Young UN Women Australia Perth
Imageby: Courtesy Oliver Chassot Photo Jessica of Lockhart
Runway for a Reason/Robert Foltz
Young UN Women Australia Perth • April 2012
From the YUNWA Perth Committee Chair|Chair’s Report
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elcome to our April zine! Since I last wrote, we have held our first Volunteer Orientation Session, started up a guildaffiliated uni campus group at Notre Dame University, established a partnership with the United Nations Association of Australia for an upcoming event, and represented UN Women Australia at Australia Post’s International Women’s Day event in Perth. Australia Post is a UN Women Gold Partner and we were really excited to be involved in their IWD celebration. Of course, we also attended the UN Women Australia’s International Women’s Day breakfast in Perth, which was the biggest yet. We are proud that Tegan Smith, from our committee, was a key member of the organising breakfast committee.
Image Courtesy of Peter Bui
You might remember that IWD this year raised money for a program in the Pacific called Partners Improving Markets which empowered female market vendors. Recently, floods in Fiji have left many of the communities involved in this project devastated by the loss of life and of their livelihoods. With more than 8,000 locals evacuated to emergency shelters, 2,000 Australians stranded and several people reported dead and missing, Fiji faces very tough times ahead. The untold story among the heartbreaking devastation is of the thousands of market vendors – 75% of whom are women and the sole providers in their families - who have lost their livelihoods, their place of work and their future earnings. Women market vendors are extremely vulnerable – they now have no source of income or means to support their families.
emergency appeals. But this project is very close to our hearts, and we are extremely concerned about how dramatically these women are going to be affected by the floods. So we have been compelled to respond to the crisis. If you can, please donate to the UN Women Fiji Markets Recovery Project. Your donation will help women in Fiji support their families in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone and help rebuild their livelihoods. UN Women, working with UNDP and the ILO will provide emergency ‘cash for work’ support to women who have lost their source of income. UN Women will provide 20 days of paid work for urban women traders in and around the marketplaces and will support rural women in agricultural recovery, facilitating the purchase of quick growing crops and seeds. Please help us spread the word about this emergency appeal – by speaking to your friends and families, sending emails, Tweeting and posting on Facebook. We encourage you to re-tweet and re-post updates from UN Women Australia on Twitter: @unwomenaust and Facebook: UN Women Australia. Dates for your diary 7 May 2012 – Feminist Book Club Meeting “Delusions of Gender” 20 May 2012 – Mother Daughter High Tea 5 June 2012 – World Environment Day Informs Session 11 June 2012 – Young UN Women Australia Perth AGM
Remember to SAVE THE DATE for our Mother Daughter High Tea on 20 May 2012. Anna Johnson Chair
Young UN Women Australia Perth Committee
UN Women Australia doesn’t normally do Want to get move involved in YUNWA Perth? Email our Memberships and Volunteers Coordinator, Anna Larson, at perthyouth@unwomen.org.au for an application form.
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TABLE Of contents 2 ................... Chair’s Report: Anna Johnson 4.................Event:VolunteerOrientation 5................................ Event: IWD Breakfast 6............... Tim McMinn: Islam and Feminism 10........... Debate Is the Iron Lady Feminist? 12...............................Profile: Anna Larson 13..................................Profile: Tanya Boyd 14............ Profile: Sandra De Witt Hemala 18.........................Economic Empowerment
UN Photo/Martine Perret
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EVENT V
olunteer
|by Anna Larson
On a sunny March Sunday morning, YUNWA Perth held our inaugural Volunteer Orientation Session. Approximately twenty eager volunteers sacrificed their Sunday sleep in and battled with a closed freeway to join the YUNWA Perth Committee at the University of Western Australia to learn more about YUNWA Perth and how they could get involved.
