Gender Equality In Australia Essay

630 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender inequality issues today

The issue of gender equality, whilst improving, still remains a prevalent contemporary issue in Australian society. Gender equality refers to equal access to rights and opportunities regardless of an individual’s gender or sex. Many often think that gender inequalities affect women more than men, however in reality it affects both genders on a daily basis. Whilst legislations have been introduced such as equality of sex and discrimination legislation (Egmond, Baxter & Buchler, 2010), inequalities are still prevalent. These inequalities are closely tied with the gender stereotypes and gender role attitudes embedded in Australian society. A large aspect of gender inequality, which often gets overshadowed, is male equality especially in regards to the home and family environment.

Female inequality in the workplace has largely publicized in contemporary times and therefore it is no surprise that Australia is ranked second only to the Netherlands in the percentage of female …show more content…

Consequently, the role of a nurturing, caretaker and parent is frequently associated with the mother, as society tends to attribute her gender role as more fitting, whilst the male is often viewed as the ‘breadwinner’ of the family, providing more financial support rather then. Whilst many men still remain the primary economic source for a family, majority of men report having a strong commitment to the role as a father (Phares & Compas, 1992). Furthermore, evidence suggests that father’s contribute to important aspects of parenting and caretaking specifically in self-control and discipline (Phares & Compas, 1992). However, whilst many men may contain these feelings, there are still many culturally enforced barriers, which work against them contributing more to the domestic

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Australian Identity

    1619 Words  | 4 Pages

    Yet, it was generally established that women are proceeding to develop an equivalent opportunity to their male counterparts, such as the example of Australia’s first female prime minister in 2010. This case displays the mounting support towards women within Australian society. With further emphasis of women in society, Australian women may soon become equal to their male counterparts, and then allowing equal power among the

    Read More

  • Injustice In Australia Essay

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the world, in history and in present day, injustice has affected all of us. Whether it is racial, sexist, discriminatory, being left disadvantaged or worse, injustice surrounds us. Australia is a country that has been plagued by injustice since the day our British ancestors first set foot on Australian soil and claimed the land as theirs. We’ve killed off many of the Indigenous Aboriginal people, and also took Aboriginal children away from their families; this is known as the stolen generation. On the day Australia became a federation in 1901, the first Prime Minister of Australia, Edmund Barton, created the White Australia Policy. This only let people of white skin colour migrate to the country. Even though Australia was the first country to let women vote, women didn’t stand in Parliament until 1943 as many of us didn’t support female candidates, this was 40 years after they passed the law in Australian Parliament for women to stand in elections. After the events of World War Two, we have made an effort to make a stop to these issues here in Australia.

    Read More

  • Effects of Absent Fathers on Adolescents

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    The role of a father is more than just another parent at home (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father, the male biological parent in a child’s life is important because it brings a different type of parenting that cannot be replicated by anyone else (Stanton, 2010). Fathers who are present and active in a child’s life provide great benefits to a developing child (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father brings a different kind of love. The love of the father is more expectant and instrumental, different from the love of a mother (Stanton, as cited in Pruett, 1987).

    Read More

  • Gender Inequalities Essay

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    The critical rank for reducing gender inequalities should be education, labor force participation, and lastly, wages. There are obvious differences between men and women whether it’s anatomically, financially, and so forth. The gender inequalities women face compared to men is alarming and saddening. Gender stereotypes reinforce gender inequalities because stereotypes can often be internalized which results in biases against either sex. These biases against a person can result in negative results. Gender inequality has been within our society for a long time especially amongst women.

    Read More

  • Managing Workplace Relations

    2007 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gaze, G (2009) ‘The Sex Discrimination Act after 25 years: What is its role in eliminating gender inequality and discrimination in Australia?’, Insights, vol.7,p.13-17, viewed 5 October 2011, .

    Read More

  • Shirley Chiisholm's Patriarchy: Race, Revolution And Women

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thornton, Margaret. "Feminism And The Changing State: The Case Of Sex Discrimination." Australian Feminist Studies 21.50 (2006): 151-172. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 May

    Read More

  • Sole Parenthood Essay

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...nder roles that lack this maternal instinct. Culturally fathers are perceived to be the “bread-winners” and be more involved in playing with children, whereas mothers are often involved in the daily care of children, such as feeding and bathing children. Although women are commonly the head of sole-parent families, the Ministry of Social Development state that there is a growing rate of sole-parent fathers accounting for 14% of all sole-parents with dependent children in 1986 rising to 17% in 2006 (2010). It is evident that single-mother parenting is different to single-father parenting; however the rising rate of single-fathers suggests that the stigma of gender roles in sole-parenting is on the rise towards equality.

