“I’m very proud to lead the first government in Australia with a majority of women in our membership,” Albanese said to government leaders who gathered together at Parliament House on Wednesday morning to officially launch Australia’s 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations. 

“You can see across every portfolio, this makes a difference. Because of women campaigning with the union movement, making it clear that no one should have to choose between safety and their job, we now have 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave.”

“Because of women’s advocacy and the work of experts like Anne Summers, emphasising the way that poverty and financial dependency trap people in violent relationships, we’ve delivered more support for single mums,” he said.

“When women are seeking help, they should be heard and seen, believed, supported and empowered.”

“While women are shaping these policies and driving these responses, ending this epidemic of violence has to involve men stepping up. Because violence against women is not a problem that women should have to solve.”

The tragic number of women killed in Australia shows that the epidemic of violence plaguing the nation. In 2023, Destroy the Joint data revealed a staggering 64 women’s lives were stolen by violence, and already this year, six women have lost their lives to violence. 

The gender-based nature of this violence is clear, as men are often the perpetrators of physical violence, sexual harassment and sexual violence. This reality makes Albanese’s call for men to “take responsibility” all the more critical. 

Ahead of the UN Global Day of Observance on 8 March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton co-hosted the annual UN Women Australia event. 

“The lead-up to International Women’s Day is an opportunity for all of us to recognise the progress that women are driving across our economy and our society,” Albanese said.

“It’s a chance to re-affirm our commitment to true gender equality – in the community, the boardroom, on the sporting field, in our parliaments. Above all, this is a time when we must face-up to where we are falling short and look for new ways to do better.”

Also present at the event were some of the government’s most high profile womne, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Minister for Women Katy Gallagher and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth.

This year’s official theme for IWD is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’, based on the priority theme for the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women, exploring the pathways to greater economic inclusion for women and girls everywhere.

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Last year, Bullock became the first woman in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 63-year history to hold the influential position of Governor. 

“UN Women Australia is delighted to welcome one of Australia’s most prominent economic leaders for this one-of-a-kind conversation,” said Simone Clarke, CEO of UN Women Australia. 

The exclusive virtual presentation will feature an in-depth conversation with Governor Bullock, where audiences will hear insight into her visions and aspirations, her passion for inclusion and her views on the importance of diverse leadership. 

The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’. It’s based on the priority theme for the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women, exploring the pathways to greater economic inclusion for women and girls everywhere.

Around 2.4 billion women of working age are not afforded equal economic opportunity as men. Nearly 1 in 3 adolescent girls from the poorest households around the world has never been to school, while more than 342 million women and girls could be living below the poverty line by 2030, according to UN Women’s 2023 Gender Snapshot. 

The Snapshot shows an additional $360 billion per year is needed to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, only 26 per cent of countries have a comprehensive system to track gender budget allocations.

“Women’s economic empowerment is central to a gender equal world,” says UN Women Australia. “When women are given equal opportunities to learn, earn and lead– entire communities thrive.”

Over the coming weeks, UN Women Australia will also be unveiling the inspiring line-up of speakers who will be across Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, as well as a live virtual stream of all events on Friday, 8 March 2024.

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I think the resentment started with cupcakes. Such a belittling gesture at a time when women needed real and powerful action. 

I am a woman who loves nothing more than dressing up in a frock and making a fuss. But IWD needs a glow up and a dressing down, because it’s starting to stink of virtue signaling. If the day wants to survive it needs to be less frivolous, more action-orientated and more serious. 

As a rural woman in my mid(ish) thirties, I’ve spent the last eight years coordinating International Women’s Day events. It’s not the core business of my agricultural events and communications agency, but it’s a side hustle I’ve felt passionate about, and my love for it has been genuine. It brings women together in rural communities, gives us something positive to think about and look forward to and allows for some strong reflection. I am proud to say that we have read the room and the conversations have become meatier, more constructive and the focus has become stronger and more refined. Yet year on year, the impact seems stagnant. 

We continue to do these events, having collaborations, decorations, partnerships, sponsors and styling – but what is the actual impact? Yes, it appears we have more women going into leadership roles, more women on boards, more women having the option to return to work sooner and have partners take paternity leave – but how many years of International Women’s Day events will it take for us to achieve true equality? How many cupcakes? 

I recently posted about my IWD burnout on social media, and I was inundated with women reaching out and saying THANK GOD you said this – we all feel the same. 

So if we all feel the same, why do we keep going? 

I think women are empowered and motivated by the day, but frustrated with the virtue signaling and most of all, the cycle. 

As IWD rolls around, there’s a big hoo-ha. Commitments are made and women are applauded and then the next day it all goes back to the way it was. They show up at the next year’s event without providing an update on the progress (or lack thereof) on last year’s commitments, making the same lofty motherhood statements and sending us on our way with a cold eggs Benedict. 

This isn’t working anymore. It’s not good enough, and the tide is turning. 

