Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Community Services and the Minister for the Status of Women, upon notice, on 13 March 2012:

With reference to the Australian Government Office for Women (OfW) website, which states: 'The Office for Women delivers many of the programs and services relevant to women outlined in this website. The programs and services can be found as follows:

Reducing Violence: Relating to reducing violence against women and their children - National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, Women's Safety Programs, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault help details, support for victims of people trafficking.

Equal Place in Society: Activities and engagement with women's organisations, aimed at improving women's equal place in society'.

International Engagement: The Australian Government's work in international forums, and policy on international matters affecting women.

Research and Data: Research and data relating to women in Australia.

Economic Security: Aimed at increasing the economic security of Australian women - including pay equity, superannuation, managing money, women in business.

Australian Government Panel of Gender Experts (Gender Panel) User Guide: The Gender Panel supports the development of gender expertise across the Australian government by providing a range of services to promote the integration of gender equality into policy, programs and research.

Social and Community Sector Workers Equal Remuneration Case: The Prime Minister announced on 10 November 2011, that the Australian Government and the Australian Services Union have reached an agreement in the Social and Community Sector Workers Equal Remuneration Case'.

(1) In relation to each of the programs and services outlined above, can details be provided for every program and service delivered by the OfW, including how the program or service is delivered.

(2) Are there Key Performance Indicators for the delivery of each program and/or service; if so, what are they; if not, why not.

(3) Which programs and/or services are not delivered by the OfW, and can an explanation be provided as to why they are not delivered.

(4) For each program and/or service not delivered by the OfW, can details be provided as to:

(a) which office or department is responsible for the delivery;

(b) whether the OfW liaises with the office or department; if so, how; if not, why not; and

(c) how the OfW ensures that the program and/or service is delivered to a satisfactory standard.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Community Services and the Minister for the Status of Women have provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) The Gender Equality for Women program guidelines, publicly available on the Internet, provides details about the program, including the program/service deliverables, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and components of the program. Please refer to:

www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/women/funding/Pages/respectful_relationships_round_three.aspx

(2) The Gender Equality for Women program KPIs are available in the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 2010-2011 Annual Report, for Outcome 6.1. Please refer to:

www.annualreport.fahcsia.gov.au/part2/chapter10/

For more detailed performance measures refer to:

www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/women/funding/Pages/respectful_relationships_round_three.aspx

(3) The programs/services not delivered by the Office for Women are those more appropriately delivered by another Commonwealth Department or agency, or by State and Territory Governments.

(4) (a) to (c) Consistent with the Beijing Platform for Action, this Government and the previous Government have supported gender mainstreaming as the best practice approach to ensuring gender is considered in the full range of decisions affecting women.

Departments are accountable through a range of mechanisms and on a range of matters from the Financial Management Accountability Act 1997 to the Parliament Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Estimates hearings.