Males Totally ignored

 April 2003

The speech by the Senator Amanda Vanstone, Minister for Women's Interests announced the 2001-2002 Budget, Highlights for Women.

In this speech to parliament the minister outlined 2.74 billion dollars of spending from the federal budget.

- $30 million over four years willl be spent on Office of the Status of Women.

- $2.4 million over four years forr national leadership Initiative for women

- $5.5 million over four years to  expand women's organisations

- $5.5 million over four years to  develop women's information strategy

- $16.5 million over four years too combat sexual assault

- $4.2 million over four years to  enhance equal opportunity for women in workplace

- $115.6 million over four years oon women's health programs

- $71.9 million over four years foor GP's to increase rates of cervical screening

- $13.5 million over four years too improve the access to undergraduate nursing education in country

- $8 Billion over four years on Chhildcare

- $35 million over four years to eencourage women in technology, science and innovation

Not included in these figures is state government spending or special purpose grants from areas such as the Lotteries Commission, unclaimed prize money from racing and gambling and many individual grants made by government agencies and universities and institutions.

While spending on women's interest's is not out of step with public perceptions, it does highlight the inequity when compared with spending on men's issues.

Men in general did not necessarily want a reduction in services for women but simply wanted to see a situation were men were not treated differently or at the very least, not treated worse.