Gender refers to the socially constructed roles of males and females. The stereotypical woman is one that stays at home raising the children and cooks. Whereas males are the strong, hardworking, decision making providers. Historically Australia's social structure has contributed to significant differences in opportunity and outcome between the genders, resulting in prejudice and discrimination against more women than men over time. It is the areas of family, education and work that these differences are most pronounced.
Since settlement, Australia's population was dominated by males. There were little female convicts sent to Australia, so little that the British Government in 1800 ran advertisements to attract women. They even offered to pay females to immigrate to Australia. Males dominated every aspect of life. From the micro world of their own families and household, to the macro world of education and job opportunities.
As women finally received suffrage in 1902, it paved the way for the decades ahead as it was the first step in a long road towards receiving rights and freedom that were the same for the opposite sex.
Vida Goldstein is Australia's heroine of the first women movement. Feminists, campaigner for the suffrage, firm believer in the justice and necessity of equal rights for women with men. She was also the first women anywhere in the world to stand for a national parliament, when in 1903 she stood for election to the Australian Senate. Both supporters and oppositions followed her every move.
Vida Goldstein formed a number of organisations for and on behalf of women, including the Women's Political Association in 1905. This was originally formed to organise the women's vote for Labour, but it rapidly became a vehicle for her opinions.
During the Second World War, women were required to take on jobs that were previously occupied by men. Women worked in factories and drove buses; and upon the men's return from war, many women refused to relinquish this new found freedom.
The radical politics of the 1960s gave rise to Women's Liberation. It was from these years that feminists campaigned for equal pay, equal opportunities, anti-discrimination, child and maternity welfare, divorce laws and childcare. They also demanded freedom of choice for women, not only for education and employment, but for marriage, contraception and abortion. The Feminist Movement shocked many older, conservative women's organisations, such as the Country Women's Association.
Like the suffragists and many groups who try to achieve change, the Women Liberation movement had a radical minority and a more moderate majority. The radicals said that women would achieve their liberation only though revolution, although there was a lot of discussion about what form this would take. For some groups this meant a violent political over through of the capitalist system. Despite an economic downfall and the election of a conservative federal government, the Feminist Movement continued to grow and make significant gains for women in the 1970s.
Benefits such as the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) which committed to feminist goals of achieving social, economic, educational and sexual equalities for women. Campaigns such as “Think WEL before you vote” appeared as a lift out in the Melbourne Age in 1972.
The Family Law Act introduced a no-foult system in 1975. Irretrievable breakdown of marriage was the only grounds for divorce. Legislative recognition of economic value of women's traditional work in the home was given in the division of assets on divorce.
As Australian society moved towards an acceptance of gender equality, it was important that political and legislative policies reflected that change. There have been legislations passed, such as the 1984 Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act, that have shaped equality for women.
Gender equality linked with women remains a contemporary issue. More women are still working in "women area" jobs, such as teaching and nursing. Engineering and computering attracts 25% male student applications, and only 5% females.
In many aspects of society, the "Glass Ceiling" seems to be powerfully in place. Despite years of legislation and changing social attitudes, the opportunity for females to achieve at the highest levels of many professions and occupations seems to be very challenging.
Melbourne university lecturer, Andrew McIntyre, suggests that men are biologically destined to be at the top of organisations because they are more “single-minded and competitive”. He also suggests that women tend to stay away from the ever-burgeoning career opportunities presented by increasing bureaucratisation of universities, which would explain why they are less likely to be found as senior managers.
Attitudes as such put forward the "glass ceiling" barrier that women are continuing to fight against. Many women, however, choose certain kinds of careers where the working hours controlled to some degree, whereas men can choose to stay back at the office as they do not feel the need to portray the “home mum” stereotype.
