MOVING FORWARD ON THE LONG ROAD TO EQUALITY

AS International Women’s Day approaches, Mayor Stephanie Asher has done well to draw attention to the need for further action on achieving gender equality, pointing to some achievements to date and urging persistence.

The reality is that a lot more remains to be done and fought for.

Legislative change, like the Victorian gender equality act, which is one of few in the world and unique in Australia, is a useful step. Quotas for boards and management committees, both public and private, need to be set, and no political party without quotas for gender equality and representation which reflects the community should be tolerated.

Our education system, from early education onwards, needs to be restructured to guarantee that girls and boys have the same opportunities and encouragement to progress in all fields, with extra supports to counteract our historical cultural biases.

And the phenomenal achievements of women in the arts, music and the many fields, where their work has only just begun to be acknowledged, need to be celebrated.

So, women and men, there is a lot still to be done. Celebrate, yes, and, yes, keep on keeping on until equality is the norm.

Rosemary Kiss, Rippleside

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