Government cuts impact women

Recent announcements to increase cuts to Women’s Studies in TAFE will result in even further reductions to options for women looking to re-enter the workforce.

Government argue the cuts are necessary and that only some unit choices within the Certificate III course will be axed.

One course being cut is Women’s Safety, raising concerns that victims of domestic violence who are trying to re-integrate into society will be negatively impacted.

This is not the first time government have made cuts to the Women’s Studies program in TAFE. The Certificate IV course has already been cut from the Port Adelaide campus, meaning that some women  may have to travel from as far as Pt Adelaide to Elizabeth to continue their Women’s Studies Certificates.

Women continue to bare the brunt of government spending cuts as is evidenced by the recent demise of the Women’s Studies Resource Centre. Thanks to a recent government decision to stop funding the resource centre, it now has to relocate more than 30,000 items and will soon shut its doors for the last time after more than 30 years of operation.

The Working Women’s Centre is constantly lobbying government to maintain its funding, the Office for Women is about to be swallowed up into the general Building Communities Agency and the Work Life Balance Strategy has seen a reduction to funding and status, with the senior project officer position being removed and the size of the research team reduced.

The Office for Women has had its staffing and profile reduced over the last few years, particularly in the last two state budgets. As the only agency in government which focuses on women, who make up over 50% of the population, it is becoming severely limited in its ability to support women and promote awareness of the key women's issues.

These are all cuts that directly impact on the lives of women in SA. It appears that this government sees women and women’s issues as unimportant and an easy target for saving money.

The combination of funding cuts and restructuring sends a message to women in our community and in the workforce that the State Government doesn't take women’s issues seriously. I

It is time for the women of South Australia to stand up and let this government know that we no longer wish to pay for the cost saving and revenue raising in this State. We need to write to Minister Gail Gago and Minister Jay Weatherill and let them know that it is not ok to continue devaluing the need for women to have access to quality education and opportunities that will ultimately enhance the future of this state.

Email the Ministers for the Status of Women and Education to express your disappointment at the decision to make budget cuts that continually impact on South Australian women.

The email addresses are:

Minister Gail Gago: minister.gago@saugov.sa.gov.au   
Minister Jay Weatherill: decsminedcs@sa.gov.au