Name: Imogen McDonald
Community/State: Inverell, New South Wales
School: Inverell High School
Age/Grade: 16 Years, Year 11
Overcoming the odds – how can we push through barriers to achieve gender equality?
‘Of course, I believe in equality- but I’m certainly not a feminist’, ‘Feminists are loud and annoying’, ‘They didn’t know how to relax or take a joke.’
These are just some comments and connotations associated with modern day feminism; reinforced and amplified due to misinterpretation characterised by a lack of adequate education which perpetuates gender equality issues such as the pay gap (14% in Australia), rights such as abortion and the capacity for men to healthily deal with emotion. It is abundantly clear that the underlying factor of inequality between genders and our inability to push through barriers is how we are developed to perceive gender and the idea of feminism.
Firstly, it is imperative that society comes to the realisation that gender equality or the idea of feminism, is not purely a feminine issue. Professor Anna Roy said ‘Patriarchy also defines the identity of men. It is as much the enforced script of proper masculinity- how to be a real man- as it is that of proper femininity’. Factors that encourage old-fashioned attitudes in relation to gender equality such as stereotypes of gender, establish themselves from before we are even born; leading to substantial implications on behaviour, choses, and attitude.
We also fail to recognise that gender isn’t just female and male. Thirty-three different genders have been recognised by the Australian Sex Survey 2016. A significant focus on creating an inclusive feminism to tackle barriers to gender equality is essential.
We need to transform eternalised attitudes from the moment children are born and this attitude will effectively be bred into society until it is considered normal. This can be achieved by exposing all children to resources such as books, television, and toys that demonstrate equality, healthy relationships, and open-mindedness of gender. Teaching children how to recognise stereotypical and potentially damaging messages and how to process their emotions in healthy ways is crucial, along with being open-minded and not restricting children or purposely directing them to anything from children’s toys to careers. The developmental years for humans are the most vulnerable and fragile, proving that this is where our effort must be directed, meaning these ideas will be passed on to future generations; breaking down socially constructed barriers and revolutionising equality and feminism. Attitudes that are encouraged can be immensely powerful in influencing attitudes and sparking change for the pay gap, men and mental health and equality for all genders.