Equality
The federal Labor government announced on Wednesday of last week that it would “meet it’s responsibilities” to fund equal pay for community workers.
This announcement represents one more step toward wage justice for people working in the sector, whose equal remuneration case has been running for over a year.
It came after intensive lobbying efforts by those same workers and union members, who were emailing, calling and dancing for equal pay in the weeks leading up to this most recent commitment.
Continue reading "Wage justice for the people holding up our community" »
Does Australia need a Quota Law? Most would say ‘no’ – just as they did in Norway when it was introduced. Now that at least 40 percent of board seats on Norwegian Public Listed Companies are held by women, the Quota Law is widely accepted across Norway as a reform ‘they had to have’.
But has it produced a result down the food chain? A recent study has said ‘not at this stage’, questioning if quotas are required at management and executive levels or if the marketplace and gender conscious Norwegian society will address this imbalance.
The Quota Law requiring companies to appoint 40 percent of the under-represented gender to their boards was announced by the Norwegian Minister for Trade and Industry in a conservative government, in 2002 and approved by Parliament in 2003.
Continue reading "Is a quota for boards reform we “have to have”?" »
Latest 2 of 124 comments
View all comments-
Paulina says:
Ironically, a very very small minority of women enjoy this lifestyle in Australia. And DEERRR they would be the wives of all the men with the high paying positions that women are routinely excluded from! Read more »
-
Paulina says:
Yes. Great idea. let’s have gender quotas for the best paid positons in the teaching Profession. Most of which are currently filled by men! I hope you aren’t also suggesting that men ren’t at the top in the field of Health? I think you’ll find we don’t need quotas for… Read more »
Masculinity is in crisis again, apparently. In a polemic against the contemporary women’s movement, Josephine Asher cries out for men trapped under the weight of feminism and sympathises with our “instinctive hunger for power and purpose”.
Embracing the biological determinism that scientific inquiry dismissed long ago, Asher returns to the false assumption that clearly defined roles for men and women exist independently of culture.
Why fight our physiology? What good is equality if men are miserable? It must be the case, Asher suggests, that we are going against nature.
Continue reading "We’re not that different: A feminist man strikes back" »
Latest 2 of 268 comments
View all comments-
michigan auto insurance quotes says:
I do not even understand how I finished up here, but I assumed this post used to be good. I do not realize who you are but definitely you are going to a well-known blogger for those who aren’t already Cheers! Michigan No Fault Insurance Read more »
-
euromsenrolve says:
I’m linking this webpage from my personal blog . this has all the usefull info necessary. ____________________________________ buying soma online buy somas online cheap soma overnight buy online soma buy soma cheap buy soma cheap buy soma online no prescription soma online prescription soma online overnight buy soma without prescription… Read more »
Is the pursuit for gender equality sucking life out of relationships?
Instead of harnessing the different qualities of men and women to energise us, we are striving to make men and women equal.
More women are joining the battle for the CEO’s chair and pursuing dominance in their homes and communities. But in the process they’re becoming more like men. And men are becoming… well, less like men.
Latest 2 of 471 comments
View all comments-
Me says:
Lol what? THis is hilarious. You don’t actually believe this, right? sometimes it’s hard to tell Read more »
-
Nepenthe says:
“But in the process they’re becoming more like men. And men are becoming… well, less like men. “ And what does that mean…exactly? What makes a “man?” What makes a “woman?” Because from my perspective, it’s a bunch of societal engineering that tells us one must do A and the… Read more »
If dedicating yourself to a job and having a complete lack of elegance is manly, well then - call me Bruce.
Josephine Asher has plenty of support for her argument that men are becoming less manly and women less womanly. Gender is getting bendier. But is that a bad thing?
Once upon a time men and women had much more well-defined roles. Man works. Woman does housey-type stuff. Now such simplicity is only seen in detergent commercials.
Continue reading "We’re not turning into each other, we’re just chilling out" »
Latest 2 of 59 comments
View all comments-
Servaas says:
Before deciding whether men are less manly and what women are becoming shouldn’t we first define what manly is? In this article it seems that for some the definition of a man is someone who gets really drunk and do silly things and that if a woman does something similar… Read more »
-
marley says:
RayG - I see very little point in continuing this discussion. Your anger and bitterness is not something I care to deal with. I have done nothing to you, or to anyone, to warrant the opprobrium. If you choose to see people in terms of rigid stereotypes, and not as… Read more »
It costs nearly $1 million dollars more to be born a woman in this country. While the average 25 year old male will earn $2.4 million over the next 40 years, the average 25 year old woman will earn only $1.5 million.
