Driving women and girls to live, study and work in South Australia and drawing on the state's untapped talent pool to drive the next generation of leaders is among the key actions of a new Marshall Liberal Government women's strategy out today.
South Australia has been a state of "firsts". From being one of the first in the world to give women the right to vote, the first in the nation to allow women to stand for Parliament and the proud home to trailblazing women like Dame Roma Mitchell, who was the first women Governor of an Australian state and the first woman university chancellor.
Now, the Marshall Liberal Government is affirming its commitment to make South Australia a leading state for women and drive change for the 900,000 women who live here.
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Australian Women's Leadership and Economic Security Strategy 2021-24 outlines how the Marshall Liberal Government's strong commitment to work with agencies, businesses and community organisations to ensure women thrive now and into the future.
The four-year strategy targets three crucial areas – employment and entrepreneurship, leadership and recognition and financial wellbeing.
Specific short and longer-term actions include:
- Promoting and nurturing women's participation and leadership in South Australia's burgeoning high-tech sector through partnering
- Promoting opportunities to increase women's participation in apprenticeships, traineeships, construction and STEM areas
- Increasing leadership opportunities and platforms for recognition for women leaders of all ages
- Promoting and encouraging flexible workplaces
- Working across government to address the gender pay gap
- Promoting and encouraging paid domestic and family violence leave to ensure that women experiencing violence stay connected to employment
Premier Steven Marshall said women were crucial to the state's future.
"South Australia has a huge talent pool of women and we want to make sure we grow that pool for the benefit of women, their families and our state as a whole," said Premier Marshall
"We're driving a host of emerging career paths based right here in South Australia from space, defence and creative industries and there's no doubt young girls growing up in our state have a world of opportunity at their fingertips.
"Not only do we want to ensure girls and women choose South Australia to live, study and work, we want to ensure they're financially secure and are afforded the same opportunities and experiences that men are."
Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink said South Australia had a proud history of championing women and now the Marshall Liberal Government's new women's strategy will drive further, much-needed change.
"As South Australia recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to ensure women and girls have the same opportunity as men to participate in our economy and realise their potential to lead across all areas of our community," said Minister Lensink.
"We want South Australian women to be financially secure and economically empowered because at the end of the day, women's participation is great for the state, for employers, for communities and most importantly, for women themselves.
"We're focused on ensuring our young girls thrive now and into the future – and we'll do everything we can to support that."
To read the full strategy visit: www.officeforwomen.sa.gov.au
