‘I call myself a community activist’

There seems to be a blase´ attitude around equality at the moment, which is somewhat ironic as this year we are celebrating 125 years since women won the right to vote.

It would be foolish to think winning the right to vote was enough to ensure equality was achieved, and that we’re living in a truly democratic society.

People tout our democratic right to vote as our primary means of democracy.

That’s why it’s not uncommon to hear people say – ‘‘if you don’t vote then you can’t complain’’.

It seems to me this overused phrase limits our expectations around our democratic rights – essentially saying that casting a vote every few years is as good as it gets.

We vote in our local body elections and end up with a selection of 12 councillors and a mayor.

We don’t like some of the decisions the council makes so we complain – because we can. We voted, after all. My question to you is – have you really taken advantage of all the democratic power you have as a citizen? For most people I think the answer is no.

The key to making change is action. We must all act, beyond voting, to put pressure on the system so it improves.

For me taking action is why I call myself a community activist.

It is why I got involved in the Glengarry projects, it’s why I stood for council, and it’s why I am part of the KIND Women group organising events to highlight issues around equality.

Earlier this year I interviewed 17 women in their 30s and 40s. I wanted to know if the 1980s campaign – Girls Can Do Anything – was a formative experience for them. It was a relief that every one of these women knew that they could do anything.

However, every single one of them had had experiences of inequality – including being paid differently to men doing the same job, being judged for their choice to work, not work, have kids, not have kids, how they parent, what they wear, how they look and how they should behave.

We have to learn what we can do differently, challenge others in the way they behave, stop judging, stop victim blaming, and stop having unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. Conversely, we need to keep talking about equality, raise awareness, and continue to change and make our community a better place.

These are our democratic rights, and we should all take advantage of them.