What I am sure about is that I, like many IWD event coordinators, am tired of trying to come up with spicy new ways to engage women and make a spectacle out of our celebration. I thought for years that if we shout loud enough people will listen, and then women, like the cream on my parents dairy farm, will rise to the top. But maybe this is when true change happens – when pulling back from the hustle, you can allow something even more powerful to come through. Going slower to go faster, if you will. 

In 2024, I’m going to try a different approach.

Rather than having a stab in the dark at how we can create a spectacle “big-enough” to push progress and compete with the thousands of other IWD events out there, we are redirecting our efforts to something that will have tangible impact in the community. We are delivering an event for a community not-for-profit, the Northern Inland Academy of Sport, that helps girls succeed in sport. This event will raise money to ensure young girls have the opportunity to succeed. We know that 94% of women executives participate in sport, so hopefully we’re supporting the female CEOs of tomorrow. 

So perhaps this the secret recipe. Go local, stay small, create a tangible impact, and help make a big difference. 

It sure isn’t the recipe for an IWD cupcake. But the ingredients do make for an incredible event – and maybe even one which will actually demonstrate progress. 

I’m looking forward to finding out. 

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As another International Women’s Day (IWD) comes and goes, it can feel like progress on gender equality is glacial at best.

In fact, the Antarctic glaciers sadly might disappear sooner than gender bias and disadvantage.

But we believe the vast majority of Australian men want a world that truly offers their daughters the same opportunities as their sons. They realise that improving women’s participation and economic wellbeing makes men and women all wealthier and happier.

Which is great, because it is men who are in the best position to help make this a reality.

Men occupy the vast majority of positions of power: on boards, in the C-suite, as investors and those who receive the bulk of investment, and in Government. 

Studies have shown that men listen more readily to other men than to women. 

And finally, marginalised and disadvantaged groups are tired and should not be responsible for solving their own disadvantage. They need proactive allies and advocates in positions of power to speak out and act.

Therefore it is men who must move from passive allies to active advocates, and actively dismantle the systems and biases that prevent gender equality.

Here are some relatively easy actions male leaders can take to accelerate progress.

Identify and address subconscious biases

Subconscious biases can impact decisions and behaviour in invisible ways that impede women.

‘Implicit association tests’, like Harvard’s gender-career test, can help uncover a range of these subconscious biases such as associating men with careers, and women with family. 

This is an excellent, free, and quick way to understand that, no matter how consciously you may fight your biases, there are many operating at a deeper level.

Next, sign up to at least one course for you and your colleagues to better understand and address subconscious bias.

Identify and address organisational or institutional biases 

From confirmation to conformity to authority bias, to policies and practices that perpetuate systemic discrimination – there are so many types of biases that can occur within an organisation.

Address these through an anonymous staff survey of the different biases staff have observed or experienced, including asking how these biases could be solved or avoided. Then turn these suggestions into an action plan.

Get comfortable with positive discrimination

This IWD, Third Hemisphere is giving all female staff a paid day off. 

This small act of positive discrimination is designed to address the myriad of research that proves women work more combined hours in the workforce and at home, for significantly less pay.

Positive discrimination requires unequally favouring individuals that are disadvantaged or subject to negative discrimination, to correct or minimise their disadvantage.

This does not disadvantage the superior or majority group; rather, it is a necessary step towards achieving the equality that will benefit us all.

Set a quota for mentoring women

Mentorship programs dramatically improve promotion and retention rates for minorities and women. Yet it’s most common for male leaders to mentor other men.

So set yourself the goal of mentoring a minimum number of women in the next twelve months.

And it’s OK if you end up mentoring more women than men. You’re addressing a systemic imbalance in access to mentoring opportunities by doing so.

Create a “reverse mentorship” program

Create a program where you and your male peers are mentored by women in the organisation, and perhaps even those more junior.

This will help male leaders gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by women in all positions, and increase collaboration.

Use gender-blind job applications and performance evaluations

The meritocracy myth says that women and men get hired and promoted based on their ability and performance. But we know this is not the case due to conscious, subconscious, and institutional biases.

One famous demonstration of this is when the Boston Symphony Orchestra implemented blind auditions one year, and the chances of a woman making it to the next round instantly jumped by almost 50 percent.

Consider recruitment SAAS platforms like Applied that will anonymise job applicants’ personally identifiable information, and watch the composition of your candidates change in front of your eyes.

Champion flexible work arrangements

Unfortunately, women still perform the majority of childrearing and domestic labour – even if they are the primary breadwinner.

So – on top of reassessing your own contribution at home – implement flexible work arrangements that promote greater balance between work and family commitments.

This could include offering part-time work, job sharing, flexible hours, and remote working.

Lead by example in taking paternity leave

Help make a difference by taking time off work! 

By taking paternity leave yourself, you show everyone in your organisation that men should also be committed to balancing work and family responsibilities.

