#Engage4ChangeSA: Labor, Liberals and SA Best put forward their policies to help South Australian women

WOMEN’S health and lifting participation in work and sport will be priorities for the major parties vying for their vote at the March election.

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WOMEN’S health and boosting participation in work and sport will be priorities for the political parties vying for their vote at the March state election.

The Sunday Mail has canvassed Labor, the Liberals and SA Best on what they aim to change for women as part of News Corp SA’s #Engage4ChangeSA campaign, launched on Friday.

Less than two months from polling day, the parties revealed few new ideas but highlighted previously announced election commitments which focused on women’s employment, health, sport and safety.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data show about 57 per cent of South Australian women are active in the workforce — compared to 67 per cent of men.

SA Best lead Upper House candidate Connie Bonaros said her party intended to offer incentives to employers to hire female apprentices and women in areas of skills shortage. It would also push for an independent inquiry into the extent of the pay gap between men and women, she said.

SA men in full-time roles earn about 10 per cent more than their female counterparts.

“Taking time out of the workforce to raise a family can no longer be used as a justification for holding women back and paying them less,” Ms Bonaros said.

Liberals Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman

Status of Women Minister Zoe Bettison

The Liberal policy platform focuses heavily on women’s health, promising to relocate the Women’s and Children’s Hospital to the new RAH medical precinct.

Opposition Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman said her party had committed $4 million to expand the statewide eating disorder service and $10 million to establish a statewide borderline personality disorder service. Both disorders disproportionately affect women.

The Labor Party argues it best represents women by having the most sitting female MPs and women candidates.

YWCA Adelaide chief executive Liz Forsyth

SA Best lead Upper House candidate Connie Bonaros

Status of Women Minister Zoe Bettison said the Government had set up a women in sport taskforce and allocated $10 million for female changing rooms at sporting clubs.

YWCA Adelaide CEO Liz Forsyth urged politicians to recognise when developing policy platforms that some issues “disproportionately impact women”.

“When we know that women are retiring with half the amount of superannuation than men we need to address the ... issues that contribute to this inequality,” she said.

“Will women be a priority in this election? We have not seen that thus far from the major political parties.”

The #Engage4ChangeSA campaign aims to deliver real outcomes for South Australian women in the lead up to the state election and beyond.

NEXT: How the major parties pledge to combat domestic violence.

WHAT THE PARTIES WILL DO FOR SA WOMEN:

LABOR

■ Representation in Parliament — 45 per cent of current MPs and election candidates are female.

■ Women in sport — established a taskforce to foster women in sport, invested $10 million to upgrade change rooms for women and girls at grassroots clubs, secured commitment from 10 top sporting codes to ensure women hold 40 per cent of positions on their boards.

■ Health — pledged to build new $528 million Adelaide Women’s Hospital on the new RAH site and $64.4 million upgrade of the existing Women’s and Children’s Hospital to focus on children in future, committed $1.2 million for training of health staff to provide specialist borderline personality disorder support.

■ Safety — released a policy paper promising a raft of changes to tackle domestic violence.

BEST: Labor and Liberals say they will both invest in sport.

LIBERAL

■ Representation in Parliament — Deputy leaders in Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament are women.

Health — pledged to move the entire Women’s and Children’s Hospital to the new RAH site, committed $4 million to a statewide children’s eating disorder service and $10 million for a statewide borderline personality disorder service.

■ Safety — pledged a review of frontline police resources and to develop smartphone app for domestic violence victims, put forward legislation to ban forced marriage of children.

■ Education — subsidy for parents to take children to Surf Lifesaving SA Surf Babies and Little Lifesavers programs, scrapping Safe Schools program and replacing with a broader, “evidence-based” anti-bullying program, with a particular focus on cyber-bullying.

SA BEST

■ Employment — pledged to lift women’s workforce participation, offer incentives for employers to take on female apprentices.

■ Pay equality — launch a 12-month inquiry into the extent of the pay gap between South Australian men and women and make recommendations to ensure the gap is closed within the next term of Parliament.

■ Safety — expand GPS monitoring of domestic violence offenders, toughen penalties, provide more funding to support services.