For those girls,the possibilities of what they might achieve in life – for women’s empowerment – seemed limitless.
Today,those year 6 girls would be in their mid-20s. I wonder if they have maintained that optimism. What might they think about women’s empowerment in the Australia of 2021,where domestic violence is endemic,the gender pay gap isn’t predicted to close for 26 years,the superannuation gap is a whopping $66,000,homelessness is growing fastest among women over 55,and where sexual harassment,rape and lack of consent continue to impact the lives of our sisters and daughters?
Those year 6 girls went on to witness vile sexist attacks on our first female prime minister – and not in the dark corners of the internet,but in mainstream media and in the Parliament. When Gillard left office,she predicted the next female prime minister would have it easier than she did when it came to misogyny and sexism. I hope she is right,but her prediction is hardly bullet-proof.
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This year,not far from where Tony Abbott spoke in 2011 at a small rally with posters calling Gillard a “witch” and worse,thousands of women gathered for the Women’s March 4 Justice to say “enough is enough”. Enough with the violence. Enough with the rape. Enough with the sexism. Enough with the inequality. It was seismic. It gave great hope.
But no one rally is enough to make a lasting change. Change comes when we maintain solidarity. When we exercise power. And when we hold ourselves accountable to make that lasting change. Solidarity. Power. Accountability.
Gloria Steinem,founder ofMs magazine,says:“Power is never given,it must be taken. If we wait for someone to hand us power,we will wait forever.” For some,this is unsettling. Growing up,girls are often taught to be co-operative,collaborative,not combative. Sure,those are great tools for any leader,but so too are assertiveness,ambition and the willingness to take on a fight. There are still parts of Australian society that are uncomfortable or downright disturbed when women seek to gain and use power.