Domestic violence and human trafficking key gender equality issues

Domestic violence and human trafficking key gender equality issues
Image: Organiser of the Women's Day March, Victoria Brookman / Photo: Christina Goodman

The Federal and State Government’s presented a united front in support of women’s equality for International Women’s Day last week.

Last Friday morning around 1,700 business-people, politicians, government and NGO workers breakfasted at Darling Harbour, raising funds for UN Women. Prime Minister Julia Gillard, NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, NSW Governor-General Marie Bashir and Westpac CEO Gail Kelly attended the event.

The UN used the event to highlight their campaign for women’s rights in Papua New Guinea, where two-thirds of married women are beaten by their husbands.

Magistrate Rosie Johnson spoke of her personal experience as a Papua New Guinean woman. After marrying young to avoid an arranged marriage, Ms Johnson brought up two young children as a single mother in a small village with little support from her family.

“One time I came back to my house from the river and found that the roofing from the front of my house was all gone. I thought that there was a cyclone or something that had blown it off, only to realise that my brother had taken that part of the roof off,” she said.

“When I enquired, he came out with a bush knife and told me that I should not say anything or he would cut me.”

There was little Ms Johnson could do.

“I’m able to see what women are going through and what they are feeling, because I’ve felt it myself. When I’m in court and they break down, I also break down from the bench,” she said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard spoke of meeting two women who had been trafficked into Australia.

“One of them wasn’t paid properly, the other wasn’t paid at all. When they challenged their employers, they were abused and threatened,” she said.

Ms Gillard said the Federal Government had passed new legislation combating trafficking, slavery and forced marriage.

“Australia is saying no. No to people trafficking. No to slavery. No to treating women like objects or chattels,” she said.

“This is a life we would not want for any woman or any girl. Not here, not overseas, not anywhere, not ever.”

However, while Ms Gillard has been in office, Australia has reneged on part of their foreign aid commitment, including through diverting funds to offshore refugee processing. Some of the aid would otherwise have assisted Australia’s poorer sisters gain better healthcare, education and economic empowerment.

On Saturday, several activist groups united for gender equality, marching from Town Hall to Circular Quay. The Sydney Feminists called for women’s rights to breastfeed without discrimination.

This follows a recent backlash against a cafe owner asking a breastfeeding mother to leave the premises, and a “nurse-in” outside Channel 7’s Sunrise studio against the show’s comments that mothers should be discreet and classy when breastfeeding in public.

Multicultural groups called for equal pay and rights for migrant women, who may be particularly vulnerable to low pay and unfair employment conditions. Human rights groups called for an end to the rapist violence of the Burmese army.

In Australia, domestic violence is still a significant social problem.  Economically, women still lag men in terms of earning power, holding senior management roles and having enough superannuation post-retirement.

Improving women’s workforce participation could increase Australia’s GDP by 13 per cent, around $200 billion, according to Goldman Sachs economist Tim Toohey.

 

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