March is an important month for women’s rights around the world with March 8 marking International Women’s Day.
Strong activism over the last hundred years by women and supporters of social justice has led to big changes to women’s rights and opportunities including the right to vote, to join the workforce and to run for parliament.
However, the theme of International Women’s Day 2016 is a shocking reminder of how far we still have to go to actually have the basic right of being equal. In being asked to “Pledge for Parity” this year, we are told that on current tracking, parity between men and women will be reached in 2,133. It is quite unacceptable that more than a hundred years after we first celebrated International Women’s Day, we are still more than a century away from reaching equality between men and women.
While women around the world face the consequences of inequality to varying degrees based on cultural and societal norms, the law of the land and the levels of inherent discrimination, the movement for gender equality is definitely universal.
Growing up in Pakistan, a country that ranks very low on the Global Gender Gap Index, I have always felt a heightened awareness of the existing unfairness, patriarchal structures and misogynistic laws that allow discrimination to continue and prevent women from access to education, paid employment or even fully participating in decision-making.
After migrating to Australia, a country I always imagined had achieved gender equality in all spheres of life, it was a shock to discover the extent of marginalisation that still exists here.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report, an analysis of the gap between men and women in health, education, economic opportunity and political representation, Australia’s ranking has dropped from 24 to 36 in just one year.
In NSW, there is much work to be done as well. Abortion still sits in the Crimes Act and there is a constant threat from foetal personhood laws proposed by the conservative political parties. There were 12,561 women who were victims of assault in NSW last year. That’s 34 a day. The gender pay gap in NSW is the third highest amongst all states and territories.
Indeed, all these harsh statistics are a rally call to redouble our efforts to close the gender gap faster and to end discrimination and violence against women whether it is in Australia or in Pakistan. But when we talk about equality, fairness and justice some other crucial questions need to be addressed as well.
Are we making sure that the voices of all women, regardless of their colour or cultural heritage are heard?
Do we know, for instance, how Aboriginal women, ethnically diverse women, refugee women, and trans women are faring?
Are we making sure that as we strive for equality, it is for all these women?
This year I had the pleasure of hosting around 250 women from all walks of life at an International Women’s Day Breakfast in NSW Parliament House. We had the privilege of hearing from actor and writer, Nakkiah Lui and author Randa Abdel-Fattah, both of whom explored the diverse ways that women from different backgrounds experience the world.
Nakkiah spoke about growing up as an Aboriginal woman. The constant name calling, the sense of not belonging and holding her arm against the white curtains to compare the colours.
Randa talked about the way we conceptualise the worth of different women. Why is a woman’s life in Afghanistan worth less than a woman’s life in Sydney, or Paris for that matter?
The question of diversity has been a difficult one for feminism as the focus has mostly been on the overarching bigger cause of equality between genders. Some bristle at the idea of “dividing” up women, arguing that we need to unite against the main enemy – patriarchy.
Asking these questions and highlighting these issues is not about casting blame. To say that mainstream feminism has largely excluded issues of importance to non-white women is not an attack on white women. It doesn’t make white women racist or complicit, nor does it minimise the very real struggles that many women have faced individually and collectively.
But pointing out different experiences and ensuring that everyone is heard and included in the movement strengthens not dilutes us. It opens up the door to people who feel excluded, often people we had no idea felt that way.
The month of March is an excellent opportunity to celebrate and reflect on what women have achieved together but also a time to resolve to forge ahead with inclusivity, ensuring every woman is brought along.
