Political Party Promises
What are the different political party promises when it comes to gender policies in Australia?
You have come to the right place – we have compiled them below. If the political parties address them, some issues you might want to look for are:
Remember, we are bipartisan here,
which means we are not telling you which party is better or who you should vote for. We are providing accessible resources to help educate yourself and others on political party promises on gender policies and discover what they mean for you.
As we mentioned before …
- There is more than one way to achieve gender equality. Different people will place varying levels of importance on different focus areas.
- We will share with you the policies and the promised funding to achieve them from every political party all in one place.
- From there, read and educate yourself and go vote however achieves the gender outcomes most important to you.
We’ll continuously update this page as more political party gender promises are available to us.
Economic Participation & Opportunity
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Invest $5.4 billion making childcare cheaper from July 2023 | Provide $9 billion in child care subsidy | Boost parental leave. |
| Lift maximum child care subsidy rate to 90 per cent for families for the first child in care. | Provide those earning the least with the 85 per cent of child care subsidy. | Invest $19 billion to provide free and universal childhood education and care. |
| Increase child care subsidy rates for families earning less than $530,000 in household income with one child in care. | $19.4 million over five years provided through the Community Child Care Fund to provide 20 new services in to regional and remote areas where there is limited or no access to childcare. | |
| Extend increased subsidy to outside school hours care. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Invest $246.1 million over five years to introduce Enhance Paid Parental Leave by 1 March 2023. This includes: | Invest $24.5 billion over ten years to make parental leave fairer and encourage shared care. |
| Broadening income test to include income threshold of $350,000 per year. | 26 weeks leave for parents to share. | |
| 20 weeks is flexible, allowing for family choice. | Six weeks for each parent to "use it or lose it". | |
| No distinction between primary and secondary carer. | 14 weeks to share between them. | |
| Single parents receive full 20 weeks. | Leave paid at the carer's wage (up to $100,000per annum, pro rata). | |
| Extend the work test rules so more women are eligible for Government funded Parental Leave Pay. | Superannuation paid on all parental leave. | |
| Remove barriers for parents where a woman is the higher income earner to share care. | ||
| Increase women's workforce participation through free childcare and flexible work arrangements. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Legislate the right to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave as a national employment standard. | Extended the work test rules so more women are eligible for Government-funded Parental Leave Pay. | Legislating 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. |
| Fully implement all 55 recommendations of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner's Respect@Work Report. | Invest $18.5 million additional funding over 4 years for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to further drive progress towards gender equality in Australian workplaces. | Closing the gender pay gap by increasing wages, valuing care work, improving pay transparency, and penalising employers who don't act to reduce the pay gap. |
| Commit $24 million to fund Working Women's Centres in every Australian state and territory. | Minimum entitlement of 5 days unpaid family and domestic violence leave per year for 6 million employees covered by the Fair Work Act. | Implementing all recommendations in the Respect@Work and Set the Standard reports, including a positive duty on employers to make their workplace safe. |
| Legislate to strengthen laws that prevent sexual harassment. | Implementing public sector workforce strategies to boost employment of women, First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people, and people with a disability. | |
| Invest $1.27 million to establish a one-stop-shop within the Australian Human Rights Commission, to assist victims of workplace sexual harassment. | Supporting women-led businesses through low-interest loans and procurement targets. | |
| Make job security an object of the Fair Work Act. | 10 days paid domestic violence leave. | |
| Legislate a definition of casual employment. | Increasing reporting on gender pay gaps, and making employers take action to close the gap in their workplace. | |
| Introduce "Same Job Same Pay" laws. | Increasing minimum wages and supporting stronger equal remuneration provisions in the Fair Work Act. | |
| Give the Fair Work Commission powers to set minimum standards for gig workers. | Giving the AHRC powers to investigate systemic discrimination and harassment. | |
| Allowing class actions for sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | $9.4 million over 5 years for 2 initiatives: Future Women's Jobs Academy and Supporting Gender Balanced Boards. | Awaiting a policy update. |
Safety, Security & Justice
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| $1.3 billion in overall financial package committed in FY22 Budget | $1.3 billion in overall financial package committed in FY22 Budget | Don't have a Budget Response but have committed 12 billion over 12 years |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Invest $39 million over 4 years for women in trades. | Help more women-led businesses to seek support under the current Entrepreneurs Program by changing eligibility criteria. |
| Invest $4.7 million over 5 years for women in manufacturing | A $10 million micro-financing facility to provide low and no interest loans up to $10,000 to women-led businesses who struggle to access traditional finance. | |