“...Soon all our participants
were sounding like experienced YUNWA volunteers as they happily answered a variety of questions” Fortified with morning tea, our volunteers were given a comprehensive run down of UN Women Australia, its goals and the benefits of getting involved by our chair, Anna Johnson. Committee members then inspired the participants with descriptions of their respective specialities. Volunteers heard about the opportunities available to make a difference by volunteering with Tanya Boyd and the Policy & Education team, how to help spread our message to the broader community through social and print media with Athanae Lucev and the Media team and how to help Alice Farley and Tegan Smith run our popular and successful events with our Events team. Annabel Keogh explained how invaluable her work is in creating sustainable partnerships with other community organisations as Fundraising & Partnerships coordinator, and Sandra De Witt Hemala was looking for any budding graphic designers to help with designing posters for our events, and helping with the layout of future Zines. After hearing about all the volunteering opportunities available, we broke into smaller groups so our new volunteers could put into practice everything they had learnt so far. Posing as curious members
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Orientation
of the public, committee members asked a variety of questions ranging from “What is Young UN Women?” to “So does this mean you hate all men?” and helped our volunteers with formulating answers. Soon all our participants were sounding like experienced YUNWA volunteers as they happily answered a variety of questions. The session ended with participants nominating the areas they would like to become further involved in and meeting with the respective committee members. Thank you to all those participants who attended our Volunteer Orientation Session. We were thrilled to see such enthusiasm and interest, and we look forward to working with you. We will be holding more volunteer orientation sessions in the future, but if you would like to get involved straight away, please contact Anna Larson at perthyouth@unwomen.org.au for more information.
Volunteer Orientation/Athanae Lucev
International Woman’s Day Breakfast
UN Women Australia President Donelle Wheeler with Senator Michaelia Cash
EVENT
Vocal Group Tendera
On Friday 9 March, a collaboration of local women’s organisations hosted the UN Women Australia International Women’s Day Breakfast. Tegan Smith was the YUNWA Perth representative on the collaboration committee. The Breakfast was attended by 1,050 people and raised over $50,000 for the UN Women Australia Partners Improving Markets program. Guests enjoyed delicious food and a dazzling presentation by ABC foreign correspondent Sally Sara.
Members of YUNWA Perth with UN Women President Donelle Wheeler
IWD Breakfast/Athanae Lucev
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Interview Islam and Feminism |by Tim McMinn
What do you do? Rai: I’m currently working at The Gowrie WA on a casual basis as a Settlement Grants Worker. I’m also working with Sasa Youth Mentorship Program in the City of Stirling on a series of open mic poetry nights and workshops with young people from a variety of backgrounds. We’re building up to a Poetry Slam finale. I feel very strongly that young people have something to say and the spoken word is a powerful tool of expression – especially poetry, which is flexible and fluid. Image Courtesy of Tim McMinn
Introduction Islam and feminism are subjects which invoke some fierce and reflexive responses in Australian society. Many people who would not typically identify as feminists nevertheless express strong views on attitudes to women in Islam and Muslim women’s dress. It’s a hot debate but it often runs on little more than stereotypes. In addition to this, the major political re-organisation in the Middle East and the invigoration of political Islam begs the question: will we see women’s empowerment develop in step with broader political empowerment? To get some insight into these issues, I spoke to two young Australian Muslim friends of mine, and this article gives their perspective on the relationship between Islam and feminism.
Interviewees Raihanaty A Jalil was born in Malaysia and moved to Perth when she was three. She has a double degree from UWA in Education and Science. Her personal passion is writing, especially poetry and fiction.
Nour Huneidi Kirk was born in Jordan and lived there until she came to Australia when she was 15. She has a double degree in Law and Arts (Honours) from the University of Notre Dame, where she wrote her thesis about Muslim women in WA and discourses surrounding hijab. Nour now works at a commercial law firm in Perth.
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I’ve also published an e-book of my poetry – it’s a semi-autobiographical work with lots of poems I wrote from when I was in my teens until my adulthood. My favourite poets are Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Lord Byron. I stumbled across Barrett Browning when I was in school, and I immediately rushed to the library in search of a collection of her poetry. My next writing project is a fictional novel.
Nour: I’m a lawyer and I work at a commercial law firm in the city. In addition to studying law at the University of Notre Dame, I studied social justice and political science, which are the areas I’m really passionate about. I recently got married, so now that I don’t have to plan my wedding any more, I hope to spend a lot more time pursuing these interests!
