Gender Responsive Budgeting
Subject: Program
Description: To adapt the annual State budget process to incorporate gender responsive budget practices and, in particular, to incorporate the use of GIAs as part of the process. Note: Two gender impact assessments were conducted for this program - one for the 2022-23 Budget and one for the 2023-24 Budget.
Status: For review
Confirm if actions taken: No action taken.
Actions taken: Although no specific changes were actioned as a result of the GIA, the program, by its very nature, aims to address hidden or entrenched gender inequalities by having GIAs included with most budget submissions.
Investing in social housing growth
Subject: Program
Description: Additional investment of $3 billion in the existing SHGF with returns to be used to procure 18,000 new social housing dwellings via the community housing sector.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: No action taken.
Actions taken: Service already accounted for gender inequality in access to social housing and incorporated promotion of gender equality into program design. Older single women represent the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing housing stress and homelessness, and women make up 62 per cent of social housing tenants. Other differences in demand for social housing by gender and other priority cohorts include individuals and families that are homeless and receiving support, are escaping or have escaped family violence, with a disability or significant support needs and or with special housing needs.
Victorian Homebuyer Fund
Subject: Program
Description: The Victorian Homebuyer Fund is a shared equity scheme, which makes it easier for Victorians to enter home ownership sooner.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: No action taken.
Actions taken: Since the Victorian Homebuyer Fund launched in October 2021, there have been a similar number of male and female participants. DTF continues to consider opportunities to provide tailored supports to encourage participation from specific cohorts.
Partnerships Addressing Disadvantage
Subject: Program
Description: Maximising Outcomes Through Social Investment (2023-24 budget initiative) - delivering two Partnerships Addressing Disadvantage programs (PADs). Consider genders lens in selection of focus area/cohort.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: Yes
Actions taken: DTF is identifying focus areas and cohorts for the PADs pipeline in consultation with departments and service providers, taking into consideration the needs and lived experiences of different genders. This includes consideration of a specific female cohort in one of the future PADs.
Cultural safety framework
Subject: Program
Description: Maximising Outcomes Through Social Investment (2023-24 budget initiative) - Cultural safety framework - Consider intersectionality of Aboriginal women. Developing guidance materials to support cultural safety of Early Intervention Investment Framework proposals and initiatives.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: Yes
Actions taken: DTF is working with the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) to develop cultural safety guidance, and will also consider a gender lens and intersectionality in relation to Aboriginal women.
Compliance and enforcement of wage theft laws
Subject: Program
Description: Since commencing operation on 1 July 2021, the Wage Inspectorate has had primary responsibility for detecting and punishing criminal wage theft offences in Victoria. ‘Wage theft’ refers to the deliberate and dishonest withholding of, or failure to pay or attribute, employee entitlements including wages, salaries, penalty rates, allowances, annual or sick leave, superannuation and long service leave. Wage theft is often accompanied by a deliberate failure to maintain and provide payroll and employment records, or by the maintenance and provision of inaccurate and falsified records to employees and/or regulators. These practices are also offences under the Wage Theft Act 2022 (Vic) (the Act).
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: No action taken.
Actions taken: Industrial Relations Victoria (IRV) undertook broad community engagement to understand the impact of wage theft on the community, as well as how it can be best addressed, when drafting the Act. As an established regulator, the Wage Inspectorate commits to better understanding those it serves, and who are most impacted by its work, as one of its five strategic priorities. This involves engaging with stakeholders and the community and using their feedback to improve the service we provide and make compliance easier.
Better support for on-demand 'gig' workers
Subject: Service
Description: The Inquiry into the Victorian On-Demand Workforce (Inquiry) identified several issues affecting gig workers, including confusing and inaccessible pathways for advice and support about work status and an absence of a ‘one-stop shop’ to provide support to gig workers. The proposed service, to be known as the Gig Worker Support Service (Support Service), aligns with the Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a Support Service that provides gig workers with advice on worker rights and entitlements and dispute resolution avenues (Recommendations 8 - 9). The Inquiry also recommended the development of Standards to encourage fair conduct and accountability by platforms (Recommendation 14). These recommendations seek to assist gig workers, particularly low-leveraged, female, young and migrant workers. The Support Service is being designed to administer a compliance function for the Standards.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: No action taken.
Actions taken: When drafting the Act, Industrial Relations Victoria (IRV) undertook broad community engagement to understand the impact of wage theft on different groups within the community, and understand how it can be best addressed to improve outcomes for these different groups and the Victorian community as a whole. The Standards will include reference to gender specific issues (e.g. requiring platforms to review their algorithms and their practice to ensure they operate in a gender non-discriminatory way and to report publicly on the gender earnings gap of their non-employee workers). The Support Service provides for grants to assist low-leveraged workers (including women) with disputes, including through applications for funding formal mediation and/or litigation as spearheaded by relevant organisations. Further research into digital platform work is underway, consistent with the QUT Report finding that seven key areas warrant further research to identify and alleviate gendered inequities in digital platform work, including the gender pay gap, work life balance and the incidences of discrimination and harassment associated with this work.
Gender equality initiatives in the Victorian public sector
Subject: Program
Description: To deliver the Government's response to recommendation 4 of the Inquiry into Economic Equity for Victorian Women and to further its efforts to reduce the gender pay gap in the public service. The program will help challenge gender stereotypes by providing partners (often men) with access to equal opportunities to provide care for children and to access support when trying to conceive a child or mourn the loss of a pregnancy. The Initiatives will help normalise conversations about partners (of any gender identity) taking on caring responsibilities.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: No action taken.
Actions taken: The program seeks to support entitlements from 2024-25 (noting the VPS EA nominal expiry date is 20 March 2024). Allowance of entitlements will also require revisions to the Public Sector Industrial Relations policies.
Standing up for workplace safety
Subject: Program
Description: Funding is provided to support workplace safety through a dedicated monitoring and enforcement unit for the construction sector within WorkSafe, as well as hiring new inspectors from the construction industry. While this program is delivered by WorkSafe, this GIA was completed by DTF.
Status: New
Confirm if actions taken: Yes
Actions taken: WorkSafe will ensure the principles within its Diversity Strategy and its Gender Equality Action Plan are upheld during the recruitment of inspectors and the monitoring and enforcement team.
Updated