Spotlight on economic abuse - Good Shepherd Youth & Family ...

Employment Frameworks, Policies and Practices
In contemporary public policy, participation in employment is generally regarded as the
primary means for women to gain economic wellbeing while it has also been identified as a
key pathway from domestic violence to economic independence and self-sufficiency (Barrett
Meyering 2010). Significant gender inequities exist for women when it comes to gaining
economic security through employment participation. These include gender pay inequities
and women’s over-representation in low-paid and insecure employment, both of which are
linked to broader social inequities. Gender segregation in employment also services to
reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. Reduced lifetime employment including because of
pregnancy, childbirth and caring for children or other family members can also have negative
impacts on overall financial security through employment and result in less accumulated
superannuation and fewer other savings for retirement (Cassells et al. 2009).
Recent policy developments have seen some positive developments to address some of
these broader gender inequities, including the introduction of paid maternity leave and the
success of a national gender pay equity case for social and community services workers
(Baird, Williamson & Heron 2012; McCrystal & Smith 2011). However, significant gender pay
inequities continue to exist—supported by women’s concentration in particular occupations
and industries—while problems associated with increased insecurity in employment continue
to disproportionately affect women, including because much part-time employment is casual
employment. Casual employment, which is without paid leave entitlements, makes up a
quarter of all women’s employment (ABS 2011).
In Australia and elsewhere there has been some attention to workplaces as sites for
addressing domestic and family violence through primary, secondary and tertiary
interventions and all of these are also direct means of preventing or responding to economic
abuse. In relation to primary interventions, as outlined above, contemporary domestic and
family violence policies specifically identify employment participation and equality in
employment as preventative measures supporting women’s economic independence. Other
areas of public policy which impact on women’s workforce participation are childcare,
education and training, employment assistance and income support, and these are also
important tertiary interventions for women who have experienced domestic and family
violence.
Secondary interventions prevent discrimination against women who have been subjected to
violence, use the workplace as a site for women to gain access to support and information
and make workplaces safe and supportive for women who have been subjected to domestic
and family violence. Relevant regulation in addition to employment regulation includes antidiscrimination
and workplace health and safety, and strategies include education and
training for employers and employees about domestic and family violence.
Tertiary interventions respond to violence through provision of assistance and employee
entitlements such as paid leave for women who have been subjected to domestic and family
violence. In addition to workplace relations legislation and industrial instruments (for
example, collective enterprise agreements and awards) anti-discrimination legislation is
relevant here. The other significant area of tertiary intervention is the facilitation of
participation in employment by women who have been subjected to domestic and family
violence including through individual job search, training and other employment assistance.
There is little published research relating to effective responses in this area and it could be
the focus of further investigation. Past Commonwealth employment programs specifically
targeted to assist sole parents including the Jobs Education and Training program are
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