We told you that actions for gender parity benefit men too!

The post How men in power can and must step up for women appeared first on Women's Agenda.

We all know that the climate crisis is also a health and social crisis. It intersects and exacerbates all existing inequities and challenges. But what the research behind The Climate Load report confirms is that the climate crisis is also gendered. Climate action is a feminist issue. 

The costs of the climate crisis on our planet and communities are immense, extending beyond natural impacts to social infrastructure around health, peace and conflict, trade, migration, and built infrastructure like transport systems, housing and schools.

And those impacts will be felt hardest by the poor, and disproportionately this means women and children. 

We know that the emotional and practical load of caring for children as life is upended by extreme weather most often falls to women. Not just getting to safety, but dealing with the realities of disrupted schooling, housing and health issues, as the report details.

Critical sexual and reproductive healthcare services are also impacted – pharmacists can’t fill contraception scripts, support services are closed or at capacity, and clinics and hospitals are damaged, exacerbating access issues in rural and remote regions where services are already at breaking point.

And, of course, housing. Without safe places to escape to, women and children stay in dangerous situations. The lack of women’s economic security already sees older women as the fastest growing cohort of homeless. We need a huge program of building resilient, affordable housing so women can keep a roof over their head, including during disasters.

The UN estimates that 80 per cent of people globally already displaced by climate crises are women – a shocking figure that could grow as the climate crisis worsens. When women are displaced, and removed from support networks and family, they are at greater risk of violence, including sexual violence. As many as one in five women displaced by natural disasters or political unrest has been subjected to sexual violence.

As a wealthy country, and one of the largest exporters of fossil fuels, we have a responsibility to contribute fairly to aid and reparations for our ongoing role in the climate crisis and its impact on women. 

Violence against women during and after natural disasters is of course not limited to developing countries. I was pleased to see the new National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children acknowledge that the stress, disruption and turbo-charging of inequalities during disasters increase the likelihood and severity of violence against women and children. Emergency response planning must therefore involve women and include strategies to address gendered violence. I look forward to seeing an Action Plan, due before July 2023, that sets out clear plans for ensuring emergency responses consider these issues.

Ensuring we’re supporting First Nations women and communities to lead climate action, emergency responses, mitigation and adaptation is key to the climate crisis response. 

Across the country, First Nations women are standing against fossil fuel projects in the Beetaloo Basin, Liverpool Plains, the Burrup Peninsula, and beyond. They are not giving their free, prior and informed consent to these toxic projects that wreck the climate and trash cultural heritage and biodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been living sustainably for generations, and their knowledge and experience can help protect Country for future generations.

They are standing up because, like the science, they understand that the climate cannot afford any new coal and gas projects, and nor can our communities. We have already felt the devastation of record floods, fires, heatwaves, and we can’t accept that the private greed of Big Coal and Big Gas will lock that future in for everyone to come. Not when the economic and employment opportunities in renewable energy could bring such stability and prosperity to regional communities.

What remains uplifting and hopeful is that climate mitigation and adaptation is being led by women. It’s not a coincidence that the young people we see leading climate action around the globe are women – Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate, Anjali Sharma, Amelia Telford and so many more – women care about the future, they see the impacts coming for their families, and know we need to act to stop them. And women get shit done.

Globally, women are at the coal face of climate impacts and our wisdom and experience needs to be at the forefront of designing impactful, compassionate and intersectional responses to the climate crisis.

We’ve been on the frontlines of social change at every critical juncture, and we’re here again facing down the vested interests of mining billionaires to ensure we have a planet for our kids and theirs.

You can find more on the Women’s Agenda March 2023 report, The Climate Load, here.

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Probably because I’m hit with invitations to IWD events like balls flying at me during a game of dodgeball. I feel pressured to attend, because as a feminist, shouldn’t I support women on the day that is globally recognised as being carved out for us to celebrate? 

Shouldn’t I sit side by side with other women and sip champagne and exchange stories about our achievements, and marvel at how well other women are doing, and perhaps even steal some of their tips about how to survive as a woman in a man’s world?

I’m reticent about IWD in the way many of my female friends who are mothers have become reticent (some even loathsome) about Mother’s Day; sure, thanks for making mummy breakfast in bed and writing a nice card, but I’d rather you learn how to make dinner yourself every once in a while and clean up after yourself, they say. 

This year, I thought I’d turn the dial towards the fantastical — and list some of the things I’d like for women if I had all the power in the world. 

Here are my top wishes for IWD, and some bonuses … because I’m creating this list, so I get to set the rules.

Free sanitary products for women and girls worldwide — delivered to your door

For women and school aged students in New Zealand, Scotland and parts of Australia and the US, free sanitary products have already become a reality – though with various and differing caveats. In some places, you have to be in school to receive the products, or an educational institution. Elsewhere, you have to be below a certain income threshold. 

