Budget Lock Up Coverage

Women's Agenda covered the lack of women's groups invited to the 2019 Budget lock up. After much lobbying, ERA was able to secure a spot which was covered in this article. Helen Dalley-Fisher of the Equality Rights Alliance also thanked the Office of Women.  “Australia is currently appearing at the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York, making the argument that a diversity of women’s voices is essential to achieving progress towards gender equality,” she said. “We thank the Office for Women for their intervention and look forward to working with Treasury to ensure women are not excluded from the budget in the future.” And Ebony Bennett writes here on the lack of gender-responsive budgeting in Australia and why the lack of women's groups in Budget lock up is just the tip of the iceberg. "Restricting groups advocating for women from the lock-up so they cannot comment immediately when the budget is released demonstrates perfectly how women are locked out of budget decisions. After intense lobbying, Professor Helen Hodgson will now represent the National Foundation for Australian Women, the National Women's Alliances and the Equality Rights Alliance in the stakeholder lock-up, while another spot was made available late this week for Emma Davidson from the Women's Electoral Lobby. But groups representing young people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders will still miss out."