| Invest $9 million over 3 years for future female entrepreneurs. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Fund 500 new community sector workers to support women in crisis. | Next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children will commence in mid-2022. | $12 billion to support the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children and a standalone National Plan for First Nations Women's Safety. |
| Invest $100 million in crisis accommodation and build 4,000 homes for women and children fleeing violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness. | $150 million committed very early in the pandemic for the COVID-19 Domestic Violence Response Package. | $477 million to support the national rollout of Our Watch's Respectful Relationships education in all public schools. |
| Progressing a national definition of domestic violence that includes coercive control. | Minimum entitlement of 5 days unpaid family and domestic violence leave per year for 6 million employees covered by the Fair Work Act. | $10,000 Survivor Grants for women escaping abuse. |
| Invest $76 million in consent and respectful relationships education in schools. | $22 million committed to Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commission (currently underway). | Trial a national disclosure scheme for women worried about a partner's history of violence. |
| Introduce a Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commissioner. | Invest $43 million in consent and respectful relationships education in schools. | Fund the Illawarra Women's Trauma Recovery Centre to support victim-survivors to rebuild their lives. |
| Invest $77 million to provide various consent trainings and review respectful relationships. | Providing $100 million for trauma-informed counselling services. | |
| Extend the $5000 escaping family violence payment for three years. | ||
| $2.1 billion Women's Budget Statement includes $1.3 billion to drive change for women's safety |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Working with states and territories to strengthen and harmonise laws relating to sexual assault and consent. | $100 million in funding to support victims of family violence of sexual assault navigate the legal system through various initiatives. | Doubling funding for women's legal services and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services. |
| $79 million investment in justice reinvestment to support First Nations communities to reduce incarceration rates, including early intervention to reduce family violence. | Improve the family law system by implementing recommendations like providing wrap-around support. |
Health, Education & Housing
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Invest $39 million over 4 years for women in trades. | Help more women-led businesses to seek support under the current Entrepreneurs Program by changing eligibility criteria. |
| Invest $4.7 million over 5 years for women in manufacturing | A $10 million micro-financing facility to provide low and no interest loans up to $10,000 to women-led businesses who struggle to access traditional finance. | |
| Invest $9 million over 3 years for future female entrepreneurs. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Create the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in its first five years, and create thousands of jobs. | $54.6 million over five years to support up to 30,000 victim-survivors to stay safe in their own homes through security assessments and upgrades including cameras, bug sweeps and safe phones. | Awaiting a policy update. |
| $1.6 billion will be spent to build 4,000 new social housing properties specifically allocated for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence. ?? | Doubling the number of places available under the family home guarantee for single parents to 5000 places per year. | |
| $100 million will be allocated for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence, and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness. | $100 million over five years to continue the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation program. This will fund around 720 new safe places for women and children, bringing the total number of safe places to around 1,500 when completed. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Legislating so companies with more than 250 employees will have to report their gender pay gap publicly. | From 1 July 2022, additional support will be provided for families with more than one child in child care, the level of Child Care Subsidy will be increased by 30% to a maximum of 90%. | Introduce a liveable income guarantee. |
| Taking action to address the gender pay gap in the Australian Public Service.? | From 1 July 2022, the $10,560 cap on Child Care Subsidy will be removed. | Abolish punitive measures from our social security system including: |
| Strengthening the ability and capacity of the Fair Work Commission to order pay increases for workers in low paid, female-dominated industries. | Cashless Debit Card, Basics Card, Work for the Dole, Parents Next and Exploitative youth employment programs obligations. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Provide the whooping cough vaccine to all pregnant women. | Invest $68.5 million to provide free pads and tampons in all schools to improve students' health and wellbeing, and reduce period stigma. |
| Invest $58.3 million for the treatment and management of endometriosis. | Make access to abortion safe, accessible, legal, and affordable across Australia. | |
| $23 million over 4 years invested in stillbirth and miscarriage funding. | Invest $1.8 million in a national survey to better understand experiences of maternity care (antenatal, birth, and post-natal care), based on the International Consortium of Health Outcome Measures - Birth Satisfaction Survey. | |
| Improve pregnancy outcomes through changes to gynaecology and obstetrics Medicare items. | Task the Fair Work Commission with assessing and recommending options for fair reproductive health leave. | |
| $84.8 million for other women's health initiatives including breast cancer and ovarian cancer. |
Intersectional Feminism