Often, the products can only be collected at community centres or pharmacies, which makes it difficult for physically compromised people, or parents who are restricted by caring duties at home. 

I want free sanitary products sent straight to the door of every person who menstruates — the same sort of monthly box of toilet paper one receives from Who Gives A Crap. 

Universal childcare

Imagine a world where every single child, regardless of where they live and what their parents do, has access to high-quality early childhood education before they start school. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful world? 

I’m not the first to make such a suggestion. Remember when former presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren proposed universal childcare in 2019 during her campaign? 

Tentative steps are already being taken to make this a reality in some parts of Australia, but in other parts, prices are soaring, making accessing childcare more challenging for families living in rural and regional parts of the country. 

Last month, the federal government announced a Productivity Commission review, alongside a proposal for parents to receive up to 90 per cent of their childcare costs subsidised— a positive step towards providing universal, affordable care. 

While we’re on this subject, almost all early educators are women, and, as The Parenthood’s Director Georgie Dent wrote today for this publication, “It remains the case that it’s the employment of mums that is disproportionately impacted when early learning isn’t available or affordable.”

“Early educators are among the lowest paid workers in Australia. It is the epitome of important valuable work being chronically undervalued and underpaid. Let’s show up for early educators and add our voices to their very reasonable demand to be paid fairly for the work they do.” 

Homelessness crisis eradicated 

One of the most under-reported crisis in our society is the escalating numbers of older women at risk of homelessness in Australia. A recent study from South Australia found that roughly 240,000 women across Australia aged 55 or older lack access to social housing. 

An endemic of “hidden homelessness” is spreading, and older women are the largest group at risk. Sudden illness, death of a spouse, domestic violence and the added stress of the COVID-pandemic have all contributed to the rise in risk. 

Two years ago, then-opposition leader, Anthony Albanese promised to deliver a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, prioritising women and children fleeing violence, older women at risk of homelessness and frontline workers. 

Last month, The Liberals and Nationals opposed the fund in Parliament, while The Greens proposed a $5 billion investment each year to social and affordable housing and $1 billion towards remote Aboriginal housing. 

If the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund eventually gets underway, will it succeed in reaching its target of building 30,000 social and affordable homes over the next five years? Unlikely, according to some experts. 

More money needs to be pumped into eradicating the crisis, especially as the primary causes of women’s homelessness are not just poverty and unaffordable rentals, but also gender violence and income inequality. 

Domestic and family violence resources and funding

It’s always upsetting to turn our attention to any sort of violence, but it’s especially important on a day like today to call for a universal system of support for women who are or have been affected by these kinds of abuse. As rates of domestic violence continue to rise across parts of Australia, the government needs to continue injecting more money into resources and shelters. 

With at least one woman killed each week in Australia, the nation is in dire need of reform.

Currently, the average cost of fleeing a domestic violence situation in Australia is $18,000. It’s clear that victim-survivors require crucial support in their attempts to secure a safe environment. After a decade-long union-led campaign, employees are now entitled to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave.

However, the leave is only available to employees who work in a business with 15 or more employees. We need the government to expand that reach and ensure everyone, regardless of where they work, are entitled to such leave.

Other factors that need to be materially addressed include the mandatory establishment of cultural advice consultation among service providers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, altering the culture of father figures and their behaviours and creating integrated responses to keep women and children safe to minimise their post-separation risk. 

Bonus Wishes

If I had a few extra wishes…

All new dads to take six months of parental leave

Every new father should be given paid paternal leave for the the first six months upon the arrival of a baby, alongside every new parent generally. And they should be forced to take it. If they work for themselves, the government should provide this package.

That way, dads will learn from the outset what it takes to raise a child. And then, hopefully, put more time in at home for the years that follow.

English syllabus in schools that are 60 per cent female authored

The English curriculum across primary and secondary schools across Australia should be curated to ensure that 60 per cent of the reading list are books authored by female, or non binary persons. Within those 60 per cent, a quarter should be written by black, brown, Asian, or CALD authors, a quarter by queer, non binary, trans-writers, a quarter by disabled or neurodivergent people, and the final quarter: books in translation. 

I can’t imagine how much kinder, more generous and empathic we’d all be if we went through such a mandatory range of texts when we were kids. 

Half of Hollywood movies to have female leads

Hollywood production studios should mandate at least fifty percent of the biggest budgets to movies with female leads. None of the top-grossing films of 2022 had female leads, and the most popular film of the last decade with a female lead was a children’s animation where one of the female leads can turn things into ice. Where are our Sarah Connors? Thelma and Louise? Kick-ass women who are given the complexity, nuance and humanity male characters have unquestionably been given? 

Generous government-funded POC women initiatives

Portion a substantial amount of government funds every year to women-led and women-focused organisations that assist undocumented, migrant, recently arrived women from culturally diverse backgrounds.

All men to wear period pain stimulator, once a month for a whole year

I’d only recently had the revelation that every cis-male in the history of the world has been exempt from ever experiencing the pain.

