Victorian Women in Energy and Women in Manufacturing Strategies 2023 - WHSN Submission
Victoria, like the rest of Australia, has highly gender-segregated workforces. Women are overrepresented in low-paid and insecure jobs in sectors including health care and social assistance and teaching, while remaining underrepresented in other industries like energy and manufacturing. This is in part due to entrenched stereotypes about the type of careers that men and women can have. These stereotypes can influence young people’s decisions and perceptions about study and work from a young age.
In November 2023 the Victorian Government asked for submissions that might support change in this sector and the WSHN responded.
The WHSN core argument in response is that the barriers preventing equality in our workforces – including manufacturing and energy, are not to be found in women as such, but in the social forces, structures and systems that present barriers to inequity.
Increasing equitable participation in workforces, is an outcome of equitable policies, practices and systems and benefits all Victorians. While women’s equality is core to this, the challenge that we face when making something about Women’s Participation is that it focused the problem as a woman’s problem – when it is not. The problem is the discrimination, bias and structural inequality that has been built into industries over decades. This should be at the heart of the strategy.
To fulfill the goals of the Victorian Government, and the outcomes for these industries, genuine equity can only be forged if the strategies being developed by the Victorian government address both strategic and systemic inequity as well as support the practical needs of women.
In presenting our submission we highlight for the government the systemic and structural inequity that is entrenched through industry and the skill system that needs to be addressed if targets, outcomes, and the goals presented in the discussion paper are to be achieved. This includes:
An appreciation and recognition that the foundational concepts framing labour markets movements and economic productivity that underpin similar industrial strategies are gendered.
Recognition and addressing the barriers that women face due to care responsibilities and entrenched discrimination.
Addressing the gendered barriers to on the job learning and skill development in the workplace. This includes the reality that increased training does not benefit women in the form of increase wages.
Identifying and addressing the drivers to gendered drop out behaviour from learning pathways.
Developing strategies that recognises gender equality in workforces requires addressing entrenched forms of discrimination (including sexist attitudes, norms, and behaviours). and without addressing these discriminations, returns in areas such as the pay gap will not occur.
You can read the full submission below: