FED: Govt launches body for equal opportunity for women

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-1999
FED: Govt launches body for equal opportunity for women

The Equal Opportunity Advisory Board says more than half of Australia's top companies had
no women in their boardrooms and most failed to recognise the talents of female employees.

The board was launched in Sydney today in a bid to lift Australia's global productivity and
competitiveness by making workplaces more supportive of women's careers.

Agency director FIONA KRAUTIL says a recent study showed corporate Australia was lagging
behind the rest of the world by only paying lip service to equal opportunity for women.

Ms KRAUTIL says the study of more than 4,000 enterprise agreements showed 90 per cent did
not include paid maternity leave, family leave or any other family-friendly measure.

Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH said the new board was important to the efficiency
of the nation's labour market.

AAP RTV nd/tsm/pjg/jn

KEYWORD: WOMEN (SYDNEY)

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