I resent this fact. But what if we made them all wear a period pain cramps simulator once a month, every month, for an entire year? Would they empathise with our pain? Be sweeter to us, kinder to us, buy us ice cream and rub our feet voluntarily? Let’s give it a go.

If you’re a man and you’re reading this thinking “All these wishes just force men to do things we don’t want to do and this is oppression,” well, let me tell you mate — women have been putting up with a thousand things we’re forced to do that actually oppress us since forever – thanks to not just society but also, God, who made us bleed each month!

The post My fantasy International Women’s Day wish list appeared first on Women's Agenda.

To paraphrase Elvis, I’d like a little less conversation and a hell of a lot more action. Which is why I’m writing. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to put the focus on women – and there is one group of women I’d really like us to think about on the 8th March 2023. And, even better than thinking of these women I’m asking you to SHOW UP for these women. 

These women are quite literally the reason hundreds and thousands of other women in Australia can ever SHOW UP. I’m talking about early childhood educators and teachers. 

Now, let me be clear: in an ideal world this wouldn’t be an equation that is all about women. In an ideal world, early childhood education wouldn’t be the most gender-segregated workforce in the country. In an ideal world, access to early childhood education and care would impact parents equally. 

But in the real world 96.6% of early educators are women and it remains the case that it’s the employment of mums that is disproportionately impacted when early learning isn’t available or affordable. 

So for now this really is about women supporting women. 

This International Women’s Day will you show up for early childhood educators? In less than two minutes you can click here and send a letter to your local member telling them that Early childhood educators need a pay rise! And they need it now.

Early educators are a critical cog in the wheel of our communities, as well as the education and development of children: them turning up to work is what enables so many essential workers like teachers and nurses and doctors and aged care workers and physios and retail workers – the list goes on and on – to turn up to work. The impact of their work – shaping the brains and supporting the development of children in the formative early years – is not just life changing, it’s nation building. 

And yet? 

This critical, invaluable cog is under threat. Early educators are leaving in droves. Right now at least 20% of early learning providers have a cap on enrolments because they cannot take any additional children. 

There are an estimated 20,000 early education jobs vacant right now. Every unfilled educator role impacts between 6-12 families. At the moment 16.4% of long daycare services are operating with a waiver because they don’t have as many staff as they need. 

Why is this happening?  

Because early educators – who are skilled and do one of the most valuable, demanding, important jobs in the country – are among the lowest paid workers in Australia.

The award commences with a rate of pay for a qualified certificate III educator of $23.39 per hour and a centre director, role often degree-qualified, starts at $35.17 per hour.  

The average median hourly rate in Australia is $41. 

The average weekly take home pay for a full time educator is $1,059 a week. An entry level bricklayer earns $1550 a week.  

It is the epitome of important valuable work being chronically undervalued and underpaid.  

Educators are leaving because they cannot afford to stay. With the cost of living escalating, this is only getting worse. In September last year on a national day of action early educators asked to be paid a living wage. 

That’s it! A living wage. A wage that means they can afford to cover the cost of living. It’s insulting that they have to ask. But they do.  

So let’s use International Women’s Day to show up for early educators and add our voices to their very reasonable demand to be paid fairly for the work they do.   

In just 2 minutes you can send a letter to your Federal member letting them know that how early childhood educators are paid is an issue you care about. 

The post 97% of early educators are women. 100% need a pay rise. appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Minister for Women, Senator Katy Gallagher, said the government is committed to making gender equality a national priority.

“The Albanese Labor Government wants to make International Women’s Day about more than just celebrating women’s successes,” said Gallagher. “And instead see the Commonwealth Government annually report on the challenges that continue to hold women and our country back, and use this to reflect on progress.”

The annual Report Card shows the challenges women and girls in Australia face through many phases of life– youth, young adulthood, careers, families, parenthood and later on in life.

“The reality is, while we are making some gains on gender equality, we are not there yet and, in some aspects of women’s lives, progress has stalled,” said Gallagher.

This year’s Report Card shows that one in two women have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime, compared to one in four men.

And 30 per cent of Australian men don’t believe that gender inequality exists, which is more than the global average of 21 per cent. 

Women over 55 are also the fastest growing group of people experiencing homelessness. 

And even when women are the primary breadwinners of a household, they do more unpaid housework than men (24.1 hours vs 19.1 hours).

While these statistics may be confronting, Gallagher said shining a light on them with the new Report Card is “crucial if we are to have an honest conversation about gender equality in this country.”

Inviting all Australians to join this conversation, Gallagher is asking everyone to share their experiences in a survey launched today. 

The survey is part of the next phase of consultation for the Nation Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality, with the full strategy being due for release in the second half of this year. 

The National Strategy is aiming to guide community action to make Australia one of the best countries in the world for equality.

