Supporting WA women
Stronger Together: WA’s Plan for Gender Equality sets out how the Government will support women and drive gender equality throughout Western Australia.
The 2024-25 Budget invests in services and initiatives to improve women’s health, wellbeing, safety and workforce opportunities.
Safety and justice
- $96 million for prevention of family and domestic violence, bringing total investment to $422 million since 2021. This includes:
- $54 million to expand operations of FDV Response Teams, including moving to 7 day a week operation.
- $14 million for a new FDV One-Stop Hub in the CBD.
- $6 million for workforce development.
- $585,000 to develop legislative reforms to criminalise coercive control.
Health and wellbeing
- $173 million in additional funding for the Bunbury Regional Hospital redevelopment, which includes new and expanded maternity, birthing and neonatal services.
- $16 million State investment into the Early Years Partnership, with a further $19 million from the Minderoo Foundation, supporting initiatives that deliver better outcomes for children in the critical early stages of child development.
- Additional funding to bring the 75-bed Cockburn Mental Health Clinic formerly operated by Bethesda into the public mental health system, which will initially include two floors for a dedicated women’s mental health facility, focused on eating disorder services.
- Free period products in primary schools from Term 3 , in addition to high schools and TAFEs.
Economic independence
- $46 million to extend the payment of superannuation on unpaid parental leave from 12 to 24 weeks, for all WA public sector employees.
- Record funding for the Women’s Grants for a Stronger Future Program, with a $1.4 million boost over 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- In 2023-24, 57 organisations received funding for projects promoting gender equality.
- $5 million for upgrades to Career Fire and Rescue Station shower and locker rooms to enable privacy for women.
Our 2024-25 investment builds on initiatives including:
- Progressing our landmark new $1.8 billion Women and Babies Hospital, with expressions of interest released to design and construct the new hospital.
- Continued delivery of the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety program, with the Respect in Mining Program pilot to commence in 2024, taking a whole-of-organisation approach to violence prevention.
- Continued delivery of the Gender Equality in Procurement Pilot, which includes the addition of a gender equality disclosure clause in selected procurement for participating agencies. As of April 2024, 312 supplier contracts with a total value of $750 million have been awarded under the Pilot.
- Commencing a separate pilot partnering with the construction industry to trial gender equality targets on the Fremantle Hospital Mental Health Unit redevelopment, and extending the Gender Equality in Procurement Pilot to incorporate Government Trading Enterprises.
- Providing funding to the newly established Western Australian Chapter of the Economic Abuse Reference Group, which aims to reduce the financial impact of family and domestic violence.
- Commencement of the $3 million TAFE scholarships program for up to 400 women to undertake training in non-traditional trade and technical occupations, including STEM and building and construction.
- Roll-out of $2.4 million in funding through the Women’s World Cup Legacy Grants program, with women’s National Premier League teams eligible for up to $300,000 each towards infrastructure and facility improvements that support women’s participation.
- The $24 million WA Rent Relief Program to help families and women at risk of eviction and experiencing rental stress to stay in their rental properties, which has already provided over $2 million in support to more than 500 WA renters.
- $32 million investment in eating disorder treatment programs across the State.
- Supporting access to sport for women, with $36 million allocated through the Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Fund for projects specifically supporting female participation.
Economic participation
- Of the 300,000 plus jobs created in WA since the WA Labor Government came to office, more than half – or 157,000 – were filled by women.
- Record proportion of women participating in the workforce in the State – 64.1% average over the year to March 2024, compared to 62.7% nationally.
- Unemployment rate for women of 3.8% in March 2024, compared to 7% in March 2017.
- Increased representation of women in Senior Executive Service roles (48.9% as at December 2023, an increase of 14.7% since 2017) and on Government Boards and Committees (54% as at February 2024 - the highest on record).