WOMEN CAN THEY HAVE IT ALL?

WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA

Historical View: Pre-1960s Women had to give up paid employment after marriage. Lack of contraception meant women had little control over their fertility. Women were very dependent on men financially and therefore the power lay with men. Women were not encouraged to get a university degree. Women only got the vote in 1902. Virtually no female politicians and females in management roles.

Post Feminist Revolution: 1970s to Today The number of women attending university swelled (60% of medical students at Sydney University are female. The advent of the contraceptive pill allowed women to reduce the number of children they bore. Women encouraged to be part of the paid workforce. There are female politicians and company executives. Males are encouraged to take a greater role on child rearing and housework. Government agencies were set up to support women’s rights. (Equal Opportunity For Women Agency).

Kristina Keneally: First Female Premier of NSW “I think it is wonderful that we live in a state where the three highest offices – the Governor, the Premier, the Deputy Premier – as well as the Sydney Lord Mayor, are all led by women. Each of these women has achieved that office because of their work, skill and tenacity.” 09.03.2010 (Southern Courier)

Areas of Weakness Only 12% of the executive managers in the 200 biggest Australian companies are women. Women earn 17% less than men for doing the same job. The majority of housework and childcare duties are still carried out by women.

Violence Against Women Is Still A Problem Over 1/3 of Australian women experience indecent assault by the time they are 15. Domestic violence in Australia contributes to more ill health and premature death for women aged 15 to 44 than any other single factor. Indigenous women in Australia are 10 times more likely to die as a result of domestic violence than are non-indigenous women. In 2002-03 it was estimated that there were 408,100 Australian victims of domestic violence-of these, 87 per cent were women.

Women In Religion Most of the major religions are patriarchal in structure. Most positions of authority are dominated by males. Some of the man-made rules within the major religions seek to subjugate (suppress) women. The pronoun ‘He’ is used in sacred texts, although it is widely accepted that God is neither male nor female. Although females perpetuate religion by bringing their children to worship, they have very little say in the major decisions of most churches. By discouraging contraception, the major churches seek to propagate their congregations. Women are limited to the roles of wife and mother. By following rules applicable to women hundreds or thousands of years ago and laid down in the ancient texts, religion has often been used as a tool to restrict women’s plight for equality.

Women In Indigenous Cultures Indigenous women suffer higher rates of violence than any other women in Australia. Within Indigenous communities, women and young girls are subject to physical and sexual abuse. Access to adequate healthcare remains an issue for women of Indigenous cultures. Maternal health is a major issue for Australian Indigenous women, with more than double the infant mortality rate than non-Indigenous women.

Moving Forward: Suggestions for Change Tax rebates for quality childcare and encouraging men to take paternity leave. Using the innate talents of women such as good communications skills to benefit the workplace. Changing the ‘masculine culture’ in both the workplace and in society to allow women the opportunity to compete. Mothers should encourage and train their sons to cook and share house duties. Outdated ‘traditions’ such as a woman changing her name after marriage should be revised.

What Can You Do? Raise awareness about this issue in your own schools and communities. Support organisations such as Unifem and Caritas in their work to empower women. Become political: Support a party that has a just attitude towards women and gender inequality.