Advice, advocacy and support services for working women - National body to facilitate coordination of services and advoc

Overview

The Advice, advocacy and support services for working women grant program (the program) will run over 5 financial years from 2023-24 to 2027-28. The purpose of this grant opportunity is to provide funding to an organisation to lead a national body to facilitate coordination and collaboration of working women’s centres across Australia. The program contributes to the achievement of the ‘Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Program 3.1: Workplace Support’, which is part of ‘Outcome 3: Facilitate jobs growth, including secure work, through policies and programs that promote fair, productive and safe workplaces’. The program is part of the Australian Government’s response to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces Report (Respect@Work Report). This program implements recommendation 49 of the Respect@Work Report, which is that: Australian governments provide increased and recurrent funding to working women’s centres to provide information, advice and assistance to vulnerable workers who experience sexual harassment, taking into account particular needs of workers facing intersectional discrimination. Australian governments should consider establishing or re-establishing working women’s centres in jurisdictions where they do not currently exist. Working women’s centres are not-for-profit organisations that provide free information, advocacy, advice, and assistance to women on workplace issues, including workplace entitlements and rights, gender issues, cultural diversity, discrimination and sexual harassment. The national body will lead advocacy and industry initiatives to prevent workplace sexual harassment. It will also lead research and analysis on systemic issues affecting working women and contribute to policy debates about working women’s rights and entitlements.