Often, we think we are better off in first world country like Australia.
We often hear about education inequality, in third world countries where families have limited resources and therefore decide more often than not to educate their boys instead of their girls.
No access to adequate family planning, contraception or health care adds massively to women’s exclusion from the formal economy and equal rights.
Yes, in general, women are better off in first world countries where basic human rights apply more equally to men and women. However, a gap is still remaining! Not only in women’s day-to-day lives but in their access to jobs, career promotion and equal pay for equal work. Inequality is something thousands of women experience all the time despite anti-discrimination laws being introduced.
Marie Turner working for Mitsubishi and addressing gender equality at her workplace found soon out that she had to create her own path for promotion. Often women have to prove themselves more often and work harder to get opportunities, or they just have to keep jumping the hurdles over and over again.
Deborah Glass, Ombudsman of Victoria, found a way to receive a hefty increase in wage when she asked if she was being paid the same as her predecessor. She stood up for herself and got rewarded for it. Equal pay is not the only issue but a great beginning to closing the gap!
The International Women’s Day is celebrated each year worldwide in March to remind us all about the remaining issues and gender inequality however, let us celebrate how far we have come.
You too, can find solutions for improved equality in your workplace or to improve your day-to-day life.
For this reason, Women in Rotary launches the International Women’s Day Breakfast where you will find the answers to your questions and much more!
To book tickets to the 2020 International Women’s Day Breakfast, visit https://www.rotaryiwdbreakfast.org.au/.