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I think about her on International Women’s Day because it hits me how different my life is compared to hers. She had so few choices, she didn’t get to choose a career or even where to live.

The last photo I have with her is on the dance floor at my wedding in Laos. After the wedding, she stayed on in Laos choosing to spend her final years there. It was one of the few choices she had an opportunity to make.

I know it’s because of her, and the sacrifices she made, that my life was possible. A world of opportunities has been unlocked for me, I have been able to make choices about what I want to study, what career I want to pursue and the choice to stand for parliament. 

That’s what today is about for me, acknowledging the extraordinary work of women who have come before to ensure women today have choices.

My ama did that for me, as have so many women in the Labor movement. This is the first International Women’s Day where we have a majority female federal government, 52 percent of the Federal Labor caucus are women, and there a record 10 women in the cabinet.

This is a milestone in our country’s history that should be celebrated, it comes 12 years after we had Australia’s first female Prime Minister – Julia Gillard.

Some might sneer and say this is mere symbolism, but they are wrong. Because while people often say that all politics is personal, what’s easily missed is that all politics is ‘personnel’.

Who we have in positions of power matters. Not just for symbolic reasons, but because of the different perspectives and experiences they bring to critical issues.

That’s not to say that only women can understand women’s issues, or to eliminate the important role of empathy in our politics. However having people with lived experience or who can offer different perspectives is so valuable when crafting policies that will have such a big impact on people’s lives.

And the legacy of successive Labor Governments bears this out.

I am incredibly grateful to all the women who came before me to chart a course for a fairer deal for women in our country.

Take the Whitlam Government’s appointment of Elizabeth Reid as the world’s first adviser on women’s issues to a head of government. It wasn’t by accident that the same government went on to introduce the supporting mothers’ benefit, removed the tax from the contraceptive pill and supported the decision that led to equal pay for equal work.

Or take the many women and men from across the party and the union movement who were willing to have the bruising fight within Labor Party in the years leading up to 1994 National Conference to introduce a quota for women in winnable seats. It’s because of them that we now have so many women in our Federal Parliament, which stands in stark contrast to the Coalition where women only comprise 21 percent of their House of Representatives members and 39 percent of their Senators.

It was the Rudd-Gillard Government leading the fight against domestic violence with the first National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and it was that government that introduced our first Commonwealth paid parental leave scheme.

A scheme I directly benefitted from when I had my own son five years after it was introduced.

Before the scheme was introduced in 2011, we were wholly reliant on employers providing parental leave. Some had access, others didn’t and the inequity of it was glaring. At the time, Australia was the only country in the OECD alongside the United States that didn’t have a paid parental leave scheme.

It was under the leadership of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin that we have a paid parental leave in place.

So it’s fitting that the first majority female federal government – the Albanese Labor Government – is building on that Labor legacy by expanding the scheme further.

Later this year, we will debate legislation to increase the scheme to cover 26 weeks of leave by 2026. The additional weeks will be fundamental to ensuring that parents and baby have time to bond.

So this International Women’s Day as I stand in our Federal Parliament as part of a majority female federal government, I am grateful to my ama and to the many Labor women who have helped me get to this point. However, I’m also acutely aware of my responsibility to those who will come after me, I have a role to play to ensure we continue to strive towards gender equality.

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It’s also vital for tapping into the full potential of the population, driving innovation, and especially for safe-guarding the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) so not to perpetuate the same biases and discriminations of the past. 

As the UN Women’s International Women’s Day event series held around the country last Friday powerfully hammered-home, there are codes that need unlocking to ensure Australia’s STEM workforce truly reflects the community it aims to serve. 

Australia’s Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher, addressed the connection between women’s equality and tech and shared examples of how tech can support efforts to increase women’s safety, financial security, and economic opportunity. 

But in 2021, just 29 per cent of the STEM workforce was found to be made up of women, and just a tiny 15 per cent of occupations requiring STEM qualifications were held by women. 

As Gallagher firmly stated: “This is not good enough”. 

There is more work to be done in schools and generally across society in encouraging girls to pursue STEM studies and qualifications. 

But there is also much to be done on retaining women in STEM, and part of the solution is addressing common work life conflict barriers and investing in fostering a family-friendly culture from within, from the top down.

Back in 2019, a survey of 3000 people working in STEM by Male Champions of Change and Accenture highlighted some of the issues confronting STEM sectors.  

It found that 66 per cent of women still feel their voices are devalued at work, while everyday sexism continues to be a pervasive driver behind women’s attrition. A lack of flexibility was also found to be a major factor in women’s attrition. The report found this lack of flexibility, alongside women reporting they still take on the majority of household duties, was disrupting women’s ability to excel at work. 

We know from the pandemic, broadly-speaking, that greater workplace flexibility is something all employers can adopt and all employees can benefit from. In fact, we absolutely need leaders and teams to have a flexible mindset to truly harness innovation and solutions to stay competitive and relevant in an ever-demanding world. 

