Name: Jessica Mustart
Community, State: Geraldton
School: Geraldton Senior College
Age: Grade 10, 15 years of age
From primary school to Prime Minister, how can we create strong pathways to power for women?
Check out this amazing top 40 entry!
We are the future generation, the generation that will change the world for the better. We as the next to bear the flame must complete the tasks set by our predecessors and then continue to innovate our world for the better.
One of the tasks that need to be completed is closing the gap between genders and providing the equality we all deserve.
Gender is a defining quality, it helps us understand who we are, but it can also lead to discrimination and prejudice.
We must start somewhere and there is one place in particular that gender equality needs to be seen, and that is place in Parliament; So I ask this question, how can we create strong pathways to power for women?
Education; Further educating younger females in schools and in the workplace allows us to open a channel of opportunity to these girls. We need to hold conferences, lectures, and workshops allowing us to give these young women a chance to understand and experience what they will face in the workforce; and how they can overcome it with confidence, inspiring them to pursue their desired career.
Stereotypes; We need to remove the stereotypes that are placed upon young women and motivate them to further their education and look to seeking a job in management and leadership, and to not turn to stereotypical jobs that women are over-represented in and are often categorized for.
Representation; We need more female representation in our communities and our Government to educate and empower young females; showing them that they can do whatever job they desire no matter what it is and see women in this position, will encourage the younger generations to pursue their dreams despite the limitations/discrimination women are put through.
The last pathway is recognition; Recognising in communities the struggles that young women face as they grow (the name-calling, the stereotypes, and discrimination) and that if these issues are not recognised and dealt with at a young age, will lead to young females becoming less confident in their abilities and result in more females turning to casual, low paying jobs, believing they can’t do any better. Putting more funding into schools and communities so that it can be used to hire more counselors, or for the community, we could use the money to hold public events to show women that we care what happens to them.