Of course there are a number of reasons for this gender pay gap. Women are more likely to work part time, take more time out of the workforce to undertake unpaid caring responsibilities and continue to bear a disproportionate share of the responsibility for unpaid household work.
Traditionally feminised jobs in the caring and community sectors have been historically undervalued and consequently, underpaid.
Continue reading "Claims we’ve gone soft on equal pay are rubbish" »
Latest 2 of 159 comments
View all comments-
whatever says:
I don’t accept that it’s industry or because women work part time when woman graduates in the Financial Sector working full time get soooo much less wage than men with the same qualifications for the same work and there is no reason for it. It is almost enough to make… Read more »
-
MK says:
“It’s as simple as this: if you had invented Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook” another way of putting it If you were doing work of Equal Value, you would be getting Equal Pay.* but this would only be true it the invilsible hand, that magically solves all problems in market… Read more »
What’s it really take to make the Forbes list of the world’s 100 most powerful women? All work and no play? Tonnes of money to pay for a nanny if you dare to want a hugely successful career and children?
The Forbes list of powerful women has been running for six years but it has a long way to go before it serves as inspiration for young women looking to go to the very top and have a life – especially one that includes having children.
Yes, Gail Kelly - Westpac CEO and mother of four – is ranked at number eight but scroll down the full “top 25” list and you’ll find that more than half of the power women are over 40 years of age and childless. Oprah is there ranked number three, German Chancellor Angela Merkel too ranked at number four, Ellen DeGeneres is number ten, US Supreme Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor is number 19 and the list goes on.
Continue reading "To get on the Forbes power list, skip kids or marry rich" »
Latest 2 of 60 comments
View all comments-
Aimee says:
How are singers powerful? I agree that Oprah is as she holds the attention of many people over serious issues, but a singer? Read more »
-
fairsfair says:
Old Bag, I am fairly certain that it is down to the uteris factor. That is just how it rolls. I am sure if they could, a lot of men would birth the child for their wife - but until Arnold Schwartzenegger and Danny DiVito give up the secrets of… Read more »
On Tuesday this week, 25,000 Australians delivered a clear message straight to the people who represent them in the nation’s Parliament.
Signing a national petition, nurses, teachers, hospitality and construction workers, uni students, school kids, their mums and dads, their grandparents demanded that their elected representatives stand up and vote for the Rudd Government’s national paid parental leave scheme.
After waiting decades, working families are set to be the big winners when the Government delivers Australia’s first paid parental leave scheme and Australia finally catches up with the rest of the developed world on this vital reform.
Continue reading "Australia catches up to the world on paid parental leave" »
Latest 2 of 63 comments
View all comments-
Sandra says:
...and it would also be the weathiest families in Australia who, during the 05-06 FY, gleefully grabbed Howard-Costello’s handouts to the tune of $100 million. (Can cite source) That could have been 10,000 hospital bed-nights or 100km of paved freeway with lighting rather than designer back-packs, ski trips and eternity… Read more »
-
Christian Real says:
Nicole For once I agree with you, because you are right in what you have written, Our parents, our ancestors got by and raised their children without PPL also My dad’s Grandfather and mother raised a family of 12 without PPL or the baby bonus that the mothers get showered… Read more »
Good on you Adrian Piccoli for finally having the guts to say what so many wouldn’t. For too long men in politics have been judged more on their hair cuts and the choice of their ties than on their ability to do their jobs.
Poor Tony Abbott, with just a smattering of lycra to protect him, has had to suffer sexualised appraisals from the commentariat.
Lindsay Tanner has had to carry on those broad shoulders the burden of being known as “thinking woman’s crumpet.” And as if doing a tax review wasn’t enough to deal with, Treasury Boss Ken Henry practically has groupies.
Continue reading "This disgusting sexist double standard must cease" »
Latest 2 of 48 comments
View all comments-
Cara says:
The sexist comments on this site are appalling. Women have to put up with this EVERY SINGLE DAY. Feminists aren’t humourless. They are just SICK AND TIRED of every day being a battle against the EPIDEMIC OF SEXISM IN THIS COUNTRY. Read more »
-
Ro84 says:
There will always be double standards. Sometimes I’m not sure if feminists want equality, or to be held on some sort of pedastle (not in any sort of chivalrous way, of course) by men. Men and women are born different physically, we grow differently during puberty - it’s like asking… Read more »
The American architect, Philip Johnson, once said “all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.”