In 2022, the Australian Government’s STEM Equity Monitor found that Australia is experiencing unprecedented skill shortages across STEM fields. This National annual scorecard on gender participation in STEM clearly shows the solution to these shortages: women. 

The STEM Monitor revealed a leaky pipeline, with just 23 per cent of STEM senior managers being female, and women accounting for a tiny eight per cent of CEOs across STEM industries. 

Clearly, there are roadblocks on the path for women excelling in STEM. 

As Lisa Harvey-Smith wrote at the time of this report being released, “we need structural workplace changes”. She highlighted one key avenue as being to introduce more flexible work options, while also broadening access to paid parental leave. 

Of course flexibility and paid parental leave are just a few pieces of the puzzle to addressing women’s attrition in STEM. We must also work to solve the bias, discrimination, and sexual harassment that continues to hinder women’s careers here, especially as the Respect@Work inquiry found that sexual harassment is more common across male-dominated industries. 

Women unlock technology 

There’s no doubt that access to technology really is key to levelling the playing field; unlocking women’s potential to be heard, to be connected, to drive change around global shared experiences, like sexual harassment. 

MeToo founder Tarana Burke highlighted the role of tech and her belief in the “power of technology” in addressing the challenges ahead, highlighting what her own small team has been able to address during the #MeToo movement. She spoke about the powerful digital resources they’ve created for those who don’t have the support they need to go to therapy, as well as other innovative and accessible online tools to stay safe. As she said, “we have to be more active than the trolls.” 

This International Women’s Day, in line with UN Women Australia’s call on “Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future”, we firmly believe that employers must make real policy adjustments and changes to address the systemic issues behind women’s attrition at work. Employers must consider how the majority of primary paid parental leave continues to be taken by women, how inflexible work practices drive women out, as well as the role of sexism and discrimination that may be undoing all the otherwise good work that employers hope to achieve. 

Creating a “family-friendly culture” is about more than making working life a little easier for new parents and carers. It’s about acknowledging the fact we all have lives outside of work. We have interests and hobbies and friends and loved ones and people who depend on us. It’s also about creating a culture of safety and respect: where violence, sexism, bias, and discrimination are simply not tolerated. And it’s about continually working at a culture that genuinely backs the diversity that any good company says they want to achieve across their workforce. 

The extraordinary global tech-marketing leader Jackie Lee-Joe, whose career has seen her criss-cross the world on the forefront of tech-innovation with her family in tow, provided an excellent example of what can be achieved and the kind of talent a company can attract, by investing in a diverse and flexible culture.  She credited her move to Netflix because it had done so much more on diversity than other companies. Netflix is known for its generous paid parental leave, and for fostering a culture of “freedom and responsibilities” which it says encourages team members to make their own decisions about how they take leave. 

As Lee-Joe told the UN event, “technology carries with it culture”. 

The tech we use will ultimately reflect the culture where it was created. The innovation we can achieve depends on the opportunities provided to a diverse range of talent. 

We know this IWD2023 UN Women’s Cracking the Code’ theme will mean different things to different people. We also know, that many of us in our lifetime will be confronted by competing work and life pressures, by caring responsibilities and real health and welfare concerns that can exclude us from the workforce.  Being able to access a job, with an employer who ‘gets it’, can ‘make or break’ our career, our wellbeing and our families. 

We cannot afford to under-estimate the importance and impact of inclusive, family-friendly workplaces as key to unlocking and cracking the code to ensure greater diversity is achieved not only across STEM but every sector, across every workplace.

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This quote from the feminist writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie provides an entry point into my discomfort: “women don’t need to be championed and revered; they just need to be treated as equal human beings.”

To me, the commercialisation of International Women’s Day is symbolic of the continuing inequality that girls and women, in all their diversities, experience worldwide. If women lived as freely, safely and with as much dignity as men did, this day would be rendered obsolete.

Consider how many International Men’s Day events you’ve attended. Why isn’t the 19th of November (International Men’s Day) widely recognised as a day of celebration? The answer to that is male achievement is celebrated regardless of the day. And so every March when I see corporations throw away their Mardis Gras rainbows in replacement of ‘we respect women’ messaging, I meet it with a healthy dose of cynicism.

The modern roots of International Women’s Day began in 1908 when 15,000 people marched in the streets of New York, demanding better working conditions for women. In 1911, the first International Women’s Day was held to commemorate that protest. Over time, a grassroots rally focused on social justice has been adopted by corporate, non for profit and student bodies for varying purposes.

Some International Women’s Day events I’ve attended have been empowering, insightful experiences that have shaped my approach to gender equality. I’ve listened to intelligent keynotes that make solutions to inequality tangible, witnessed emotive celebrations of women’s contributions and marched in protests to raise awareness of problems affecting women, and solutions to these issues.

