Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My question is to the Minister for Women, and I ask: what does the 2022 state Labor budget deliver for the women of Northcote? Victoria is powering ahead with nation-leading reforms to improve gender equality and end gendered violence. From enshrining gender equality into law, putting in place gender-responsive budgeting and funding three-year-old kinder, wage subsidies for sole parents, free TAFE, more homes and supporting women to enter the workforce, we are making the transformational change that women need and deserve. But there is still more to do. In Northcote there are still disparities that have long-term consequences for women’s lifetime earnings, security, health and wellbeing. Locally I have been pushing for more investment in women’s health, family services and perinatal care and working to increase opportunities for diverse women to step into leadership roles and gain economic security. The prosperity of our state depends on what we do to support, encourage, elevate and generate opportunities for women and girls, so I was thrilled to see over $940 million invested as part of the state Labor budget.