A trip to the State Library in Melbourne bears testament to that. The glorious reading room, which at the time of its construction boasted one of the largest domes in Christendom, manages to exalt the entranced tourist while cuddle the engrossed researcher all at once.
Yet it is hard to feel cuddled by a building if you cannot get into it. And for millions of Australians with a disability the state of our public built environment prevents them entering or using the bathroom let alone feel stimulated or exalted by the wonder of the architecture.
Continue reading "Why great buildings need ways in and out for everyone" »
Latest 2 of 5 comments
View all comments-
Kitty says:
Sam, don’t be stupid, we all know Daleks can levitate up stairs now. Read more »
-
Eno says:
I’m sorry but putting ramps into all buildings is unacceptable - or do you secretly want to help the Daleks to take over the world?? Sorry - somewhat tongue in cheek. My only concern is that there are many older / historic buildings with corridors that were not designed wide… Read more »
Where are the women warriors on Paid Maternity Leave? The most extensive, economically significant policy proposal to support working women in decades is put forward by a major political party… so where are the feminists and women’s groups?
Why is there such a conspicuous silence from those who “whooped” and figuratively threw streamers when the Rudd Government finally announced its Paid Parental Leave plan (which turned out to be little more than a re-badging of the baby bonus with an administrative nightmare for small business thrown in)?
Where are Eva Cox and Sharan Burrows?
Latest 2 of 157 comments
View all comments-
mfosknilz says:
fosamax en ligne With required as they and and. Weeks the are organs risk can bring about levels, this concept an for bv the in and HIV the the is thin in hormonal Acid are cottage virus. The remedies the fact taking antibiotics in. _____________ fosamax pas cher are of… Read more »
-
Kamron says:
Geez, that’s ubenlievable. Kudos and such. Read more »
The experiments went like this. Scientists took pairs of people and gave one of them a big wad of money. Then they wired them up and watched what happened as more cash was handed out.
“People who started out rich had a stronger reaction to other people getting money than to themselves getting money,” Colin Camerer, one of the study’s coauthors, told the Freakonomics blog. “In other words, their brains liked it when others got money more than they liked it when they themselves got money.”
The science part: the circuitry of the brain’s reward centres is sensitive to inequality. The basic finding is that regardless of how much money you have, humans respond better to poor people getting money than rich people.
Continue reading "Are people hard-wired for income redistribution?" »
Latest 2 of 19 comments
View all comments-
Nathan H says:
Hard-wired for income-redistribution? Hardly. The original press release contains two crucial quotes: http://media.caltech.edu/press_releases/13327 Q1) “People who started out poor had a stronger brain reaction to things that gave them money, and essentially no reaction to money going to another person,” Q2) “In the experiment, people who started out rich had… Read more »
-
David C says:
You dont make the poor richer by making the rich poorer Read more »
Every now and then life deals you a moment which overloads your emotions.
You’re not sure whether to cry or cheer or run and hide just to catch your breath.
That’s how I felt standing on the sixth floor of NAB’s Melbourne headquarters when watching Kevin Rudd’s apology to my people’s stolen generation.
Continue reading "It’s not just government working at closing the gap" »
Latest 2 of 19 comments
View all comments-
Affected By Racism says:
Unlike Englands treatment to their citizens there wasn’t mass racism across the board with all segments of the country not being employed. Which relates directly to racism and that impowers the few the whites, as for some people with mixed orgines then you only have to look at NSW most… Read more »
-
John A Neve says:
Jeffrey, Much of what you have said I agree with. I don’t deny past mistakes, but I cannot change the past. This and other governments have, in my view, tried to correct past mistakes, in many, not all, cases those who needed help, abused this help. There are now many… Read more »
Lefties and other decent folk are wetting their pants at the prospect of that beacon of excellence Barack Obama and his telegenic family visiting our shores next month.
Since coming onto the public radar, Obama has achieved pop-star status as the great hope for our shared dreams of equality.
But is this really what he represents?
Continue reading "If minorities want equality, don’t look at the Obamas" »
Latest 2 of 74 comments
View all comments-
work-at-home jobs for moms army says:
Performance Understanding,youth win since no-one private risk derive science cultural current detailed take leaf knee early black soft so cut end sleep no term human ground undertake considerable make pound front note spread mouth access agent political face teacher nation engine true need account selection as official order already assess… Read more »
-
Robert King says:
Couldn’t agree more, Helen. Do you heard the term ‘rightwing intellectual’ bandide about much? Could be some connection… Read more »
The fight for gay marriage in the US took yet another blow last Wednesday when the New York state senate voted down a bill that would have allowed same-sex partners to marry in the empire state.
