IEU Women and Equity Committee

Background

The IEU NSW/ACT Women and Equity Committee is a part of the national IEU Women and Equity Committee network. The Women and Equity Committee is involved with the Unions NSW/ACT Women’s Committee and more broadly in the Australian Council of Trade Union’s (ACTU) Women’s Committee.

Goals

The Women and Equity Committee sets goals and initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and addressing the disparities and discrimination faced by women in various aspects of their professional lives. The committee works to raise awareness of women’s rights, equal opportunities, and access to resources.

Key components of the Women and Equity Committee work are likely to include:

Closing the Gender Pay Gap – Addressing and reducing the wage gap between men and women for equal work or work of equal value

Equal Representation – Encouraging and supporting women’s participation and leadership in all spheres of their work

Creating equal accessibility to educational opportunities women and girls

Ending Gender-Based Violence – Combating violence and abuse against women and promoting safe environments for all members

Advocating and activating the role of work-life balance – By implementing policies and practices that support work-life balance, such as career progression which allows for parental leave, flexible work arrangements, and affordable childcare

Women’s Economic Empowerment – Creating opportunities for women to access economic resources and financial services through improvements to parental leave entitlements, affordable healthcare accessibility and superannuation

Addressing Discrimination – Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, including cultural, social and age barriers

Reproductive Rights – Supporting women’s reproductive rights and access to family planning services by advocating for reproductive and menopausal leave

Intersectionality – Recognising and addressing the unique challenges faced by women from diverse backgrounds, such as women of colour, LGBTQI+ women, women with disabilities, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women

Improving employment opportunities that are gender sensitive – for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

Advocacy and Policy Changes – Lobbying for legislative and policy changes that promote gender equality, improving legislation protecting women’s rights

These are just some examples of the components of the work of the Women and Equity Committee. The Committee’s work will vary depending on specific agendas, context, cultural norms, and societal challenges faced in different areas of metropolitan and regional NSW/ACT at any given point.

Overall, the goal is to create a more inclusive and equal opportunity organisation where women can thrive regardless of their gender.

Committee Members

Valerie Jones (Co-convenor)

Lyn Caton (Co-convenor)

Carolyn Moore

Denise McHugh

Donna Widdison

Jackie Groom

Kath Egan

Katie Camarena

Lubna Haddad

Samantha Danalis

Sue McKay

Tina Smith

Therese Fitzgibbon

Wendy McMurdo