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Delivering a separate national plan for First Nations people to end violence against women and family violence. | Funding of $27.8 million over five years to extend Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family safety services. | Invest $129 million to support Birthing on Country projects to improve health outcomes for parents and babies. |
| Support justice reinvestment in First Nations communities with a $79m investment to reduce incarceration rates, including early intervention to reduce family violence. | Funding of $10.7 million under the National Partnership Agreement to bolster frontline family, domestic and sexual violence services in the Northern Territory will support commitments toward Closing the Gap. | |
| Conduct a National First Nations Women's Summit, chaired by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, as the first step in responding to the landmark Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women's Voices) report. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| $1.3 billion in overall financial package committed in FY22 Budget | $1.3 billion in overall financial package committed in FY22 Budget | Don't have a Budget Response but have committed 12 billion over 12 years |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Invest $5.4 billion making childcare cheaper from July 2023 | Provide $9 billion in child care subsidy | Boost parental leave. |
| Lift maximum child care subsidy rate to 90 per cent for families for the first child in care. | Provide those earning the least with the 85 per cent of child care subsidy. | Invest $19 billion to provide free and universal childhood education and care. |
| Increase child care subsidy rates for families earning less than $530,000 in household income with one child in care. | $19.4 million over five years provided through the Community Child Care Fund to provide 20 new services in to regional and remote areas where there is limited or no access to childcare. | |
| Extend increased subsidy to outside school hours care. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Invest $246.1 million over five years to introduce Enhance Paid Parental Leave by 1 March 2023. This includes: | Invest $24.5 billion over ten years to make parental leave fairer and encourage shared care. |
| Broadening income test to include income threshold of $350,000 per year. | 26 weeks leave for parents to share. | |
| 20 weeks is flexible, allowing for family choice. | Six weeks for each parent to "use it or lose it". | |
| No distinction between primary and secondary carer. | 14 weeks to share between them. | |
| Single parents receive full 20 weeks. | Leave paid at the carer's wage (up to $100,000per annum, pro rata). | |
| Extend the work test rules so more women are eligible for Government funded Parental Leave Pay. | Superannuation paid on all parental leave. | |
| Remove barriers for parents where a woman is the higher income earner to share care. | ||
| Increase women's workforce participation through free childcare and flexible work arrangements. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Legislate the right to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave as a national employment standard. | Extended the work test rules so more women are eligible for Government-funded Parental Leave Pay. | Legislating 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. |
| Fully implement all 55 recommendations of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner's Respect@Work Report. | Invest $18.5 million additional funding over 4 years for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to further drive progress towards gender equality in Australian workplaces. | Closing the gender pay gap by increasing wages, valuing care work, improving pay transparency, and penalising employers who don't act to reduce the pay gap. |
| Commit $24 million to fund Working Women's Centres in every Australian state and territory. | Minimum entitlement of 5 days unpaid family and domestic violence leave per year for 6 million employees covered by the Fair Work Act. | Implementing all recommendations in the Respect@Work and Set the Standard reports, including a positive duty on employers to make their workplace safe. |
| Legislate to strengthen laws that prevent sexual harassment. | Implementing public sector workforce strategies to boost employment of women, First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people, and people with a disability. | |
| Invest $1.27 million to establish a one-stop-shop within the Australian Human Rights Commission, to assist victims of workplace sexual harassment. | Supporting women-led businesses through low-interest loans and procurement targets. | |
| Make job security an object of the Fair Work Act. | 10 days paid domestic violence leave. | |
| Legislate a definition of casual employment. | Increasing reporting on gender pay gaps, and making employers take action to close the gap in their workplace. | |
| Introduce "Same Job Same Pay" laws. | Increasing minimum wages and supporting stronger equal remuneration provisions in the Fair Work Act. | |
| Give the Fair Work Commission powers to set minimum standards for gig workers. | Giving the AHRC powers to investigate systemic discrimination and harassment. | |
| Allowing class actions for sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Invest $39 million over 4 years for women in trades. | Help more women-led businesses to seek support under the current Entrepreneurs Program by changing eligibility criteria. |
| Invest $4.7 million over 5 years for women in manufacturing | A $10 million micro-financing facility to provide low and no interest loans up to $10,000 to women-led businesses who struggle to access traditional finance. | |
| Invest $9 million over 3 years for future female entrepreneurs. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | $9.4 million over 5 years for 2 initiatives: Future Women's Jobs Academy and Supporting Gender Balanced Boards. | Awaiting a policy update. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Create the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in its first five years, and create thousands of jobs. | $54.6 million over five years to support up to 30,000 victim-survivors to stay safe in their own homes through security assessments and upgrades including cameras, bug sweeps and safe phones. | Awaiting a policy update. |