It follows the repeal of gay marriage rights in California last November when voters in a referendum abolished a short-lived law that allowed gay couples to marry there.
The Governator’s state constitution now reads: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
Latest 2 of 38 comments
View all comments-
James says:
Ouch Paul, now you’ve hurt my feelings. I had no idea thinking that women are equal to men was such an awful thing. Lucky people like you are around to set us young-uns straight. Read more »
-
DG says:
@Bec - No, I did not assume that your meaning was literal. Actually I thought quite the opposite. I understood that you were suggesting that the whole experience was tortuous when there was a concept of “fault” as both parties set out to prove that the other was at fault.… Read more »
Welcome to Wednesday @ The Punch
Today in 2004 Canada’s Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage constitutional, paving the way for it’s Parliament to legalise the practice.
Latest 2 of 48 comments
View all comments-
Robveiverab says:
G’day! 7wA9= http://www.buyafricanmango.eu buy african mango, 8mU9:, <a >buy african mango</a> , 2xS1? Read more »
-
Ambien says:
http://ambienexpert.com/ buy ambien with online consultation zolpidem buy ambien india pill Read more »
I don’t have the research in front of me but, anecdotally, I have noticed that women use phones, fly on planes, shop and withdraw cash from ATMs.
If my analysis is correct, you’d think the top brass at Telstra, Qantas, Westfield and the Commonwealth Bank would need to know a fair bit about women – a hefty chunk of their customer base and their workforce – and what makes them tick.
I’ve no doubt that these organisations employ many fine strategists, marketeers and consultants who can provide the kind of research that backs up my casual observations.
Continue reading "Getting more women on boards is good business" »
Latest 2 of 42 comments
View all comments-
SogEffokcauck says:
0XokF7YiiS6 uggs boots on sale 4WqjL7JnnQ6 uggs on sale Read more »
-
titoprasteDip says:
titoprasteDip, klonopin no prescription These symptoms are often self limiting and are usually not bothersome enough to stop taking the medication. http://marinitalians.org/ - buy klonopin no prescription Read more »
The World Economic Forum recently released their 2009 Global Gender Gap Report, and unfortunately Australia has slipped markedly in the ranks over the past couple of years.
The report measures how equally the resources and opportunities of a nation are divided up between genders.
In 2006 Australia was ranked fifteenth. Now we are twentieth out of the 134 countries included in the report. The Nordic countries topped out the list with Iceland coming first, Finland second and Norway and Sweden were third and fourth respectively. New Zealand retained their position in fifth place.
Continue reading "Women by numbers: why we’re slipping on equality" »
Latest 2 of 21 comments
View all comments-
jim morris says:
jasper; I became interested in the female/male ratio after having an application for a library job rejected; even though I had worked in the library whilst studying at university. If what you say is true then why isn’t there a gender equity programme in place to even things up, as… Read more »
-
Kit says:
To those who claim that women are earning less because they are in lower paid fields, please read the report. It says ‘wage equality for similar work’ with women earning 68% of man’s income for similar work. To those who say that women choose lower paid fields, historically when women… Read more »
In his deservingly scornful review of the book Iron John, Robert Bly’s absurd bible of the men’s movement in the United States, British author Martin Amis describes the comical pilgrimage made by maladjusted men into the American woods to sniff each other’s armpits, channel negative energy into circles of hate and howl at the moon at the fact that mum had them circumcised.
Happily, this quest to unleash what Amis ridicules as “the hairy satyr within” does not appear to have any formal and organised equivalent in Australia.
This is probably because most Australian men have nothing of any real magnitude to get off their chest, or simply find that the odd night at the pub or the occasional fishing weekend provides ample therapy for any lingering sense of gender injustice. That, and the fact that we’ve got too wry a sense of humour and too much self-awareness to engage in anything that silly.