The tone of other International Women’s Day events I’ve attended differs. One event, in particular, comes to mind. A panel discussion about women overcoming adversity was derailed by two male guest speakers whose advice can be summarised as: be more confident. I sat there, fresh out of high school, wondering if my future workplace interactions would play out this way.

This tokenistic, ‘tick the boxes’ presence still lingers among many International Women’s Day proceedings. Often these events have been coupled with a #girlboss attitude (and pink merchandise to match). The phrase ‘girl boss’ seeks to describe a woman who hasn’t sacrificed her feminine qualities to succeed in a male dominated industry. However, among my peers it evokes frustration.

There are multiple layers of misogyny ingrained into this phrase. It dilutes the success of women into something more palatable. It infantilises women and undercuts their value and authority. Not only is it demeaning when applied to an individual, but when culture champions ‘girl bosses’ it sets a harmful precedent. Girl boss culture feeds into a narrative that women should be able to succeed despite the odds (aka reasonable structural supports). A woman should be able to exceed those KPIs, care for her children and hit the gym after work because she’s a #girlboss! Organisations benefit from upholding this narrative.

I’ve observed that while many organisations are willing to celebrating the achievements of individual women (as long as they can use it as a photo opp), they are unwilling to integrate policies and practices that would improve gender equality in their workplaces. Organisations will champion ‘women’s empowerment’ but fail to address the very power dynamics which create a need for the empowerment of women.

This isn’t an isolated trend. According to a major global report by the Equal Measure coalition, Australia has failed to make any significant gender equality progress in the last 5 years.

The report revealed that Australia ranks in the bottom 50 per cent of countries in Asia and the Pacific when it comes to women’s perceptions of public safety. Only 54 per cent of Australian women aged over 15 said they feel safe walking alone at night in their home area.

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index shows Australia fell from 25th in the world in 2012 to 43rd in 2022.

In comparison, our New Zealand friends ranked 4th in the world in 2022. Global research from Plan International Australia has found that a “perfect storm” of factors – including the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, protracted crises, harmful gender stereotypes, the rise of far right-wing politics and many other intersecting issues such as systemic racism, ableism and transphobia – has profoundly set back progress on girls’ rights around the world.

Of the 144 countries in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Gender Index, which account for 98 per cent of the world’s girls and women, not one country has achieved gender equality.

“All of this data is really sounding the alarm on the lack of progress we’ve made and the significant gaps that remain for gender equality and women’s empowerment,” Plan International Australia CEO Susanne Legena told me.

When the evidence shows Australia is backsliding on gender equality progress, feel good events from organisations who are contributing to the problem are an insult.

I understand that International Women’s Day has carved out a space that acknowledges the phenomenal impact of female community leaders that otherwise may have been overlooked. But the commercialisation of International Women’s Day feels more and more like a distraction from organisations who aren’t willing to commit to gender equality.

Siena Bordignon (she/they) is a queer creative and youth activist from regional NSW. Since 2021, Siena has worked with Plan International Australia as a Youth Activist, contributing to campaigns supporting diverse representation in parliament and improved online safety for young people. She is currently completing a degree in Media Arts and Production at the University of Technology. 

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And I sighed with exhaustion.

Women are already exhausted from experiencing sexism in its plethora of forms, large and small, in the workplace, at home, with our friends, and in our communities.

On top of actually experiencing sexism, we then perform the emotional labour of explaining (and often defending) these experiences, and why it matters, sometimes on a daily basis.

And then each year for International Women’s Day, we have even more work added to our plates. We write editorials, we organise and attend events, we fight off internet trolls, and we take hours out of our already busy lives to create awareness about a problem we never asked for in the first place… and then we are usually the ones who clean up after it all.

It’s time for men to step up and perform this labour instead.

Gender inequality does not result from an unknown force working to the detriment of women and just so happening to privilege men.

Men are actively benefiting from gender inequality, be it from the fact women are performing almost twice as many hours of unpaid domestic labour compared to men in Australia (whether these women work full time or not), from the subconscious hiring bias that has seen men overrepresented in executive and well-paying roles for decades, and even from the fact that much of the world’s safety and other equipment is designed for men, at obvious risk to women’s health and safety.

Men benefit from this inequality, and they have also largely created and reinforced it over many hundreds of years. So finding a solution to this problem is thoroughly the responsibility of men. Men must be front and centre in fixing this.

And so, aside from this small piece, I’ve decided that this year the men in our office will be writing our IWD editorial.

The topic will revolve around how men can step up to address the issue of gender equality. And they can present it to me when it only needs minor edits, taking just mere minutes of my precious time.

The women, on the other hand, can have a paid day off.

And with all of our amazing clients who are also women, the men at Third Hemisphere will be doing some extra heavy lifting on that day to make sure they are showcased as heroes of feminism.

These might feel like baby steps when it comes to the time and energy reparations we owe to our exhausted women. 

But it’s better than nothing – and it sure beats putting more work on women’s already overflowing plates.

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