| $1.6 billion will be spent to build 4,000 new social housing properties specifically allocated for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence. ?? | Doubling the number of places available under the family home guarantee for single parents to 5000 places per year. | |
| $100 million will be allocated for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence, and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness. | $100 million over five years to continue the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation program. This will fund around 720 new safe places for women and children, bringing the total number of safe places to around 1,500 when completed. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Fund 500 new community sector workers to support women in crisis. | Next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children will commence in mid-2022. | $12 billion to support the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children and a standalone National Plan for First Nations Women's Safety. |
| Invest $100 million in crisis accommodation and build 4,000 homes for women and children fleeing violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness. | $150 million committed very early in the pandemic for the COVID-19 Domestic Violence Response Package. | $477 million to support the national rollout of Our Watch's Respectful Relationships education in all public schools. |
| Progressing a national definition of domestic violence that includes coercive control. | Minimum entitlement of 5 days unpaid family and domestic violence leave per year for 6 million employees covered by the Fair Work Act. | $10,000 Survivor Grants for women escaping abuse. |
| Invest $76 million in consent and respectful relationships education in schools. | $22 million committed to Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commission (currently underway). | Trial a national disclosure scheme for women worried about a partner's history of violence. |
| Introduce a Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commissioner. | Invest $43 million in consent and respectful relationships education in schools. | Fund the Illawarra Women's Trauma Recovery Centre to support victim-survivors to rebuild their lives. |
| Invest $77 million to provide various consent trainings and review respectful relationships. | Providing $100 million for trauma-informed counselling services. | |
| Extend the $5000 escaping family violence payment for three years. | ||
| $2.1 billion Women's Budget Statement includes $1.3 billion to drive change for women's safety |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Legislating so companies with more than 250 employees will have to report their gender pay gap publicly. | From 1 July 2022, additional support will be provided for families with more than one child in child care, the level of Child Care Subsidy will be increased by 30% to a maximum of 90%. | Introduce a liveable income guarantee. |
| Taking action to address the gender pay gap in the Australian Public Service.? | From 1 July 2022, the $10,560 cap on Child Care Subsidy will be removed. | Abolish punitive measures from our social security system including: |
| Strengthening the ability and capacity of the Fair Work Commission to order pay increases for workers in low paid, female-dominated industries. | Cashless Debit Card, Basics Card, Work for the Dole, Parents Next and Exploitative youth employment programs obligations. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting a policy update. | Provide the whooping cough vaccine to all pregnant women. | Invest $68.5 million to provide free pads and tampons in all schools to improve students' health and wellbeing, and reduce period stigma. |
| Invest $58.3 million for the treatment and management of endometriosis. | Make access to abortion safe, accessible, legal, and affordable across Australia. | |
| $23 million over 4 years invested in stillbirth and miscarriage funding. | Invest $1.8 million in a national survey to better understand experiences of maternity care (antenatal, birth, and post-natal care), based on the International Consortium of Health Outcome Measures - Birth Satisfaction Survey. | |
| Improve pregnancy outcomes through changes to gynaecology and obstetrics Medicare items. | Task the Fair Work Commission with assessing and recommending options for fair reproductive health leave. | |
| $84.8 million for other women's health initiatives including breast cancer and ovarian cancer. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Working with states and territories to strengthen and harmonise laws relating to sexual assault and consent. | $100 million in funding to support victims of family violence of sexual assault navigate the legal system through various initiatives. | Doubling funding for women's legal services and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services. |
| $79 million investment in justice reinvestment to support First Nations communities to reduce incarceration rates, including early intervention to reduce family violence. | Improve the family law system by implementing recommendations like providing wrap-around support. |
| Labor | Liberal/Nationals | Greens |
|---|---|---|
| Delivering a separate national plan for First Nations people to end violence against women and family violence. | Funding of $27.8 million over five years to extend Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family safety services. | Invest $129 million to support Birthing on Country projects to improve health outcomes for parents and babies. |
| Support justice reinvestment in First Nations communities with a $79m investment to reduce incarceration rates, including early intervention to reduce family violence. | Funding of $10.7 million under the National Partnership Agreement to bolster frontline family, domestic and sexual violence services in the Northern Territory will support commitments toward Closing the Gap. | |
| Conduct a National First Nations Women's Summit, chaired by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, as the first step in responding to the landmark Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women's Voices) report. |