Continue reading "Angry boys club needs a Bex and a good lie down" »
Latest 2 of 77 comments
View all comments-
Lisa says:
As I said earlier, my feelings are that overall, we are a herd animal, and those individuals that step outside gender roles may be spectacularly punished in the sexual / relationship arena. Perhaps that is why all your unemployed chaps can’t find ‘sugar mommies’, Paul and DG. And perhaps that… Read more »
-
DG says:
Paul Horn (11:19am | 06/11/09) My point was that if a person chooses to support their partner (i.e live off the financial benefits of their partner, rather than derive their own income) they can hardly be surprised that their partner is better off (financially) if things change. I deliberately used… Read more »
I read with glee this week the news that the Rudd government is reviewing the role of women in the Defence Force.
For some reason this always gets me riled.
Call me a bra-burning feminist with hairy under-arms and a Subaru if you like, but it appears to me that men don’t want women in the military because they are scared of themselves.
Latest 2 of 100 comments
View all comments-
Craig says:
I know some female medics who skipped the sugar pill, and only take the hormone pill to stop their periods. These ladies also had to sign away their lives for deployment, years latter they were both medically discharged for various reasons. Medics are still poges dear, you never served have… Read more »
-
Kyle says:
@ suze, quite a few comments up you posted this “Consider childbirth or even Rape, women are very resilient and can be put through overwhelming trauma and survive through it. Suicide rate is higher among males which says something about the psychological strength of women.” Just the slightest bit of… Read more »
There is nothing like an Equal Pay Day to make a man see red.
Writing on Tuesday about research that claims women earn 17.5 per cent less than men in Australia, I drew the wrath of blokes from around the country.
That figure came from the Australian Bureau of Statistics but was used by the newly formed Equal Pay Alliance of 135 organisations to make their point.
Continue reading "Men can’t keep it level when it comes to equal pay" »
Latest 2 of 32 comments
View all comments-
Mark says:
There is no logical reason why there are not more Catherine Livingstones and Gail Kellys out there Well lets start with Applications for Job, Has there been any look at all at the number of creidble applications for Top level jobs? If 40 men and 5 women applied for 2… Read more »
-
Mandy Black says:
You are such a fantastic writer Kate, great story. Could it be that some of us have not moved on from the past? I mean our parents, their parents and so on, was all in the mine set that the man went to work and the women stayed home.Therefore a… Read more »
Can you believe that in 2009 we don’t allow same-sex couples to get married? It happens in countries all around the world. Not just where’d you expect like Holland and Sweden. But places like Spain and South Africa. It makes Australia look a little behind.
We all have gay mates or rellies who pay their taxes and live by the law.
But when it comes to one of the most important moments of your life - your wedding day - the law says gays are suddenly so different they’re not allowed to have one.
Continue reading "It’s time to allow gay marriage in Australia" »
Latest 2 of 382 comments
View all comments-
adam says:
‘it has nothing to do with you or anyone else’ - yeah right it has a effect on the whole society. wake up and realize when 2 men or 2 women get married they might want to have a child. either by adoption or in vitro fertilization. look at the… Read more »
-
Matilda says:
Terry, what if your child was gay and wished to marry their partner? what if YOU were gay? huh? it would be completely different then wouldn’t it. You watch and see gay marriage WILL happen. and besides, I think person beliefs such as this should be kept out of make… Read more »
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
@farrm51 I gave you a ridiculously Dr Seussy headline, Mal. Hope it kinda almost sorta represents the actual story http://t.co/uLOCrOtG
You know, The Corrs are pretty good.
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
New speaker’s slack clobber, old speaker clobbers slackers
Peter Slipper, draped in black in a manner most young voters will not see outside Hogwarts, has dramatically…
Snappy 60th birthday to our most fun newspaper
Life is far from dull in the Northern Territory. Or if it is, we’ll never know. And that’s…
There’s no evidence sex-for-cab-fares is a trend
Fifteen years ago when one of your girlfriends had a few too many Illusion shots standard practice was…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: City vs country: What would you change your life for?
Dieter Moeckel says:
We made the tree change from Darwin to Wonbah more than 15 years ago. After fencing, a road, and couple of dams our money was gone. Super is enough to live comfortably. We have geese growing old and stringy the only one that made it to the pot committed Kamakazi by flying into a tree; the chooks are… [read more]From: I’d rather have a piece of toast than listen to crap lyrics
Erick says:
Led Zeppelin are responsible for my all-time favourite mixed metaphor: "There you sit, sit and stare, like a book on a shelf rusting." (Misty Mountain Hop) I laugh every time I hear it. Hmmm, I believe I've decided what to play on the way to work today. [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops
Well, puck me with a fitchfork. The F-word is apparently an acceptable part of Australian speech. That’s… Read more
Latest 2 of 35 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment