Victoria is faring best in the nation in terms of community mental health, teen pregnancy, physical assaults and youth crime according to the Centre for Social Impact's (CSI) Australian Social Progress Index (ASPI), to be discussed in a webinar next week.
The ASPI webinars will also show, for the first time, how each jurisdiction is faring in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the tool as a proxy measure.
Key findings:
- Victoria is largely performing within expected ranges for overall social progress and Foundations of Wellbeing. The state is performing better than expected in personal safety, and health and wellness, but worse than expected for personal freedom and choice.
- Victoria's social policy responses to COVID-19 have covered a wide range of social progress components, and demonstrates a holistic approach to social support during times of crisis. However, Victoria was also one of the worst performing jurisdictions in Personal Freedom and Choice; actions such as fines and restrictions of movement should be considered through a justice lens to ensure that already marginalised groups are not disproportionately targeted or impacted by measures intended to ensure public safety.
- Based on ASPI scores, VIC is making good progress towards achieving Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), but should prioritise goals that are focused on environmental quality (Goals 14 and 15).
WHEN: Monday 12 October, 11:30am – 12:30pm AEDT
WHERE: Online - Zoom webinar
REGISTRATION: https://events.humanitix.com/mapping-government-responses-to-covid-19-using-the-social-progress-index
Please note: The webinar starts at 11:30am (AEDT) and registrations will close an hour before the webinar starts.
ASPI researchers and webinar presenters:
- Dr Megan Weier: Research Fellow & ASPI Lead Researcher, Centre for Social Impact UNSW
- Isabella Saunders: Research Assistant, Centre for Social Impact UNSW
This impact2020 webinar is a free event presented by the CSI. During 12-16 October CSI will be running daily impact2020 webinars to delve into the ASPI results for each State and Territory of Australia with an emphasis on mapping Federal, State and Territory Government's policy responses to addressing social vulnerabilities during COVID-19.
