Gender equality is the equal treatment of people of all genders. Conversely, gender inequality is the discrimination of people based on their gender.
Most of us will be familiar with these terms, but women in particular are no strangers to the experiences and impacts of gender inequality.
One example is that women in Australia are still subject to the gender pay gap, with a 14% difference in average pay nationally*.
Another is that women are five times more likely to be victims of sexual assault than men*.
While we have made many advancements in the fight against gender inequality in Australia, there is still much to be done to promote and create gender equality with the aim of saving women’s lives and creating a better and more equal world for women.
1 in 3 Australian women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a man since the age of 15**
64% of women with children 5 years old or younger participate in the workforce, compared with 95% of men*
Women spend almost twice as many hours each day performing unpaid care or household work compared to men***
Choose to Challenge
The theme for International Women’s Day this year (8 March 2021) is Choose to Challenge, asking each and every one of us to make the choice to challenge gender inequality and celebrate women’s achievements.
We can create change for the better on a large scale by first focusing on our own individual thoughts and actions – by challenging ourselves and challenging the gender inequality ‘norms’ we witness in our everyday lives.
So here are five ways you can Choose to Challenge, and empower women and girls in your life:
- Girls can do anything boys can
Girls shouldn’t be limited to having only dolls and plastic kitchen items as toys. What about monster trucks and superheros, frisbees and footies, and playing outside in the dirt? We carry these stereotypes and biases into adulthood, thinking that men should be in roles of power or roles that require strength and grit, and thinking women should be in caring roles or stay-at-home mums.
We need to encourage both girls and women to focus on what they enjoy and follow their aspirations rather than letting these be determined by stereotypes and gender biases.
- Balancing care and domestic work
Gone are the days where women were expected to stay at home, cook, clean and care for the children… but are they?
In Australia women spend more than double the amount of hours as men performing unpaid care work. UNWomen points out that this time and energy spent on caretaking takes away from the time and energy women could otherwise be spending to earn more money, advance their career and/or enjoy leisure activities.
Talk with your partner or family about how caregiving or household tasks can be shared more equally amongst both adults and children, and focus on each person’s strengths/preferences rather than their gender when allocating tasks.
Another action we can take to improve gender equality is to give value to and show appreciation for women’s work, because the value of ANY work should not be dependant on whether the work is paid or unpaid, but rather on the time and energy spent towards that work.
- Promoting workplace diversity & equal work culture
Unfortunately there are many instances of gender inequality in the Australian workplace, including pay gaps, hiring practices/preferences for male staff, and leave entitlement inequalities.
Every workplace will be different, and some will be more advanced than others in providing a gender equal place to work, but if you notice gender inequality in your workplace - challenge it. Workplace culture is formed by the people in that workplace, and so the only way it can be improved is when people make change.
- Call out sexism and harassment
The way women are treated, and are taught to be treated by others, is learnt from a very early age. These learnings are then carried on into our adult lives. When a boy hits a girl, we tell girls “it’s because he likes you”. When a woman is catcalled from passers-by, we say it’s because she was wearing something provocative. When a man is violent towards a woman, we say it’s because she upset him. And when a woman is a victim of sexual assault, we make all sorts of excuses like “she was asking for it”.
We need to stop giving boys and men an ‘out’, and we need to stop placing blame on women as victims. We all have the opportunity and responsibility to teach both girls and boys that respect for all genders should be equal and that consent should be mutual. And when we witness sexism or harassment, we should call it out.
Challenge yourself to stand up for women, and to stand up for their rights, even if women aren’t around to notice. Pointing out a sexist comment from a mate is one simple yet important example of how we can choose to challenge gender inequality.
- Challenge your own biases
It’s normal to have our own gender biases, especially when we’ve been brought up or surrounded by others with gender biases, because we learn from those around us. The challenge is that people with gender biased or sexist beliefs often don’t believe that they have gender biased or sexist beliefs – and certainly no one wants to be called sexist, because this has a negative association.
Consider the gender biases you might have, or think about instances where you’ve said something regarding gender that may have resulted in an argument or debate with others.
Think about where your gender biases may have originated from. If you believe women should do all the household work, is it because your mother did all the household work in your home? Or maybe if you believe women shouldn’t do tradesman work, is it because you or a woman you know was discouraged from doing such work?
Finally, consider how, by challenging your own gender biases, you might improve the lives of women and/or promote their safety and equality – and this challenge isn’t just for men, it’s for women too.
We don’t have to become feminists to create change for good, but we ALL have a role to play in creating a safe and gender equal world for women.
Liz Gellel | Communications Coordinator
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