Thursday, 7 March 2024

Ministers statements: women’s employment

Vicki WARD (Eltham – Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Minister for Employment) (14:35): In Victoria under the Allan Labor government, on International Women’s Day – on every day – we always ‘Count her in’. Since 2014 under our government women’s employment has increased by 31.7 per cent. Our social enterprise sector contributes $5.2 billion annually to the Victorian economy. This sector is built on the hard work of so many incredible women – women like the founders of Streat, Bec Scott and Kate Barrelle; Loretta Bolotin, CEO of Free to Feed; and SisterWorks CEO Ifrin Fittock. SisterWorks has supported 800 women from 56 different countries with training, employment and mental health support and assisted over 30 women to start their own business.

The Allan Labor government continues to partner with employers to deliver earn-and-learn jobs for those looking for work, particularly people who need additional support, like women – maybe even those women who are looking for preselection in the Liberal Party. Our free TAFE program has helped more than 90,000 women gain the skills they need for the jobs and careers they want. Over 49,000 ‍CALD women have been supported into employment through Jobs Victoria mentors, advocates and careers counsellor services. I am pleased to see the success of our mentor program. It is clearly not lost on the Leader of the Opposition, who has brought back the former member for Ripon to help count the women in the Liberal party room. I will give them a hint: you can do it on one hand. Sixty-five per cent of workers benefiting from our cost-of-living measure the sick pay guarantee pilot are women. Unlike those opposite, we will always count Victorian women in, not only when we need the numbers.