A Letter from Women Leaders to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Hon Anthony Albanese, MPPrime Minister Canberra ACT 2600 5 May 2024Dear Prime Minister,As women and non-binary people from the community, union, business, and academic sectors and civil society, we write to urge you to deliver a substantial increase to JobSeeker and Youth Allowance in this Federal Budget.Substantially lifting JobSeeker and Youth Allowance is the priority recommendation of the government-appointed Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee’s 2024 report.As the Chair of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, the Hon Jenny Macklin AC said, “Women escaping violence also need to know that there will be a decent social security net for them.” The current social security safety net cannot be described as “decent” nor safe.The JobSeeker Payment is just $55 a day. Youth Allowance is even less at $45 a day. Around 500,000 women receive these payments. While the government’s expansion of Parenting Payment Single to 82,000 single parents whose youngest child is aged between 8 and 14 was most welcome, there remain large numbers of women of all ages in receipt of JobSeeker and other working-age payments that are simply not enough to cover basic costs.Fixing the adequacy of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance to deliver basic economic security for women cannot wait.For First Nations women, for women from diverse backgrounds, for women from all backgrounds, the impacts of poverty on the ability to leave violence and live in safety is profound.No one should be forced to live in poverty. The evidence is clear: a key reason that women are unable to leave violence is because they do not have economic security.The Escaping Violence Payment only provides an upfront cash payment of up to $1,500, with the remaining $3,500 provided by way of goods and services. To find safety, women need to know they will have basic economic security over the longer term.Lifting social security payments will not negate the need to invest in frontline services and take the other critical steps to achieve women’s safety. However, it is a core part of ensuring women can do what they need to do in order to be safe.Yours sincerely, Click here to see all 315 signatories Antoinette Braybrook AMKatie KissDr Hannah McGladeJune Oscar AOProfessor Nareen YoungFeyi AkindoyeniTasnia Alam HannanJan AlewoodVictoria AitkenKate AllinghamDr Jane AlverZuleika Arashiro, FECCA Director of Policy, Health and AgeingDr Amira AtfabStassi AustinProfessor Eileen Baldry AOSam BarkerDr Alison Barnes, National Tertiary Education Union National PresidentDr Naomi BarnesJo Barraket AM, Melbourne Social Equity Institute DirectorProfessor Alexandra BarrattAssociate Professor Amy BarrowRicci Bartels OAMChristine BartlettAssociate Professor Francesca BartlettAssociate Professor Becky BatagolMary BennettProfessor Sharon BessellKaren Bevan Debby BlakelyJade Blakkarly, WIRE CEOJanin Bredehoeft, Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) CEOToni BrendishProfessor Marie BrennanMadeleine BridgettElizabeth Broderick AODr Nikki BrunkerAssociate Professor Cathie BurgessGeorgia BurkeDr Kellie BurnsSharan Burrow ACTracey BurtonMeghan ButterfieldKatie CameronLiz Cameron-SmithSharon CallisterRobbie Campo, Women in Super ChairTanya CarabezWendy CarlisleEmily Carter AMJane Caro AMTanya CarrollJennifer ChandlerFariha ChowdhuryMelinda CilentoNarelle Clay AM Anna Cody, Sex Discrimination CommissionerProfessor Kay CookMarie Coleman AO PSM DUnivKate ColvinTrish ConnellyMegan CorfieldAssociate Professor Natasha CortisRos CraigSusan CrookesProfessor Bronwen DaltonMarianne DalyProfessor Azadeh Dastyari Dr Cristyn DaviesProfessor Megan DaviesProfessor Angela DawsonGeorgie DentDr Elizabeth Deveny Lin Hatfield DoddsNatasha Doherty, Ethicol CEOAnne DonaldsonProfessor Heather Douglas Associate Professor Molly DragiewiczSherrill DuncanAnne Dunn AMJulie EdwardsTerese EdwardsMegan Etheridge OAMProfessor Emerita Robyn Ewing AMAudette Exel AOMolly FairweatherDr Katherine FallahSylvia FalzonJo FarrellJana FaveroMelanie FernandezMarie FestaCaitlin FigueiredoAngela FinchVerity Firth AMMel FisherCatherine FitzpatrickRev Nicole FlemingCatherine Fox AMHolly FreemanRev Jane FryProfessor Susanne GannonDr Lydia GarsideEmeline GaskeLisa GayAssociate Professor Jessica GerrardLeisa Gibson, Abt Global Senior Director, Gender Equality and Social InclusionTina GibsonMichelle