An increasing number of countries around the world pay maternity leave. In fact Austalia is one of only two developed countries not to provide paid maternity leave (the other is the USA).
The Federal Government has asked the Productivity Commission to conduct an inquiry into paid parental leave. You can participate in the inquiry by either making a submission or going to a community consultation.
Go to the website to find out more.
Some points you might like to consider are:
- Paid maternity leave is a Human Right and should not be dependent on productivity.
- If Australia as a nation is committed to women's equality we must provide paid maternity leave. Paid maternity leave is not about covering the costs of child rearing - it is about ensuring women are not financially and socially disadvantaged because of heir role as mothers.
- Women should not be excluded because they work casually, part-time, are studying, unemployed, working for a small employer.
- Australia needs to do more to address women's economic disadvantage. Paid maternity leave alone will not do that but can assist and demonstrates a commitment to addressing economic inequality.
Women's economic independence during pregnancy and early motherhood is imperative for her safety. An alarmingly high amount of women experience violence when pregnant. Between 2000 and 2005, 83,500 Australian women experienced violence while pregnant. Economic independence is crucial for women escaping violence.
Your personal experiences are also valuable information for the inquiry.
You might like to also read some of the information provided by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission here.
And feel free to post other ideas for contributions here.
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