    Read More

  • The Bush Legend: The Australian Legend

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    Australia has always been portrayed as masculine, heterosexual, and white. For example, the national image that Australians portray are stereotyped as the ‘frontier explorer’, the ‘bushman’, the ‘larrikin’, the ‘digger’, the ‘workingman’, the ‘breadwinner’, or the ‘globetrotting business tycoon’ (Carter 14). Men represent Australia, whereas women are seen in an inferior and domestic light, for example, they are seen as mothers and housewives (Carter

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Gender Inequality In Society?

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    For centuries now, males and females have never been viewed as equals. Males receive better wages, more opportunities, and greater praise compared to women. Equality is a goal throughout society, yet we are very far from achieving it. It is evident throughout society that women are not yet equal to men, when women are constantly objectified by people in our society. Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment and perceptions of individuals based on their gender (Trevino). The state of the problem plays a large role in how women are treated throughout our society. It is seen throughout countries all over the world. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report, the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report measured the disparities between men and

    Read More

  • Gender Inequality Essay

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gender inequality specifies to unequal treatment or approach of individuals based on their gender. It occurs from differences in socially constructed gender roles as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. In 2006, the World Economic Forum introduced The Global Gender Gap Index. It is a framework that captures the magnitude and capacity of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress. The index measures national gender gaps on political, economic, education and health based criteria, and provides country rankings that allow for effective comparisons across regions and income groups, over time. The rankings are mainly designed to create a greater awareness among a global audience of the challenges posed by gender gaps and the opportunities created by reducing them.

    Read More

  • Third Wave Feminism: Equality or Exclusion?

    1253 Words  | 3 Pages

    That young women in Australia today are freer than both their mothers and grandmothers were and that inequality is solved. However, while responsibility for the domestic sphere is no longer “widely understood as imposed on women” (Baker 2012, 341), the mark of a successful woman is the ability to balance both domestic duties with a successful work life. The efforts against feminine essentialism and liberation from the domestic sphere undertaken by first and second wave feminists have been sidelined. Thought to have been fulfilled, this domestic essentialism interrogated by Fuss (1989) and Ortner (1996) have appeared in the expectation for women to be successful both the public and the private sphere. Young women must demonstrate that they are making good of the opportunities afforded to them. The compromise for occupying a space in the labour market is that women “must retain a visible fragility, and [display] the kind of conventional feminine vulnerability that will ensure she remains desirable to men” (McRobbie 2009, 79). Here, conventional femininity can be exchanged for essential femininity, as many women still believe it to be their responsibility to manage and maintain the domestic sphere (Walters and Whitehouse 2012, 1118). Despite feminist challenges, this essentialist belief has continued in subtler ways. Through research done by Walters and Whitehouse, it is

    Read More

  • Women Issues In Australia

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    Issues faced my women Women are a vital part of the economic development of Australia being on par with their male counterparts. However due to historical impacts of sexism and common misconceptions women face major issues and problems. Major issues relating to women include unequal pay, security, sexual harassment, lack of proper family support, deficient maternity leave and several others. Sexual harassment is a major issue that women face in the workplace as many women fall victim to acts of sexual harassment in the workplace. This harassment manifests itself into several categories such as a demand or request of sexual favours for example having employers soliciting sexual favours from women employees in return for promotions, pay raises

    Read More

  • Why Women Still Can T Have It All

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ever since the women’s suffrage movement of the 1920s, there has been a push for eliminating sexism and providing equality between men and women, especially in the workplace. The United States, along with most of the world, has made great strides in gender equality since then. Women can vote, and have careers, and men are able to stay home with the children if they choose to. But are the sexes really equal now? There are three common answers to this question. Some say yes, while the most common answer is no. The debate does not end there, however. It is typically assumed gender inequality is oppressing women and limiting their rights. Regardless, there are those who say the system is harming men instead. So, if gender inequality still exists,

    Read More

  • Child Development Essay

    1785 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, fathers have had a profound effect on their child’s development. Over the years, the norm for traditional family dynamics of having a father figure in the household has changed drastically, and so did the roles of the parents. It is not as common as it used to be to have a father or father figure in the home. In this day and age, women are more likely to raise children on their own and gain independence without the male assistance due to various reasons. The most significant learning experience and development of a person’s life takes place in their earlier years when they were children. There are many advantages when there is a mother and father combined in a

    Read More

  • The Role of the Father

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    The role of a father in his child’s life extends past the knowledge of far too many, and can oftentimes be eclipsed by the role of the mother. Although the mother’s role is essential and greatly valued in a child’s life and development, the father plays a significant role as well. No mother can fill the father’s place in a child’s heart, for fathers nurture and play differently than a mother. Several studies show that an attendant and highly involved father is critical, especially in the early stages of a child’s life. The absence of a father during this stage can lead to “impaired social and behavioral abilities in adults” (Robert, 2013). But what is the role of the father? This paper discusses the role of the expectant father, the birth experience for him, the transition into fatherhood, and the rise of single fathers.

    Read More

More about Gender Equality In Australia Essay

Open Document