Essay On The Australian Contemporary Society

Feminism refers to as a range of socio political ideologies and movements, which has the aim of defining and establishing economic, social and personal equality of genders. It eventually incorporates the specific position that society prioritizes the male point of view and that females are being treated unjustly within these societies (Delmar 2018). Major efforts to change involve fighting against gender stereotypes and even an establishment of the educational, professional and interpersonal opportunities as well as results for women, which are equal to those for men. This essay provides a brief discussion on the support or criticism of feminism in the Australian society with relevant details.

 

 

The main objectives of feminism is taking proper gender roles, which have been present for several years and even deconstruct these for allowing individuals to live free as well as empowered lives, without being tied down to the traditional restrictions (Buhle 2022). It would provide benefits to all genders as the movement would be including men’s liberation within their objectives. Feminist theory that emerged from the feminist movements can help in understanding the nature of gender inequality by eventually examining social roles of all women.

 

Feminism is supported by almost every government or country for bringing equality in the society and ensuring that the negative impacts are avoided successfully. As a result, there had been an equality in payments and even for the right for initiating any legal proceeding as well as the right of women to make their individual choices both personally or professionally (Mellor 2018).

 

Australia has a long standing association with the subsequent creation as well as protection of women’s rights. It was the second country in the world for providing women the right to vote and the first to provide their female citizens the subsequent right to be elected to a national parliament (Australian women’s rights. 2022). The Australian state of South Australia was considered as the first parliament in the entire world for granting women with full suffrage rights. This particular country had notable women that are serving in public offices and different fields. The Australian women with the notable exception of indigenous women were subsequently granted the right to vote and even to be elected at the federal elections in 1902.

 

 

The Australian society has also supported to several feminist activists as well as writers like Germaine Greer, Julia Gillard, Vida Goldstein, Edith Cowan and many more. Feminist action with equal opportunities in employment has been responsible for resulting in partially successful legislations. There are a few laws against gender discrimination for ensuring that gender bias is avoided successfully (Women’s rights in Australia. 2022). Various governmental departments are being established to ensure that any kind of discrimination against women is avoided. The Australian feminists have even fought for and won their rights to gain funded child care and refugees of women. The success obtained by these feminists after entering into the public services of Australia and their respective changing policies led to the specific term of femocrats.

 

The Australian contemporary society has provided support to their feminists and the entire concept of feminism for several years. They have also ensured that the changes are being brought through literature and they have supported feminism focused books in their society to emphasize on the feminist movement (Gender Equality. 2018). The predominant critical theory of feminism in the country can be stated as that there can be male dominance of politics, media, law and even business and it could result in gender inequality. A proper research on feminism has also expanded its scope of including political science in the country for including issues that are associated to femininity, crime against women and allowing them to take their own decisions (Black 2019).

 

However, it is being noticed that a few newspapers have criticized feminism for getting favoritism. A popular newspaper columnist, Joanna Murray Smith has mentioned in 2004 that feminism has a major reason for the failure of women in the society and on the contrary, Virginia Haussegger has criticized that feminism provides the promise that the individual can obtain every aspect and feminism can become failure in liberation. Moreover, a popular feminist and socialist, Eva Cox has mentioned that the attribute of feminism has failed and it requires a complete radical rethinking with the help of the fact that feminist perspectives are needed to set social objectives, which are highly sustainable and even create proper social resilience (Felski 2020).

 

 

There had been a major number of inequality cases in the Australian society. For example, the average full time weekly wage for a woman is 15.3% lesser than that of a man. Moreover, it is also noted that more than 40% of women has faced harassment in their work place and 30 of these women have even experienced physical violence since the age of 15 (Gender Equality. 2018). 20% of the Australian women have experienced violence by partner since the age of 15. Women also spend almost twice as many hours in one day for performing unpaid care work as compared to men.

 

 

Apart from these allegations, more than 45% of mothers have reported experienced major work place discrimination for their recent motherhood, maternity leaves or returning to work after leaves. 20% of the mothers have even indicated that they are made redundant, dismissed or restructured as well as not getting their contract renewed, after their maternity leaves (Gender Equality. 2018).