Do you identify as a feminist? Why, or why not? Rai: No. I’ll admit I don’t know too much about feminism; but I don’t agree with what are perhaps the more ‘extreme’ sides of what I have heard of feminism. My impression from the media is that feminism requires women to become the same as men, and implies that traditional feminine traits are negative. I personally believe there needs to be more recognition that men and women work best for the betterment of society when they play complementary roles rather than compete with each other, by instead supporting and drawing on each other’s strengths.
Nour: I guess so. I identify as someone who advocates for women’s rights, and for equal rights. I am particularly interested in seeing equal rights emerge more substantially in the workplace, especially opportunities for promotion and development as well as equal pay for equal work. This is something I believe that my firm is very good at; but not every workplace is like mine.
So what do you think feminism is about? Is it really about men and women being the same, or about having equal rights and opportunities? Rai: It’s about equal opportunities in equal spheres of life, I guess. But I still struggle with calling myself a feminist. I don’t want to align with an extreme type of feminism focussed on men and women being the same as one another without appreciating the differences. For me, I think that feminism should emphasise equity rather than literal equality. This may because I don’t know much about feminism! Perhaps my perception of it is not completely correct, rather like people’s perceptions of women in Islam as they are portrayed in the media. Nour: There are different schools of feminist thought so feminism has been interpreted in many ways. My interpretation of feminism isn’t that women should automatically be emulating men – they have different lifestyles, needs, and goals. I think, in some respects, particularly in the domestic sphere, men and women sometimes choose to have different but complementary roles which should be recognised as having equal worth. Tell me about your faith. What was your upbringing like, and how important is your faith to you now? Rai: Islam to me is a Deen - not just a faith system but also a way of living - an action. As a teenager I was more interested in friends and boys; but from upper high school until now, Islam has become the driving force behind all that I do. During upper high school, there were three main influences which caused me to begin paying more attention to my spirit: my parents, a religious studies teacher at school who inspired me, and a very close friend of mine who developed a deep love for Islam which rubbed off on me. These people had an influence on me, but the decision to embrace Islam was mine, as was my decision to start wearing the hijab, which I wore only once in a while as a child.
Nour: My faith, is very important to me. It’s something I’m quite private about. I was brought up in a Muslim household, and raised in Jordan. My parents encouraged us to embrace the faith and to observe Islamic practices like praying and fasting at Ramadan but those practices were never imposed on us kids – definitely encouraged but not forced. As a result, we didn’t rebel and we have always tried to follow in our parents’ footsteps by being good Muslims.
Do any women in your family wear hijab? Nour: No women in my immediate or extended family wear the hijab despite their observing their 5 daily prayers and other Islamic practices. We have always been raised with the idea that you can choose to wear the hijab if you want to, but that you can be an equally good Muslim if you still dress modestly and make an effort to observe Islamic practices. Muslim women who observe Islamic practice but don’t wear hijab are often dubbed as “modern Muslims” which is not a phrase I’m entirely comfortable with. I think the expression is often used as a pejorative by some Muslims who want to question the strength of faith of others who choose not to display it outwardly. I think that religious belief is a private matter that doesn’t require outward displays of faith. I would define myself as a moderate Muslim; not modern, but moderate.
Do you think that men and women have access to equal rights and opportunities in Australia? Rai: I can only talk about the spheres I move in the community sector - where I would say yes.
Nour: The area I know the most about is in the workplace, so I’ll speak about that. In the workplace, I do not think that men and women have equal rights and opportunities. Women have to try harder to prove themselves. Not necessarily in my work environment, but in general, senior people and managers are male and tend to recruit males, and their interests are traditionally masculine. Women have to work harder to get to senior positions. There is still not equal representation at the top. We’re progressing, but we are not equal yet.
Some people argue that feminism and Islam are incompatible. What are your thoughts on this and why? Rai: I believe that Islam is a system which empowers women. Islam was reborn during a period of ignorance about 1,400 years ago when women were considered property. They were so undervalued that it was common practice for baby girls to be buried alive. But Islam raised the status of women as equals in the sight of God, and gave women rights such as the right to inherit and own property. I personally haven’t seen a need for feminism in my life because Islam has already assured my rights. I wouldn’t say feminism in its totality is incompatible with Islam; the feminist promotion of women’s value in society
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and human rights is a part of Islam. I think there needs to be more discussion and distinction between ethnic or cultural practices, and practices truly based in Islam. Take the example of female genital mutilation. A lot of people think it comes from Islam, but in my view it’s an ethnic tradition. The line between what is culture and what is religious (Islam) can be difficult to discern sometimes. But to eradicate the practice of FGM, you can’t just say, “It’s wrong and you need to stop”. Rather, you need to work to change the cultural structures which are in place. But I believe that empowering women to learn about what Islam actually says helps them to stand up for their own rights. Some Muslim men take advantage of the fact that many Muslim women don’t know their rights.
