Canberra's Labor MPs are leading community consultations on ways to better address gender inequality in Australia, in a bid to close the entrenched gender pay gap and improve female community participation.
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As part of the federal opposition's policy development process, MPs Gai Brodtmann and Andrew Leigh have met academics, experts and local women's organisations to discuss strategies - including calls for a Parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, a boosted voice for Indigenous and trans women and better representation of migrant women in the community.
The consultation meetings are considering gender quotas, the need for improved data on social and medical issues including post-natal depression, the role of women in countering violent extremism and access to affordable housing for single mothers and domestic violence victims.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency said Australia had at least 50 years of work ahead, while the United States, France and Italy could be 100 years away from closing the gap.
The pair have told the meetings Australia has more work to do to add to significant achievements in advancing women's rights.
"The gender pay gap in Australia has remained stagnant for two decades," Ms Brodtmann said.
"On average, one Australian woman is killed each week by her current or former partner. At current rates, we won't achieve gender equality in Parliament until 2046.
"The roundtable provided a constructive, productive forum to discuss a broad range of issues, many of which are serving as barriers to achieving gender equality in Canberra, Australia and internationally today."
She said issues including access to rental accommodation for older women with low superannuation, tenancy law and partner and crisis accommodation arrangements were needed.
The latest Australian Public Service Remuneration Report, released in June, found women in the public service are paid on average 8.6 per cent less than their male colleagues, below the 19.6 per cent private sector pay gap.
Dr Leigh said the conversations, happening around the country, were an important step in ensuring Australian women had their voices by MPs and community leaders.
"According to the Global Gender Gap Report, Australia has slipped from 19th place to 46th place since 2013.
"Australians know that we can do better. It isn't enough to talk about fairness – you need the right policies too. If we are to close the gender gaps in Australia, Malcolm Turnbull needs to ensure his actions match his words," he said.
The federal Labor opposition was along in producing a women's budget in 2017, which Dr Leigh said "painted a worrying picture".
"Medicare funding will remain frozen for three more years, disproportionately affecting women.
"Because women make up a majority of tertiary students, they will be especially affected by the billions of dollars of funding cuts to universities, while men will get most of the benefit from the government's decision to provide a tax cut to the highest earning 2 per cent.
"Australian women deserve better."
