Women's Movement to stage picket outside parliament

By Kim Sausle
17 February 2010

The New Women’s Movement together with other women-led and rural organisations, will stage a picket outside parliament today, demanding that the needs of poor women and children are prioritised in the National Budget.

Spokesperson for the Movement, Vainola Makan says women on grass roots level who bear the brunt of economic hardship in the country, are overlooked.

“Every year, the needs and interests of women do not reflect in the budget. That is why we want to go and make sure that we register our protest and concern, in order to ensure the government to open up space for women to participate in the budget and that we benefit from the budget; which is in fact our own tax payers money,” said Makan.

Makan said their organisation would like to see a substantial increase in social spending; such as education, social security and pension grants and child care.

She said the budget should further prioritise the needs of the most marginalized groups, including poor and rural women and children, community caregivers, refugee women, orphans and women with different sexualities.