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27/09/2005

Response to the Discussion Paper Striking the Balance: Women, men, work and family.

Preamble

The Queensland Council of Social Service Inc. (QCOSS) is the peak organisation for non- government community services agencies in Queensland with 780 member agencies across the state.

QCOSS has worked to progress its vision of stronger Queensland Communities through the elimination of inequity and disadvantage by:

  • Advocating on behalf of low income and otherwise disadvantaged communities to government, raising issues of equity and social justice;
  • Undertaking policy analysis and research on critical issues of equity and social justice;
  • Maintaining a strong and vital social community sector in Queensland.

QCOSS holds this vision for all culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD), and welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Striking the Balance: Women, men, work and family Discussion Paper 2005.

The findings of this discussion paper might inform legislative changes, social policy changes, cultural changes in the workplaces, and initiatives to achieve attitudinal changes encouraging equality between men and women and promoting fairer sharing of unpaid work. These are all desirable results however the process of achieving balance needs to be set much more broadly. For instance, it is necessary to include in this discussion the significant changes intended by the Federal government in particular the Welfare to Work Reforms and Industrial Relations. Although these proposed legislative changes are a work in progress at the moment, what is suspected given the initial indications is that these will significantly affect family relationships and responsibilities, employment and unemployment levels, as well as workplace arrangements.

“ The second big issue is unemployment, which is 90% of the community in Queensland. Most of our people are women, who are here as widows. They (refugee women) have children, and the capacity for English is very low and it is difficult to employ them. All these women are job-less,…” (Cited, in Westoby 2004:4)

The above quote raises essential social justice issues that affect culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) in particular refugee women, though not exclusively. In other words in order to achieve balance it is necessary to think about the people within the Australian population that are excluded from gaining employment in the first place this is the case for a significant number of CALD people and other members of the Australian population.

This gains more relevance when considering that in Australia approximately 21.1% of all households around 3.6 million people exist on less than $400 per week and that the average male earning is $745 per week (McCarthy, T., 2004:3). The previously alluded reforms will increase significantly the number of people experiencing poverty and unemployment or under- employment (Lang, J., 2005).

Considering social justice issues that go beyond accommodating worker’s family responsibilities, or policies that allow both men and women to participate in family life, notwithstanding the relevance of these subjects just to focus in the existing workforce without considering those who can not gain employment and that essentially do not have a choice or rather a voice in striking the balance, there is very little hope that a balance will certainly be achieved.

For CALD backgrounds people the issues are not new anecdotal and documented reports mention for instance the lack of recognition of overseas qualifications and experience and higher unemployment rates. This perhaps is demonstrated by the following quote:

“higher rates of CALD people experiencing unemployment as illustrated by the unemployment rates between Australian- born Queenslanders 8.1%, while Queenslanders born in non- English speaking countries 9.5%”

(Cited in MAQ 2001)

Families of CALD backgrounds also have to overcome barriers to access child care services, some of which are shared by the general population like the cost of child care, availability of this service. However, CALD families experience additional barriers to access child care like such as: understanding of how the system works, for some accepting the fact that the care of young children can be done outside the family context, English language competency, geographical isolation compounded by the lack of transport and being able to afford the cost of travelling, just to mention a few. Within this context often women of CALD backgrounds endure further disadvantage as the family prioritises who then may be able to first access English classes. Women decide to stay at home and care for the children. In this respect CALD families are faced with fewer (if any) choices.

Another important aspect to consider is the types of families within the CALD refugee communities. There is an increasing trend particularly since the Humanitarian Program has focussed on African countries (among others), of women or single parents arriving with large number of children. This implies that there are no other relatives, friends, partner to approach for sharing responsibilities.

Concluding Remarks

This paper has briefly identified some existing systemic barriers in gaining employment faced by men, women from CALD backgrounds. This paper purposely has not focussed on the CALD people who do have employment as the number of CALD people excluded from employment or working under-employment conditions is quite significant. This, as the first part of the paper states, is not a problem exclusively faced by CALD people. Therefore, this paper urges the consideration of broad legislation and policies to ensure that the important discussion about achieving balance is not only confined to those that are employed.

Policies and legislation in this area need to include social justice principles and actions that move closer to the conception of work and society as a place of joy and enjoyment, a place of community.

References

Lang, J., Fair Queensland Magazine Spring 2005, QCOSS. From the Directors Desk.

Multicultural Affairs Queensland, 2001, Employment Issues Facing People of non- English Speaking Backgrounds. A joint Report Coordinated by MAQ, Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Employment and Training.

McCarthy, T., 2004, St. Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia Inc. Public Forum: Poverty and Disadvantage in Australia.

Westoby, P., 2004, Narratives of Distress within and about the Sudanese Community of Brisbane.