Name: Amelia Gane
Community/State: Roma, Queensland
School: St John’s Catholic
SchoolAge/Grade: 17 Years, Year 12
“Life is a roadtrip with twists and turns. How can we support one another to navigate the road to gender equality?”
As a young seventeen-year-old woman living in 21st century Australia, I have witnessed many different phases of gender equality. I watched the first female Prime Minister in Australia get elected in 2010, the first female Governor-General of Australia and the women’s march in 2017. However, there are still much more gender inequalities Australia is yet to overcome. Being a grade 12 student, I’ve recognised the negative stigma surrounding feminism and equal rights; mainly due to the man-hating feminists of the third wave movement. I genuinely believe that to support one another on the road to gender equality is through education.
Through my experience, I’ve seen that the reason many Australians don’t support gender equality is that they believe that there is not one. That women and men are equal now in 2018. However, this allegation is false. Although women have received many rights that they did not have in the early 20th century, there is still room for improvement. Not just for women, but for men also. Though it is imperative to remove normative gender boundaries in the workplace, it is not the root of the problem. The origin of the problem lie is society’s stereotypes and norms. Girls are pink to represent innocence and beauty. Blue is for boys because it represents masculinity; hard but soft. Girls are not allowed to flaunt their sexuality in the way that boys are. If a boy is sexually active, he is praised. If a girl is, she is slut-shamed. If a woman wants to be sexually active, she should not be shamed for it, nor should a male if he chooses not to be. Women should be able to walk home at night without fear for their lives. Men have a right to speak out and not be ashamed if a woman assaults them. These gender stereotypes are what contribute to gender inequality. However, through educating young men and women about the history of gender inequality and stereotypes in Australia can provide support for both men and women. Moreover, with education, young children can be taught about gender stereotypes from a young age and about the consequences, meaning they won’t likely repeat them. However, the critical component is that teaching before men and women alike, they can both support each other.
I believe that through education gender inequality can be reduced in Australia. Teaching the youth to break gender boundaries guarantees an inclusive Australia.