Kim Rubenstein's mission for the May 21 winner: raise the status of women

In an interview with The Canberra Times, Professor Rubenstein has also decried the focus of the major parties during the 2022 election campaign, saying they swung on what swings in swinging seats rather than the "pressing issues for all Australians".

The aspirant senator insists the status of women is a pre-eminent election issue, particularly regarding safety and equality.

She points to the "shocking number" of women killed in domestic violence incidents this year and she charges that the rage and despair that led to the March 4 Justice rallies around the nation last year have not dissipated.

"It's really not that long ago," she said.

"I think it's been very disappointing the way that it hasn't been prioritised in discussions.

"I think it is really concerning and says something about the nature of our political system.

"We do need to think about how we deal with really wicked issues, really complex issues, in a way that shows that our parliament is committed to the wellbeing of everybody, not just those who need seats."

Professor Rubenstein, who is vying to take one of two Senate seats in the ACT from the Labor and Liberal incumbents in 2022, is a long-time women's leadership and gender equity advocate. She was the inaugural convenor of the ANU Gender institute and she is an academic director of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation.

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She is proposing an urgent overhaul of women's affairs in Australia, as she regards the nation as having "dropped the ball" on maintaining strong gender equity policies.

"We knew back in 1995 that we still had work to do, but we were on a reasonable trajectory in terms of some of the work that had been earlier done in the late 80s and early 90s," the lawyer and academic said.

"But we've actually just seen ourselves going backwards. And that's astounding. My kids are in their 20 years and things have gotten worse, not better in some certain areas."

An immediate symbolic and concrete change would be a federal cabinet with equal numbers of women as well as appointing to cabinet a minister solely responsible for women, according to Professor Rubenstein.

"We should show the primacy of that as a significant policy issue for all of society because it has such an impact in terms of both the social and economic wellbeing of everybody," she said.

"[The current Minister for Women] Minister Payne is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, so what does that say about attention to really significant issues?"

Leadership roles for women are recommended in the independent Jenkins Review into parliamentary workplace culture - Professor Rubenstein is committed to the implementation of all recommendations. She and colleague Trish Bergen called for such an inquiry straight after the Four Corners program "Inside the Canberra Bubble" exposed the toxic working environment at Parliament House.

She is also pledging, if elected as an influential crossbench senator, to press for 26 weeks of shared paid parental leave, universal childcare and properly resourced early childhood education, funding to rebuild the Office for Women, as well as incentives to get men into female-dominated jobs and women into male-dominated jobs.

It is a "gender lens" that is needed, according to Professor Rubenstein.

"In the same way that I'll be reviewing all legislation from a lens of transparency and accountability, at the same time I can also be looking at every piece of legislation in a gender responsive way," she said.

"And in terms of 'what is the impact of this legislation in terms of gender equity in our society?' Those are things that can be done for every piece of legislation.

"But in particular, for women's safety, we really need to provide greater support for the Office for Women."