Nour: I completely disagree; Islam and feminism are completely compatible. I think one of the strongest misconceptions about Islam is the hijab. Many people just do not understand why the hijab is an Islamic tradition, and why Muslim women choose to wear it. Many people believe that Muslim women wear the hijab because they’re forced to do so. My honours thesis at Uni looked into the reasons why Muslim women wear or don’t wear hijab. I interviewed a range of Muslim women – some who always wore hijab, others who sometimes wore hijab or used to wear hijab and the rest who didn’t wear hijab. My research showed that most women who wore headscarves did it because they wanted to – it was 100% their choice. These women said that wearing hijab empowered them, because the viewer then judged the woman on her intellect, and not on her physical appearance or whether she had a “pretty face.” Many Muslim women see wearing the headscarf as an expression of feminism.
Who are your most important role models, and why do you find them inspiring? Rai: Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadijathe former just had such exemplary character and wisdom especially when interacting with people of various backgrounds. The latter was an amazing and highly successful businesswoman. In fact, Prophet Muhammad was one of her employees when they met, and of all her workers, he was the one who was most honourable and virtuous and brought back the most profits for her business. She fell in love with his character and ended up proposing marriage to him through an elder trusted friend.
Nour: My role models are my parents and grandparents. They are “all rounders” - the sort of people who have balanced every aspect of their lives. They have (or had in the case of my Grandparents) very successful ca-
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reers, have always been very exemplary Muslims and have always given us kids 100% love and guidance. My Nana especially, is somebody very brave. Her husband died when she was 28 years old leaving her with four kids to raise on her own. She single-handedly put her four children through the best school in Jordan and then through Uni. Although my Nana didn’t have the chance to go to uni she managed to build a very successful retail business on her own and amazingly, she’s still working at her age! She’s a very special woman - a resilient, strong and brave person who is very dear to my heart.
United Nations Association of Australia and UN Youth Western Australia present:
Q & A PANEL: Australia’s Security Council Bid WHEN
Tuesday 17th April, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
WHERE Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA (Carpark 20) COST
$10 adult, $5 student/concession (inc refreshments)
SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Michael Sheldrick PANEL MODERATOR
Campaign Manager, The End of Polio
Renata Sivacolundhu Human Rights Information Officer, UN Department of Public Information
Michael Wood Director of WA State Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
BOOK YOUR TICKET http://www.trybooking.com/BIDW 9
The Iro
DEBa YES
There is no doubt that The Iron Lady positions itself as a feminist film and its subject as a feminist icon. A film that bills itself as: “a surprising and intimate portrait of…one of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women… [who] came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world” could hardly seek to do otherwise. And whilst I don’t believe The Iron Lady is an accurate portrayal of Margaret Thatcher or her time as PM, nor do I think it intends to be.
Films are made for a purpose and The Iron Lady always had the budget and cast, to be nothing but a Hollywood blockbuster. But to be a blockbuster, a film needs universal appeal and The Iron Lady gets this through focusing on what is a very global and inherently feminist struggle to not only be heard but also succeed in a patriarchal environment. Indeed it is a sad truth that an accurate representation of
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Thatcherism was never going to bring in the box office dollars quite like the dramatize tale of a woman triumphing against a male centric establishment.
Described by the director as “political in a feminist way”, the Iron Lady is undoubtedly successful in highlighting the feministic elements of Margaret Thatcher’s life. Despite cries from die-hard feminists on her policies, we cannot forget that she was and remains today, the only female British Prime Minister. Indeed I believe that if you knew nothing about Margaret Thatcher, her policies and British political history, you would walk away from this movie of the opinion that she is a feminist icon because that’s exactly what the film seeks to achieve. |by Alice Farley
Is t Iro lady femi mov
on Lady
ate
the on lady a inist vie?
