Message from the Minister for Women
We’re the first and only jurisdiction in Australia to have enshrined public sector gender equality laws, requiring that new programs and services consider how they can improve and support gender equality.
In 2021, we became the first state to introduce gender responsive budgeting. Now, every year, we analyse and consider the impact of investment decisions on women at every stage of the budget process.
And in coming months, we’ll release Victoria’s new gender equality strategy. It’s our state’s first Gender Equality Action Plan, and a significant milestone from our groundbreaking Gender Equality Act 2020.
But when it comes to gender equality, there’ll always be more to do and we will continue to fight to improve women’s rights in Victoria.
That's why, with the Victorian Budget 2023/24, we've kept improving our decision-making processes, considering the ways in which the decisions we make affect people differently – and women in particular. We’re better targeting our services and investments by:
- Investing in health and wellbeing services used mainly by women, better responding to specifically identified needs.
- Aiming to increase women’s participation and representation in male-dominated industries.
- Providing support to female-dominated workforces, and to sectors where women were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
- Improving public safety, particularly for women.
- Improving economic and employment opportunities for women.
- Working to remove barriers in activities where women and girls participate at lower rates, such as community sport and recreation.
- Improving the participation of women and girls in STEM.
These are the things that matter to Victorian women – and they’re what we’ll keep delivering. Because gender equality is everyone’s business, and we’ll work to make sure it stays that way.
Natalie Hutchins
Minister for Women
Minister for Education
Reviewed 21 May 2023