sixteen thousand public servants retrenched.

Social Security

Over $1 billion of direct cuts and tighter eligibility and assets tests introduced for social security and support. Multiple areas are affected: youth assistance, rent assistance, unemployment benefits, sole parents, casual workers, Child Disability Allowance, ABSTUDY, Family Payment, Maternity Allowance, etc.

Violence Against Women

Only limited funds made available for the new national strategy. Legal aid cuts will affect family court proceedings and compound problems for women in violent relationships. Proposed four-year study on violence against women by the Australian Institute of Criminology had funding withdrawn after one year.

Women's Policy and Funding

Funds to the Office of the Status of Women cut. Women's programs funded by OSW cut. Women's Minister moved out of cabinet. Women's Bureau cut from the Department of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. Register of Women abolished. Women's Statistics Unit in the Australian Bureau of Statistics abolished. Chairman reintroduced as official government policy.

**This list has drawn on a number of sources including Where Women Are At: A (Work in Progess) Balance Sheet, Anne Summers, 1997. Francis Parker - Sydney.