'The problem' - a snapshot for those in a hurry...
IN THE 2016 AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION, WHEN COMPARED TO THE 2013 ELECTION, JUST THREE MORE WOMEN WERE ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (43/150 - 28.7%) AND ONE MORE WOMAN TO THE SENATE (31/76 - 40.8%).
AUSTRALIA is IN 50TH PLACE GLOBALLY ON GENDER EQUITY IN THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT USING THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION REPORT (1/3/17).
The replacement of Senator Bob Day by Lucy Gichuhi changes the Senate gender balance to 32/76
Sydney Morning Herald graphic (25 August 2016) - Stephanie Peatling 2016, Female Labor MPs outnumber Liberal women two to one in new Parliament Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney Morning Herald graphic (20 April 2016) - gender representation at management level
and for those who like the world reduced to three word slogans on campaign badges...
In less of a hurry but with not much time to spare? This is our top-5 pitch...
- Women make up just over half the population but less than one third of the seats in parliament
- Democracy requires equal representation of women and men
- One-member electorates disadvantage women and minority groups, and transfer power to the political parties
- Party quota systems for one-person electorates are not enough
- The federal Electoral Act can be amended to provide for a male and a female representative per electorate - with the number of electorates cut in half to keep the parliament at the same size. This is a simple adaptation of proportional representation
Some more time? This is our next best-5 pitch...
- Australia's historic early lead on women's suffrage is diminished by delays and racist exclusions
- The time taken for a woman to be elected to parliament in South Australia - where the right to do so was first recognised in Australia - was 65 years - the typical span from birth to pension age for a man. In the federal parliament it took over 40 years
- In the federal parliament the number of seats gained by women have been little more than the seats added for population growth and it took 90 years for women to hold more than 10% of seats
- A fundamental shift is required to make 50-50 the norm
- Australia can take a lead in the global adoption of 50:50 representation. This must happen, can happen and will happen. Will you be one to take a stand so women can take their seats?
Democracy demands balanced gender representation
In Australia women still do not have an equal voice in government.
This is a global problem with just Rwanda and Bolivia having more women than men in a national parliament.
We advocate for equal gender representation in parliament as a democratic right.
The following options are open to debate.
Possible options for achieving 50:50
Within the party system
- Change party culture to endorse more female candidates
- Rely on parties to separately introduce formal policies to endorse female candidates for winnable seats
- Develop all party support for a common but flexible strategic framework to achieve 50:50
By changing the electoral law
- Create larger two-person electorates for the House of Representatives with a male and a female representative elected in each
- Split the Senate seats evenly into dedicated male and female seats
By addressing broader cultural & other impediments
- Follow multiple strategies to reduce or remove negative factors that inhibit female participation in political life
- Create incentives and positive ways to encourage female participation in political life
...feminism by definition is: “The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.”
Find out how you can help.
About
Find out about the people behind this site and the issue of equal gender representation.
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Acknowledgements
Site launched 17 February 2016
Some images courtesy of Unsplash.com
Anti-suffrage posters courtesy of:
Palczewski Suffrage Postcard Archive
&
The Suffrage Postcard Project, accessed February 17, 2016, https://thesuffragepostcardproject.omeka.net
These anti-suffrage posters are used to illustrate the arguments and stereotypes once used in an attempt to deny the vote.
Similar nonsense (like arguments about merit) face the campaign to achieve equal representation.
Blog and news posts for Australia - see blog pages for more regions
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August 2017
- Aug 8, 2017 Democracy threatened by turbulent priests Aug 8, 2017
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May 2017
- May 14, 2017 This Politician Was Surprised By The Reaction To Her Breastfeeding Her Daughter In Parliament May 14, 2017
- May 12, 2017 Why Women Politicians Should Not Breastfeed in Parliament | Heat Street May 12, 2017
- May 12, 2017 Speaker presides over parents' room in a first for parliament house May 12, 2017
- May 12, 2017 NSW Parliament votes no on legislation to decriminalise abortion - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) May 12, 2017
- May 12, 2017 In a first, Australian Senator Breastfed her baby in Parliament May 12, 2017
- May 10, 2017 This Australian Senator Just Became the First Woman to Breastfeed In Parliament | Shape Magazine May 10, 2017
- May 10, 2017 Senator becomes the first woman to breastfeed in Australian parliament May 10, 2017
- May 2, 2017 Gender quotas may be necessary: Govt MP May 2, 2017
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April 2017
- Apr 30, 2017 Peta Credlin says Malcolm Turnbull has ‘a woman problem’ | Starts at 60 Apr 30, 2017
- Apr 27, 2017 Australian Values? Who Are We kidding? | PBA Apr 27, 2017
- Apr 27, 2017 The irony of the push to unseat Kelly O'Dwyer Apr 27, 2017
- Apr 22, 2017 Good night, ladies, we’re going to dump you now: Coalition Apr 22, 2017
- Apr 1, 2017 WA Liberals urged to adopt gender targets after landslide defeat leaves dent in female MP numbers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Apr 1, 2017
