Women’s Health Goulburn North East contributed to the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Economic Equity for Women, which sought policy recommendations and ideas for addressing systemic economic inequality in the state.

In the submission, WHGNE emphasised that economic equity required Victoria to move beyond economic reform and to instead, prioritise a radical eoncomic overhaul, to:

1) ensure the social determinants of health are publicly funded;

2) respect the fact that human life has intrinsic value, beyond its capacity as labour or a resource for profit-making, and;

3) ensure the economy serves human need and planetary restoration.

As such, the submission focussed on four recommendations:

Provision of free or heavily subsidised education/training for women and gender-diverse people in sectors that have been demonstrated to be ‘essential’ or foundational to the Victorian economy

Incentives for this education/training and reduction of unemployment/underemployment via a Victorian Government Job Guarantee, which provides fairly paid work opportunities with gender equal leave and entitlements

Implementation of a shorter working week with no loss of pay

Implement a Victorian Universal Basic Income