Equality for women - are we there yet?

15,000 women marched through New York City in 1908 demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. 100 years on, as we again celebrate International Women’s Day (8 March), how much progress have Australian women made?

The Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission released a report for IWD called Women Rights and Equality - What do they want now? The report shows that women find life challenging, hectic and stressful and feel that it is all but impossible to have a successful career at a level of seniority without considerable damage to family life. Sexualised stereotyping of women persists in the media and this is considered degrading and damaging, especially of younger women. There is a strong belief that sexual assault as well as domestic violence is seriously under-reported by women.

http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/publications/reports%20and%20discussion%20papers/women%20rights%20and%20equality.asp

Of relevance to IWD are the results concerning women's perceptions of feminism. The findings include: [parentheses added}

• younger women [falsely] assume they have the same opportunities as men
• a [false] belief that feminism means casting men and women as 'the same'
• [falsely] associating feminism with radical or militant women who 'want to be men'.

The report points out:

"What becomes somewhat lost in this is not only the struggle it took to get this far, but that there are still systemic inequalities across a number of aspects of life, which need to be challenged and rectified."

Also:

"It is timely to remind ourselves that without feminists, women in Victoria would not have received the vote 100 years ago. Feminism led to the creation of the Equal Opportunity Act which not only benefited thousands of women but subsequently outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, religion, disability and sexual orientation."

Australia’s Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick said in her IWD speech that: "Efforts to create equality between women and men in Australia have stagnated and may even be going backwards..."

"Eighty years ago when the first International Women’s Day rally was held in Sydney, women called for equal pay for equal work. Not only do we still not have this but the gap has widened over the last few years," Ms Broderick said.

"We still see few women in decision making roles. We are moving at a glacial pace. In the case of boardrooms, women's participation has only increased from 8.4 percent in 2003 to 8.7 percent in 2006.

"True equality does not seem like a radical demand, but even today there are many women who struggle to balance work and family. Sexual harassment is still alive and well," she said.

"Make no mistake, we are no where near the so-called ‘tipping point’ on gender equality."

Commissioner Broderick said looking from the outside you could be forgiven for thinking that Australia is still a ‘man’s country’: where women have only one third the retirement savings of men; where paid maternity leave is still not a reality; and where women are questioning whether they can pursue opportunities available to other women in the western world."

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2008/23_08.html

Clearly, we are not there yet. Australian women do not have equal opportunities, equal pay, respectful treatment, freedom from violence.

And will we be any closer in 1911 when internationally we celebrate 100 years of women’s united action for global equality and change? Only if there’s a major change in human behaviour.

[The first International Women's Day was launched on 8 March 1911 in Copenhagen by Clara Zetkin, Leader of the'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany.]

For more information:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

International Women’s Day web site.

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

United Nations web site giving background information on IWD.

http://unifem.org.au

United Nations Development Fund for Women, National Committee in Australia. It is a voluntary organisation which raises public awareness on gender and development, works with governments and other organisations and raises funds for specific UNIFEM projects.

http://www.peacewomen.org/

International League for Peace and Freedom

http://www.1325australia.org.au/html/nures1.html

1325australia is an action site designed to promote the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 ‘Women, Peace and Security’ within the Australian context.

Security Council Resolution 1325 was passed unanimously on 31 October 2001. Resolution (S/RES/1325) is the first resolution ever passed by the Security Council that specifically addresses the impact of war on women, and women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. 

Dr Ann Villiers, learning guide, professional speaker and author, is Australia's only Mental Nutritionist® specialising in mind and language practices that help people build flexible thinking, confident speaking and quality connections with people. Visit www.mentalnutrition.com to learn more about Mental Nutrition. Visit www.selectioncriteria.com.au for free resources unlocking the mysteries of public service jobs.