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March 2017
- Mar 22, 2017 Women MPs must stay true to make seismic change | The West Australian Mar 22, 2017
- Mar 21, 2017 Mike Nahan calls for unity, says Colin Barnett will go in own time | The West Australian Mar 21, 2017
- Mar 21, 2017 Dawn Walker gives inaugural speech in parliament – Echonetdaily Mar 21, 2017
- Mar 20, 2017 Julia Gillard: Still not enough women getting to the top in politics Mar 20, 2017
- Mar 19, 2017 Boys’ club disbanded with biggest intake of women MPs | The West Australian Mar 19, 2017
- Mar 19, 2017 Politics is brutal for members with families. Fact | The Courier Mail Mar 19, 2017
- Mar 19, 2017 WA Election 2017: New female MPs set WA Parliament record | Perth Now Mar 19, 2017
- Mar 15, 2017 Female Liberal MPs look like an endangered species | afr.com Mar 15, 2017
- Mar 10, 2017 MP proposes having less parliamentary work Mar 10, 2017
- Mar 9, 2017 Kate Ellis resigns: ‘I’m seething with anger about this’ says Jamila Rizvi Mar 9, 2017
- Mar 7, 2017 Working women reckon it’s unfair as well | South Coast Register Mar 7, 2017
- Mar 5, 2017 Liberal preselection for Evelyn: Bridget Vallence bags prized safe Liberal seat Mar 5, 2017
- Mar 5, 2017 All About Women: four things we learned at the Opera House festival | Gabrielle Jackson | Culture | The Guardian Mar 5, 2017
- Mar 1, 2017 Tweed Valley Women’s Service cuts before NSW parliament – Echonetdaily Mar 1, 2017
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September 2016
- Sep 16, 2016 More fearful than feared? Sep 16, 2016
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July 2016
- Jul 12, 2016 Australia House of Reps - gender equity by 2040? Jul 12, 2016
- Jul 8, 2016 Gender imbalance in the Senate 2016 - early results - men in commanding lead Jul 8, 2016
- Jul 8, 2016 Gender equity by 2064! Jul 8, 2016
- Jul 7, 2016 Inside democracy - pollies freely reject advice and silence non-conforming views Jul 7, 2016
- Jul 6, 2016 Australia and the Iraq war Jul 6, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Australia - how did women fare? Jul 4, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Women and politics in Australia Jul 4, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Australia - record numbers stood for election but... Jul 4, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Australia - women's issues not part of campaigning? Jul 4, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Australia - representatives not representative? Jul 4, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Better, but poor results for women in Australian election Jul 4, 2016
- Jul 3, 2016 'A woman's place is in the house' Jul 3, 2016
- Jul 3, 2016 3 of 8 indigenous women elected! Jul 3, 2016
- Jul 2, 2016 Sport, politics, GBV and everyday sexism Jul 2, 2016
- Jul 2, 2016 Australia - women face 'mates helping mates' Jul 2, 2016
- Jul 2, 2016 Preferential voting in Australia Jul 2, 2016
- Jul 2, 2016 Quotas and party attitudes to women Jul 2, 2016
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June 2016
- Jun 16, 2016 Equal representation - a call for quotas - but why not democracy5050? Jun 16, 2016
- Jun 16, 2016 Founding fathers only had sons? Jun 16, 2016
- Jun 16, 2016 Greens field more female than male candidates Jun 16, 2016
- Jun 16, 2016 Sharing caring roles Jun 16, 2016
- Jun 10, 2016 Re-thinking electoral law Jun 10, 2016
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May 2016
- May 25, 2016 Eight men vie for seat held by deputy PM May 25, 2016
- May 25, 2016 NT's Indigenous female senator to quit politics May 25, 2016
- May 25, 2016 Private bill in Victoria seeks to tighten abortion laws May 25, 2016
- May 20, 2016 Gender equality as global concern May 20, 2016
- May 19, 2016 Fewer women likely in new parliament May 19, 2016
- May 18, 2016 Call for women to vote for women May 18, 2016
- May 15, 2016 Spence - suffrage but not representation May 15, 2016
- May 14, 2016 Pledge or prayer? May 14, 2016
- May 13, 2016 Tatt's not a good look - no club for powerful women May 13, 2016
- May 11, 2016 Our card campaign connects with someone already promoting equal gender representation May 11, 2016
- May 9, 2016 The good narrative: As a people, we expect to do better and want to do better May 9, 2016
- May 8, 2016 Abortion law reform - a secular issue of women's rights and health - surely? May 8, 2016
- May 8, 2016 Gender quota question in ABC Vote Compass May 8, 2016
- May 6, 2016 In a hurry? No time to waste? This is our top-10 pitch. May 6, 2016
- May 5, 2016 First Aboriginal woman elected to parliament: looks to contest federal seat May 5, 2016
- May 5, 2016 Advertising cheaper than services? May 5, 2016
- May 5, 2016 2016 budget fails to deliver for women May 5, 2016
- May 5, 2016 And multiculturalism? May 5, 2016
- May 5, 2016 29 April pre-budget speculation May 5, 2016
- May 1, 2016 Letter to editor (SMH 26/4/16) linking the dismal state of party politics to the single member electorates May 1, 2016
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April 2016
- Apr 22, 2016 Gaming the electoral law? - a Queensland example Apr 22, 2016
- Apr 22, 2016 Male, pale and stale - all 41 Parliaments overwhelmingly dominated by men Apr 22, 2016
- Apr 21, 2016 NSW National Party sets goal to have women make up half of their MPs by 2025 Apr 21, 2016
- Apr 21, 2016 Why we still need a Sex Discrimination Commissioner Apr 21, 2016
- Apr 21, 2016 New Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins and quotas Apr 21, 2016
- Apr 21, 2016 Confusing message about disrespect - in the house but not the home? Apr 21, 2016
- Apr 17, 2016 More women pre-selected by Labor in NSW to contest Federal seats in 2016 Apr 17, 2016
- Apr 17, 2016 No women on Tasmanian Liberal Senate ticket for 2016 Apr 17, 2016
- Apr 17, 2016 Victorian Liberal leader sets gender target Apr 17, 2016