Happy 25th Birthday: EMILY’s List Australia

The best thing about celebrating significant dates is the fun you have looking back at the memories and achievements created. Continue reading

FEDERAL BUDGET 2021: ARTS AND CULTURE - IMPACT ON WOMEN

There is bipartisan agreement that the closure of the $111 billion (6.4% of GDP) arts and culture sector during COVID, with its extensive cancellation of events and performances, had an unprecedented impact. The closures effected the livelihoods of not only the artists but the workers in hospitality, production and venue management that support the arts and culture industry. Upward of 190,000 jobs, most of them casual positions held by women,are estimated to be impacted because of the shutdown*. Continue reading

Who is defining merit?

Recent reports that some in the Liberal party are finally considering the introduction of quotas has generated some discussion within EMILY’s List. Helen Creed was involved in negotiating the introduction of Affirmative Action (AA) Rules within both the ACTU and the ALP. She shares some reflections on the implementation. Continue reading

Quotas – how affirmative action changed the Labor Party for the better

Parliaments are traditionally male bastions of power, but you would think that in all the years since women’s suffrage in Australia there would be greater change. The right for women to be elected to office was first achieved 137 years ago, but the current representation of women in the Federal Parliament is only 38%. Continue reading

Mentoring with EMILY's List - a real experience

You don’t know what you don’t know and when it comes to getting active in politics, that unknown could be the difference in the success of your campaign. For almost 25 years, EMILY’s List endorsed candidates have been offered the opportunity to be matched with an experienced EMILY'S List mentor for advice and support during election campaign. In the 2018 South Australian election, Angela Vaughn stood for the seat of Colton and was mentored by former Victorian MP, Janice Munt. Angela shares her mentoring experience. Continue reading

Universal Kinder: Having a seat at the table has impact

At EMILY’s List we often talk about the impact of having women at the decision-making tables is a broader, more representative legislative program. In January 2020 the Victoria Government announced it was investing almost $5 billion over ten years, so that children across the state will have access to two years of funded kindergarten programs. Continue reading

Women of Steel

Denied jobs by the city’s main employer, working class and migrant AWU women refused discrimination.  The documentary, which received donations The Australian Workers’ Union, hundreds of other supporters and many other unions, follows their 14-year campaign as they went from the unemployment line to the factory gate and the High Court, as they challenged BHP, Australia’s richest company. Women of Steel, directed by now retired AWU member Robynne Murphy, captures the stories of an inspiring victory that defied all predictions. Continue reading

Quarantined roles - we’re not what’s expected

This year, 2020, was supposed to go a certain way. I was bringing a new life into the world for the second time and my partner decided he’d like to have the experience that most fathers miss out on and become primary carer for our baby. We didn’t really think about the reactions people would have to the flip in traditional gender roles. Continue reading

Be part of the change

Good policy for women comes when women's voices are heard. Continue reading

Women and Superannuation

The next instalment of EMILY's Journal, our new platform for long-form pieces by EMILY's List members is Sonja Terpstra MP's thoughts on women and superannuation written for IWD2020:   Continue reading