 

To reduce gender inequality and promoting equal practices in the society, several Australian laws and regulations are being included by the government for universities, work places and even in the political decisions. It has resulted in an increasing number of female candidates, being taken on different leadership roles and responsibilities for forging pathways for other girls and women to eventually follow (Martin 2020). In 1984, sex discrimination act came into action in Australia for reducing gender discrimination as well as harassment in different parts of the country. This particular act provides proper impact to the international human rights obligations of Australia for playing a vital role in changing community attitudes and even helping an advanced gender equality in the entire contemporary society (Women’s rights in Australia. 2022).

 

 

However, in spite of these laws and regulations, several girls and women have been continuing to experience inequality as well as discrimination in their professional work places that could reduce their respective opportunities and scope in the work. One of the major barriers identified for gender equality is that the Australian work force is subsequently segregated by female or gender industries like health, community services and aged or child care services are being undervalued for the society (Coady 2017). From the sociological perspective, Australia has been scoring major progress to be made in the areas of political empowerment as well as economic participation and opportunities.

 

A proper flexibility is needed to be maintained for ensuring that women would be getting equal payment for having a diversity policy that is being deployed by the corporate governance council (Lake 2017). The increasing number of women in corporate leadership positions is likely to increment their financial returns. The role of a woman has eventually evolved over generations and also looks different in various parts of the world. Feminism in Australia has provided with increased educational opportunities, the rights to give votes in elections, providing protections against any kind of work place discrimination and even the rights for making accurate decisions. In the subsequent community of Australia, feminism has even gained major success in challenging different cultural principles regarding women.

 

 

Australia has provided support to feminism and different feminists and they have been recognized internationally for their subsequent support to different programs and rights in the world (Blackmore 2019). It is being done through the aid programs, regional engagement as well as interventions on individuals like the United Nations Human Rights Council and peace keeping contributions. The credibility of Australia with a feminist foreign policy has been distinctive for better and effective results.

 

 

It has been responsible for a successful elimination of violence and inequality for gaining maximum empowerment of every woman and girl. They have ensured that the governmental policies and bodies are being considered in every organization for accounting for failures to successfully protect as well as empower women (Australian women’s rights. 2022). As a result, transformational changes are possible and Australia’s support to feminism can be responsible for improving their position in the global society and every barrier would be eradicated for a better result.

 

Therefore, from the above discussion, a conclusion can be drawn that feminism is supported in the Australian contemporary society. Three core principles of feminism are being supported by the Australian society and these include social, economic and political equality for women. It has been responsible for bringing major societal changes in Australia and also ensuring that women’s rights would be preserved. This essay provides a brief discussion on the support or criticism of feminism in the Australian society with relevant details.

 

Australian women’s rights. 2022. [online]. Accessed from https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-must-walk-talk-women-s-rights-globally-and-home [Accessed on 20th July 2022].

 

 

Black, N., 2019. Social feminism. Cornell University Press. 

 

 

Blackmore, J., 2019. Australia: Global challenges and the role of diversity and feminism in critical university leadership. In International Perspectives on Leadership in Higher Education (pp. 130-149). Routledge. 

 

 

Buhle, M.J., 2022. Feminism and its discontents. In Feminism and Its Discontents. Harvard University Press. 

 

 

Coady, M.M., 2017. Feminism and the development of early childhood education in Australia. In Feminism (s) in early childhood (pp. 11-24). Springer, Singapore. 

 

 

Delmar, R., 2018. What is feminism?. In Theorizing feminism (pp. 5-28). Routledge. 

 

 

Felski, R., 2020. Literature after feminism. University of Chicago Press. 

 

 

Gender Equality. 2018. [online]. Accessed from https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/face-facts-gender-equality-2018 [Accessed on 20th July 2022].

 

 

Lake, M., 2017. Australian frontier feminism and the marauding white man. In Gender and imperialism (pp. 123-136). Manchester University Press. 

 

 

Martin, J., 2020. Multiculturalism and feminism. In Intersexions (pp. 110-131). Routledge. 

 

 

Mellor, M., 2018. Feminism and ecology. John Wiley & Sons. 

 

 

Women’s rights in Australia. 2022. [online]. Accessed from https://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/2_Womens_Rights_WEB.pdf [Accessed on 20th July 2022].