Girls from Oz is thrilled to be included in the new research report commissioned by Australians Investing in Women (AIIW), ‘Changing the Trajectory: Investing in women for a fairer future’.
g-oz is featured as an example of effective philanthropic investment; supporting young women affected by COVID-19 and young women most vulnerable to the long term effects on their career prospects and future economic security.
The report, prepared by Equity Economics, looks at the impact of COVID-19 on women’s employment with a particular focus on young women and encourages philanthropic funders to invest in initiatives such as g-oz to ‘change the trajectory’.
CEO of AIIW, Julie Reilly, says “The pandemic has created significant risks to the economic futures of young women in Australia, and threatens to rapidly undo the gains in gender equality that have been hard fought for over many decades”.
The report also found there was a 28 per cent increase in the number of young women not in
education or employment, compared to a 20 per cent increase in the number of young men.
“This is particularly concerning because we know that young people who experience more than six
months not in education, employment or training are three to five times more likely to experience
persistent periods of unemployment in adulthood”, says Julie.
The first report in the series, ‘Gender-wise Investing: A Springboard for Australia’s Recovery’, published in April this year, identifies that the impact of the Summer 2019/20 bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic on Australian women and girls has been more severe and sustained compared to their male counterparts. The report identifies that crucial investment focus is needed on employment and relevant skills-matching, domestic violence services, accessible mental health care, and homelessness support.
Ms Reilly, says Australia is now at serious risk of going backwards in gender equality.
“We need to factor in the very specific experiences of women and girls in responding to the economic crisis we find ourselves in. If not, we will inadvertently widen gender gaps in economic outcomes and exacerbate gender inequality…”
“.. Applying a gender lens to policy and investment – whether philanthropic, commercial, or by government – is vital.”
There are many ways you can make a difference and contribute to improving the lives of women and girls. Philanthropy includes giving skills, knowledge, time and influence, not only money.
Changing the Trajectory: Investing in Women for a Fairer Future, is available to read here
Gender-wise Investing: A Springboard for Australia’s Recovery, the first report in the series, is available to read here.