At the end of watching the Iron Lady, I thought it was amazing. Yet at the back of my mind, there was something about it that bugged me. I finally decided it was not about what was in the film – it was what they left out. Whether you agree with her politics or not, Margaret Thatcher was at the bleeding edge of women being successful in traditionally male professions. After attending Oxford, she worked as a chemist and then as a barrister specializing in taxation, before entering Parliament and going on to become the first female leader to head any political party in the UK. She also found time to be a wife and a mother. I don’t think the film did this extraordinarily full life justice. The portrayal of her ascendance into politics lacked talking about the depth of her professional experience, to instead focus on her more physical differences as a woman in Parliament – her hats and her
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voice. Both of which she was told needed to be changed to be taken seriously by men, despite there being no problems with either of them in her life before politics. While I don’t doubt this is reflective of her experience, there was no balance between her life as a wife and a mother, and her professional life before entering politics. For me, celebrating women is about celebrating all aspects of one’s life. In this respect I found the film to be a portrayal of Thatcher as twodimensional – either a wife and mother, or a politician. As a result the film didn’t succeed for me as by ignoring her professional experience, it reduced her as a person – and this is a shame, because everything else about it was fantastic. |by Annabel Keogh
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Profile Anna Larson |by Athanae Lucev
PricewaterhouseCoopers are a platinum partner with UN Women nationally, and one of their brightest employees, Anna Larson, took a position on the YUNWA committee at changeover last year. Though she started off with the portfolio responsibility for memberships and volunteers, the mid-year departure of our treasurer meant the committee had to search for a replacement, and as a Chartered Accountant, Anna was a natural fit! One of her responsibilities was to organise, with Emma Tormey, the inaugural volunteer information session, held last month at UWA. Anna also manages the member list, mailouts, and prospective volunteers and member matters, as well as the treasurer duties. The ‘self-confessed bookworm’, who grew up in Perth and lives just two minutes from her childhood home, first heard of UN Women through her good friend and current chair Anna Johnson, who convinced her to attend some events. ‘I am really interested in gender issues and female empowerment, so to find an organisation that was involved with this area was great,’ Anna Larson said. ‘Plus, I was really impressed with the committee members - they all seemed like such smart and passionate women, and like the type of people I would like to be friends with.’ By day, Anna works in the Private Clients division at PwC, working with high net-wealth
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individuals to help them with accounting and taxation and grow their wealth and business. She is a graduate of the University of Western Australia, where she studied a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce with majors in history, political science and financial accounting. ‘I think gender equity is important because it is a human rights issue, and something that affects all people,’ Anna said. ‘I find it very distressing to think of the opportunities being denied to women all over the globe simply because they are women.’ Anna said she is constantly challenged by the conversations and discussions at meetings. ‘I think my fellow committee members are a fantastic group of women, and I enjoy spending time with them.’ Like Sandra, Anna also sees equal pay for equal work as a huge issue for Australian women, but she also thinks women here need to be wary not to be complacent. ‘People’s attitudes towards gender equity are still a hurdle,’ she said. ‘I think there is a tendency for women who feel that they have a large amount of opportunities available to them to take them for granted, but the pay gap in WA is large and still increasing.’ We are delighted to have Anna on board, and special mention must also be made of Anna’s husband, Alex, who cooked Christmas dinner for the committee last year – thanks Alex!
Tanya Boyd Tanya Boyd finds it hard to reconcile why ‘equity’ is given so much importance in some areas of life, but not others. ‘In Australian society we strive to achieve equity in may facets of our lives; Medicare and public hospital systems, liberal Taxation regulations, and we teach our children to play fair at school,’ she said. ‘However, we still continue to sweep the issue of gender equality under the carpet and subsequently, we are still witnessing higher rates of violence against women, sexual harassment and financial inequality.’ For the UWA Commerce student, it’s difficult to understand how the knock-on effects to both the economy and society more generally if gender equality were to be achieved, can be ignored. Tanya said she believes in gender equality because she believes in equality across the board, in every area of life. Tanya looks after the education and policy portfolios on the committee, and works part-time at financial services and wealth management firm Addwealth, where she assists with client consultations, statistical analysis and process support. Unlike most other members of the current YUNWA committee, Tanya wasn’t referred to the group by a friend. Rather, she attended the 2011 Women in Decision Making informs session after seeing the advertisement in the UWA Guild e-newsletter.