GigenhuberCaterina GiorgiRebecca GlennDr Cassandra Goldie AODr Claire GolledgeProfessor Susan GoodwinRobyn GoughProfessor Jenny Gore AMProfessor Linda GrahamAssociate Professor Genevieve Grant Emma GreenleighKathryn Greiner AOProfessor Susan Groundwater-Smith AMFiona Guthrie AMAssociate Professor Anna HalafoffDr Bridget HaireJulie HamblinWendy HarmerKate HarrisonVirginia Haussegger AMProfessor Valerie HarwoodProfessor Catherine HawkeProfessor Debra HayesCheryl HaymanCorrena Haythorpe, Australian Education Union Federal PresidentDr Katherine HeathValerie HeathNicole HetheringtonLynda HendersonJanine HendryDr Yara HilalJennie HillJess HillRev Faaimata (Mata) Havea HiliauLucy HohnenRev Sharon HollisAlison HollowayNicole HollowsDr Jess HooleyProfessor Julia HorneDr Angelique HowellKatrina Ironside, Women’s Legal Service NSW CEODr Angela JacksonTanya Jackson-Vaughan, TJV Consulting DirectorAnita Jacoby AMAssociate Professor Kathryn JamesAssociate Professor Melissa KangAssociate Professor Miranda KayeProfessor Fiona KellyAnna KennetEmeritus Professor Jeanette KennettCheryl KernotTanja KovacRosemary LeeStephanie LeeVanessa LeillCatherine LiddleKatrina LinesJulian LushAngela Lynch AMLibby Lloyd AOSusan Lloyd-Hurwitz, Chief Executive Women PresidentLibby LyonsEdwina MacDonald, ACOSS Deputy CEOJasmine MacDonaldThe Hon Jenny Macklin ACJane Madden, NFAW PresidentProfessor Marion MaddoxRowena Maguire, Centre for Justice, Queensland University of Technology DirectorProfessor Jacqueline ManuelDr Jackie MapulangaProfessor Lina MarkauskaiteBridget MatherRev Dr Margaret MaymanKate McBrideHarriet McCallumWendy McCarthy AOJulie McCrossin AMDr Janelle McDonaldKatrina McDonnellProfessor Lisa McDaidAshleigh McfarlaneThe Hon Cathy McGowan AOMaria McGowan OAMLisa-Marie McKechnieDr Margaret McKenzie, Per Capita Senior economistProfessor Julie McLeodDr Domenique MeyrickJennifer MillsMarcelle MoggMelanie MontalbanFiona MooreElfa MoraitakisSue MorphetDi Morrissey AMKaren MundineKate MunroRev Bronwyn MurphyDr BJ NewtonKris NewtonKatherine NicholsonVivian NguyenJuliana Nkrumah AMProfessor Karen O’ConnellKristin O’ConnellDr Alison Grove O’GradyLiz OlleProfessor Rachel Ong ViforJMaree OverallKirstie ParkerSara ParrotKelly PatonAssociate Professor Louisa PeraltaKaren PerkinsSarah PerksProfessor Janette PerzMichelle PhillipsProfessor Ruth PhillipsDr Deborah Pino-PasternakDr Susan PoetschJan PrimroseAbby PriorProfessor Helen ProctorProfessor Mary Lou RasmussenDr Victoria RawlingsTrudi RayCaitlin ReigerAssociate Professor Janice RichardsonSuzie RiddellProfessor Alison Ritter AOJamila Rizvi, Future Women Deputy Managing DirectorClaire RobbsDistinguished Professor Kerry H. Robinson Violet Roumeliotis AMDr Emma RoweElana Rubin AMJemma RuleFrances Rush OAMDiana Ryall AMProfessor Judyth SachsJanelle SaffinProfessor Sue SaltmarshJane Sanders AMKathy SantEmma SayersMary SayersAngela ScarfeNora ScheinkestelAssociate Professor Ashley SchramEmily ScottProfessor Kate SeearJillian Segal AO Victoria ShakeshaftDenise ShrivellJoanna Siejka RostamiDiane Smith-Gander AODr Catherine SmythJozefa SobskiMelanie SouthwellAssociate Professor Ilektra SpandagouDr Margaret SpencerTracey Spicer AMRuth SpielmanKerry StainesProfessor Fiona Stanley AC Julie Steiner AMCaroline Stewart, Ecstra Foundation CEOLisbeth StewartDr Mary StewartWendy Stone, Swinburne University of Technology Professor of Housing and Social PolicyImogen SturniDr Helen Szoke AOMagda Szubanski AOJo TaylorSarah Taylor, CBS Group Director, Strategy + TechnologyJennifer ThomasTanja TosvicProfessor Jane UssherMaria ValenzuelaPauline VamosTahlia-Roae Vanissum, Sisters in Spirit Aboriginal Corporation ChairpersonProfessor Ariadne VromenHang VoHa VuNicola Wakefield Evans AMMaree WalkSelina WalkerProfessor Chris WallaceKristen WallworkKaren Walsh, Venture Housing CEOAssociate Professor Jane WangmannHeather WatsonProfessor Helen WattAssociate Professor Jennifer WayStephanie WescottElisha WestKerry WesteLesley Whalan SCKate Wheller, CISVic Executive OfficerKate WhittleCassandra WinzarDr Blair WilliamsDr Miriam WilliamsJess WilsonGladys Woods, Haslin Constructions Owner/General ManagerAshton WynnKristine Ziwica Women leaders call for JobSeeker boost to promote women’s safety LinkedInThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.Will you sign on to the letter?First Name(Required)Surname(Required)Email(Required) OrganisationRoleBy signing, you acknowledge that you agree to our privacy policy.