More to be entitled to paid parental leave under $100 million women's finance plan

Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer will outline a $109 million plan to improve the economic independence and security of women.

Kelly O'Dwyer at a press conference.

Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer will announce $109 million to improve financial security for women. (AAP)

More Australians will be able to access paid parental leave under a swag of changes aimed at improving women's financial security.

Some people who have faced domestic violence will also be able to dip into their superannuation early under the federal government measures, worth $109 million over the next four years.




Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer will detail the initiatives while delivering Australia's first women's economic security statement at the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.

She said Australia has taken great strides in improving women's economic independence and security in the past few decades, with more women are in work than ever before and the gender pay gap moving in the right direction.

But the minister said problems remain, including women earning less than men, retiring with 42 per cent less in their superannuation and being twice as likely to work part-time.

Food services staff
The pay gap has increased in the food services industry. Source: Getty


"Even though we have come a long way, we still want Australian women to be able to do even better," Ms O'Dwyer said.

"We want to ensure that women can build their financial security to help them choose their own path so they and their families can live their best lives.

"These new measures will help just give women and their families' greater choice, and will also help grow the Australian economy."

The coalition's plan is focused on increasing the workforce participation of women, supporting their economic independence and improving their earning potential.

Changing the work test for the federal government's paid parental leave scheme is part of the workforce participation measures.

Currently, parents need to have worked at least 330 hours in 10 of the 13 months prior to their child's birth, with a break of no more than eight weeks between two working days.

But parents will still qualify if they'd had a break of up to 12 months, and be able to move their work test period if they had to stop work early due to a workplace hazard.

Extra flexibility will also be added to the scheme, with families able to split their parental leave period into blocks.

An initial minimum of 12 weeks would need to be taken, with the remaining six weeks able to be claimed within two years of a birth or adoption.

The coalition is also extending the early release of superannuation for domestic and family violence victims.

That comes as further funding is going towards legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, to save them from being directly cross-examined by their perpetrators in family law matters.

Programs aimed at encouraging women's entrepreneurship are also among the measures.


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