Profile |by Athanae Lucev
ate myself about gender and development so I felt like I’d found my niche when I discovered Young UN Women.’ She believes the biggest hurdles still to overcome in Australia are support for paid parental leave in the workplace and continuing to breakdown stereotypes about the choices and paths women can take both socially, and career-wise, in their lives. She also thinks there should be more funding to combat violence against women and human trafficking and forced prostitution in Australia. Tanya, who is an avid kayaker, said the committee was an ‘inspirational bunch of women’ and she enjoys working with members to produce the variety of events put on during the year. ‘Being on the committee has also given me the opportunity to engage in gender and development issues in a meaningful capacity,’ she said.
‘I was attracted to the energy and passion that the women of the 2010/2011 committee demonstrated at the Women in Decision Making informs session,’ Tanya said. ‘I was passion13
Profile S |by Athanae Lucev
Self-professed ‘global citizen’ Sandra De Witt was born in Ecuador and has lived all over the world, but at the moment she feels right at home in Perth. Recruited to the Young UN Women Australia Committee by long-time committee member Martina Ucnikova, the Notre Dame marketing, public relations and communications graduate is tasked with the responsibility of managing volunteer interns and designing and laying out the bimonthly YUNWA zine. Sandra held a number of diverse positions, both paid and volunteer, during the course of her study, including as an intern at Perth Fashion Festival, coordinator for the Threads Fashion Collective and President of the Notre Dame Business Students’ Society. Her current job is as Prospective Student Advisor, Marketing and Advertising Coordinator at her alma mater. That position involves coordinating advertising campaigns to promote the university, planning and running open days and information evenings and speaking directly with students through visiting hundreds of schools in both the metropolitan and regional areas. Sandra was offered the job before she graduated last year. She describes her ascent to the YUNWA committee like this: ‘I was sitting on the train discussing women’s issues with my friend and (now) fellow committee Martina when she mentioned that she was on this incredible committee of likeminded individuals and after that she barely had to convince me to join,’ Sandra said. ‘I liked the idea of using my marketing skills in the not-for-profit sector.’
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andra
De Witt Hemala
Sandra said she enjoys being on the committee because of the stimulating and informative conversations with fellow committee members. ‘And it gives me the opportunity to make a bigger difference in this world,’ Sandra said. ; I love marketing, so if there is anyway in which I can make a difference, I’m in. Those are the moments I live for in my career.’ For Sandra, the most pertinent issue facing women in Australia is equal pay for work of equal value. ‘I think it is critical that women are remunerated for the jobs that they are performing at the same or even higher standard than their male counterparts,’ Sandra said. ‘I don’t think women should get paid more, I just think they should receive what is due to them.’ Sandra believes gender equity is important because both women’s and men’s roles are changing. ‘I believe that women are proving that it is possible to juggle many different aspects of their life and still keep it all together. I think it’s important to recognise that women have always been capable of doing this,’ she said. ‘Bringing home the bacon is not getting any easier.’ In her spare time, Sandra writes screenplays. ‘It’s a hobby I have that lacks any Oscar dreams. I just like the creative output. I spend a lot of my time working pro-bono outside of my work hours, so it’s nice to gift myself a little down time here and there to express myself in a way that only I have to understand,’ Sandra said. She said she feels lucky to live in Australia. ‘It’s such a wonderful country full of resources and kind people.’
Call out to Current Notre Dame or UWA Students!
We want
You
Are you interested in getting involved in your campus Young UN Women Australia group?
There are heaps of opportunities to help out. If you’re a UWA student, contact Co-Presidents Ana and Anita at a.forjaz@ theoaktree.org or anita.kousari@yahoo.com and if you’re at Notre Dame, get in contact with President Becky at rbiltsouris@gmail.com.
How can economic security add r value to gende equality?
How would you create value with $1,000?
Let’s spread value across the nation. To celebrate International Women’s Day 2012, PwC offers you the opportunity to add value in business or the wider community through supporting women’s economic empowerment. We have one Value Exchange Grant of up to $1,000 available to help bring your idea to life, plus the support of a PwC female mentor for 12 months.
