The Australian Senate Select Committee invited Soroptimist Interenational South East Asia Pacific to give further evidence to strengthen the interim report on Work and Care. See statement pdf HERE (4.05 MB) . Of the 8 recommendations proposed, we are shaping a new one on migrant workers as well as addressing 4 we were concerned about:

• More recognition of unpaid and low-paid workers caring for ageing and people with disability and dementia (Childcare was well argued already and new budget was assigned for 26 week paid parental leave under the new Australian Wellbeing Budget)
  Benchmarking across the APEC countries and OECD, where we can learn lessons
• Right to disconnect (many workers in casual roles are torn between shifts, and never get enough sleep so their own mental and physical health).  Flexibility, definitions in the Fair Work Act, because the onus is always on the worker to be strong enough to speak up
• Duty of care by the employer
• Migrant workers undertake less-skilled labour (even though they might be qualified abroad) so we need to ensure they are strong enough to negotiate fair treatment and pay
• Strengthen systems to support indigenous peoples need and carers for vulnerable people like the ageing and people with disability and dementia. The concept of everybody in the family and community takes responsibility for caring for children, including the value of elders as cultural educators with the sense of belonging in the communities, no matter what family structure exists.

In 2018, SIROM launched a project to bring clean water to rural communities in Sarawak and Sabah. The remote Penang village of Long Tanyit in Sarawak was selected for the pilot project as it had no access to clean water or sanitation, electricity, or access to internet. Clinics were located 8 hours by 4 -wheel drive vehicle from Bintulu. Logging and deforestation have polluted the river that runs beside the 3 longhouses that the 300 villagers call home.  With sponsorship from the SI President’s Appeal (2017-2019) a Rainwater Harvesting system and a small dam to provide a back-up gravity-fed source of clean were constructed.   6 +20 women were trained in organic farming methods. 

In 2021 floods devastated the village, farmlands and their food economy. Women were trained in alternative income ventures, and in climate resilience.  On 12-13 October, 2022 SIROM with support from Heineken Malaysia and Spark Foundation conducted a workshop for 15 women from Long Tanyit to educate them on flood risks and mitigation. The Director of DID (Drainage and Irrigation) Department, Sarawak, Ir Ahmad Denney bin Haji Ahmad Fauzi , was invited to provide the Keynote address while an Engineer from DID in KL gave a talk on risks of flooding and how to take precautions before, during and after floods.    Full story HERE