MEDIA RELEASE

______________________________________________________________ International Womens Day, 8 March 2014

Women MPs make a difference: EMILYS List Australia research shows

Research commissioned by national political organisation, EMILYs List Australia, shows that increased representation of women in the federal parliament - particularly in abinet ! has a significant impact on legislation benefitting women, children and families" EMILYs List national co-con#enor $an%a &o#ac said the Impact analysis: Legislative and policy achievements of EMILYs List women in Federal Parliament 200 ! '()* demonstrates a clear lin+ between the record number of women in the Rudd,-illard go#ernments and the considerable body of legislation of benefit to Australian women and their families passed during this period" .$hese go#ernments had the highest representation of women of any ma%or Australian political parties /*012, as well as a record number of women in any 3ederal abinet or Ministry,4she said" .It was no coincidence that this increased proportion of women in the parliament and +ey decision-ma+ing positions led to such important reforms for women as Australias first paid parental lea#e scheme5 pay e6uity principles which enabled community sector wor+ers to gain significant pay increases and ta7 and superannuation changes which benefited wor+ing women"8 Legislation supported by EMILYs List-bac+ed M9s also included the arer Recognition Act '()(5 Australian :uman Rights ommission Amendment /;ational hildrens ommissioner2 Act '()'5
<or+place -ender E6uality Act '()'5 =e7 >iscrimination Amendment /=e7ual ?rientation, -ender Identity and Interse7 =tatus2 Act '()* and the Early Years @uality 3und =pecial Account 3und '()*"

<ith four of the fi#e women in abinet between '()) and '()* long-time EMILYs List members ! Aulia -illard, 9enny <ong, Aenny Mac+lin and $anya 9liberse+ ! legislation was also passed to introduce >isability are5 to remo#e gender references from Medicare and place RBCD0 on the 9harmaceutical Eenefits =cheme and to greatly e7pand pro#ision of 6uality, affordable child care" .EMILYs List Australia is #ery proud that the financial support of our members contributed to the presence of so many progressi#e women M9s and that these women are ha#ing such a positi#e, identifiable impact, . &o#ac said" =ince )FF0, EMILYs List Australia has supported more than )GG progressi#e women into state, territory and federal parliaments" opies of the research are a#ailable through our office"
Spokesperson: Tanja Kovac, National Co Convenor, !MI"#s "ist $%stralia, 041& &10 '((
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Media Contact: 1o/hie $rnol2, De/%ty National Coor2inator, 0421 214 3340 2e/%tync4emilyslist,or-,a%
EMILYs List Australia is a financial and political support network for progressive Labor women candidates, providing financial support, training, mentoring and gender gap research.

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