Value is contagious.
To apply refer reverse of this card
creatingvalue.com.au
Economic empowerment
An Australian and International Perspective
|by Tanya Boyd “Unleashing
women’s economic potential will make economic growth and recovery faster and more equitable. Economic empowerment makes other rights possible for women.” Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women Arguably, the economic empowerment of women is the singular most important tool to combat development and gender equality issues. This might seem like a very blunt and specific statement, however the facts add up to support it. Let’s consider the facts on how the economic empowerment of women influences development and poverty on an international scale. One such statistic is that for every dollar that is invested in a woman, 70-cents of that same dollar are returned to the family, as compared to the 40-cent return if that dollar is invested in a man. The knock-on effects of this difference are obvious, including that more funds are directed towards education, nutrition and healthcare, ultimately contributing the economic benefit of the community and more broadly. This statistic is nothing to be sneezed at. In fact, economic theory recognises that as standards of healthcare and education rise and investment in human capital increases, a country’s GDP increases also. International Aid initiatives have recognised what I have just exemplified and have tailored schemes to directly empower women financially. Such initiatives include specific microfinance programs, and unique business opportunities based both locally in the women’s communities and abroad. One such unique initiative, that I came across recently, is Senhoa (senhoa.org/). The organisations mission is to “support victims of human trafficking by providing income-generating opportunities, social reintegration and programs for self-empowerment”. Senhoa provides those women, who are victims of human trafficking in such countries as Cambodia, the opportunity to make products, including some of the most beautiful jewellery I’ve ever seen, and generate income from this endeavor. Make sure you visit the website and see for
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yourself how Senhoa is empowering women financially. Currently in Australia, women retire with 40 per cent less superannuation that men and the gender pay gap is currently at a 30-year high despite continued initiative to close it. Such figures make me stop and wonder about the level of economic empowerment of women in Australia. Do we really have a fair and equitable society despite out obvious relative prosperity? In my opinion, we do not. Some may argue that the first figure that women retire with 40 per cent less superannuation than men is simply a product of difference in hours worked across a lifetime. Whilst this is true, we must consider why women work fewer hours over their working life than men? Answer: because traditionally, women take extended periods of time off to care for children and family. Initiatives by both sides of the political divide to legislate paid parental leave schemes have recently been implemented which will hopefully act to combat this statistic. The second fact has a much less obvious explanation and unfortunately, a less tangible solution than simply implementing a legislated scheme. Why are women paid less than men for often equal or comparable work? It really does boil down to personality and to a degree, blatant discrimination. It is recognized that males negotiate terms of employment more aggressively and this leads to them receiving higher remuneration than a female who has negotiated terms for the exact same job. However, I really do ask myself how employers can consider themselves equitable if they allow personality to dictate remuneration? I leave further consideration of this fact up to you. From an economic perspective by removing the financial disadvantage of many women in Australia society, a knock-on effect upon other areas of society and the greater economic health of the country, is once again exhibited. In her article “Nanny plan about economics, not polishing the silver” publish on Punch on the 29th of March 2012, Senator
Michaelia Cash (Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women) aptly summarises the knock-on effect of the economic empowerment of women: “Women earning a higher wage contribute more to the pool of taxpayer funds the government can draw on, help increase productivity, are setting themselves up well for retirement by earning super ‌ Ultimately, if women can work to their full capacity they will be happier, enjoy greater economic security and greater fulfillment in their lives.â€? The economic empowerment of women is, in my opinion, the most important tool to combat development issues, the abuse of women, and gender inequality in general. Both internationally and in Australia, it is evident that women are financially disadvantaged but by removing this, the knock-on effects to the greater economy are great and the effect on over-all welfare is even more startling.
Image Courtesy of Oliver Chassot
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Contributors Alice Farley Annabel Keogh Anna Johnson Anna larson Athanae Lucev Sandra De Witt Hemala Tanya Boyd Tim McMinn
Events Coordinator Guest Writer Chair
Membership & Volunteers Coordinator & Treasurer
Communications Director Marketing Director & Zine Designer Guest Writer & Content Coordinator Guest Writer
Credit: Jessica Lockhart
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