It is bittersweet to announce that Banksia Gardens’ Gender Equity Officer, Emily Sporik, will be leaving the Good People Act Now (GPAN) Project after five years. ​

I, Chloe Falzon, am a feminist, and I know that people might question why. ‘Sexism is in the past, we don’t need feminism anymore!’. ‘Feminists are still a thing? But women are equal now!’. To these people, I have a few questions. ​

Where would women be without past feminist movements that have been set into motion? Where would we be without the suffragettes? Not voting. Where would we be without the National Organisation of Women? With worse employment opportunities than we have now. And, as a feminist, I recognise that there are women across the globe who have it worse living as a woman than I do. I’m Australian, white, middle-class. I don’t live in Sudan, where girls as young as 10 are married off to older men. I haven’t been thrown in jail for running from an abusive partner, like in Afghanistan, like to Indigenous women in our own home Australia. This is why we still need feminism today, because we may have come a long way, but we still have quite a distance to go before every woman in the world feels equal to the men beside them.
 
It shocks me to hear that some people today think of feminism as a thing of the past, no longer needed in our modern society. If this were truly the case, would there still be a national 14.2% percent pay gap overall between men and women? Gender discrimination continues to account for the largest component of the pay gap. A survey of 500 managers by law firm Slater & Gordon found that a third of these managers would rather employ a man over a woman of the same age and qualifications for fear of maternity leave. This is why we still need feminism today.
 
We still need feminism today because women are too often expected to go to work, look after the kids, clean the house till it sparkles and still have food ready on the table for their husband and kids. Feminists highlight the burden of domestic duties and parental demands and try to instigate laws which could prompt cultural change, like paid parental leave.

We still need feminism today because women are constantly seen as the inferior gender, compared to men even when we are at the top of our game. Even elite athlete Serena Williams can’t catch a break. She’s a 23-time grand slam winner, and 7-time grand slam winner John McEnroe seems to think that although she’s the best female player ever, she would rank a mere 700th in the men’s tennis circuit. Bit of a backhanded compliment.

We still need feminism today because there simply are not enough leadership opportunities for women, and, if women do manage to achieve leadership positions, they are quickly stifled by the culture of misogyny that runs rampant in our society. Even when sitting as Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard still fell victim to the cruel words of misogyny from the then Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott. When talking about men having more power than women, he dared to ask the question, “is that a bad thing?”.

But I’m here today, and I say, it is. Women can change the world when given the chance. Providing equal opportunities for women lets them use their talents in the workforce and make positive change in their communities. Unfortunately, men outnumber women in organisational leadership roles, in parliament, on government boards, on the bench, in public recognition.

We are not only fighting against this inequality of society, but the voices that tell us that feminism is no longer needed, that it has no place anymore. The reality is that feminism will be necessary until women are equal to men, but right now we aren’t. Men are at the top of the ladder, already reaching for the sky, and women are a few rungs down, holding on tightly. Now we have hammers to break through that glass ceiling above our heads. Feminism allows us as women to achieve our dreams, to have an equal shot at success. Feminism allows us to reach for the stars, and grab them. So, let’s start talking about it. Let’s spread the word. This can’t just be about tolerance now, about accepting feminism but staying distant, about watching from the sidelines in silence but never joining the battle.

We must be like the Pankhurst sisters, who helped women win the right to vote. Like Eleanor Roosevelt, who advocated for women to be appointed to federal positions. Like Malala Yousafzai, who advocates across the world for education rights for women. Like these women have before us, let’s keep the wheels of feminism in motion for a revolution of equality.

​Trigger warning: Abuse, Sexual Assault
Feminism. It’s a big word in the media at the moment, a controversial one to say the least. A lot of people are scared by the word. They get defensive, they claim that feminists are just overreacting “man haters”. That feminism is not actually needed anymore, we got what we wanted, why are we still fighting? Well, we are still fighting because gender inequality is still a prominent problem in 2021, even if it’s not always seen. The problem is systematic and acts as the building blocks for the patriarchy our world is built upon. There is not the time or space for my personal stories with sexism and gender inequality, so instead I’m going to focus on the stories that have been in the news as of late. 

​A massive news story in March 2021 was that of an anonymous parliament member who had masturbated on a female co-worker’s desk and was later sacked. This man was defended by many of his co-workers. What was the prime minister’s response?  While responding to the scandal Morrison stated, “as a husband and father”.  This comment is harmful to women everywhere because it implies that without these women in his life, he would not care for women’s issues. The comment specifically undermines the importance of women as their own people, opposed to someone that has relations to a man, an accessory to his name, an extension of his identity, such as a daughter or a wife. The sexism that drives these events is often swept under the rug. The disrespect  and complete disregard that anonymous man had for his female co-worker’s dignity, spells out how women are treated in parliament pretty clearly. Recently, this issue has come to light often within Australian politics. 
 
Take Brittany Higgins as an example. Higgins alleged that she was raped by a senior colleague in March 2019 but felt as if she couldn’t report the incident to police out of fear of losing her job. Brittney alleges that she was under the influence of alcohol and asleep at the time of the assault. These accusations sparked thousands of other women to come forward to  protest about sexual assault and toxic work environments for women all over Australia. Because these issues are so heavily rooted in parliament, they spread out from the government into the eyes of the law. 
Another example is Grace Tame, who was named Australian of the Year in 2021. In her speech appropriately titled “Hear Me Now” Tame recounts how she was raped at the age of 15 by her 58-year-old paedophilic teacher. He was only sentenced to 19 months in prison and was then released into the community where he freely boasted to media outlets about how awesome it was. To quote Tame’s speech directly:
 
 “Whilst [these stories are] disturbing to hear, the reality of what goes on behind closed doors is more so. And the more details we omit for fear of disturbance, the more we soften these crimes.”
 
But this is not just a parliamentary  issue. Countless individuals have had experiences with sexism in their everyday lives. Every single woman has had some kind of disadvantage put on her simply because she is a woman. From the gender reveal party before she is even born, expectations are put on her. The expectations that she will become a mother herself one day and that she will be a warm nurturing person. A natural caretaker her whole life, cooking and cleaning for her husband and taking care of the kids while he is out working, earning money, or playing sports with his friends. As a child she is given baby dolls and barbies to push along that caregiver expectation and condition her into thinking about her physical appearance from a young age, whereas her older brother is given building blocks and toy cars to push the expectations of intelligence and problem-solving skills. When they grow up a bit more the girl is told how pretty she looks in her new pink frilly dress. She is gifted “babies first makeup kit” for her 5th birthday, reinforcing that her self-worth should be based on her appearance while the brother gets told how clever he is for building his new Lego set. When they go to school, the brother is encouraged to take “hard sciences'' like physics and chemistry and she is encouraged to take more “social sciences” like psychology or humanities. This is because “girls are just more understanding of people” and “boys can stick to the harder things”, because it’s just too hard for our simple girl brains to understand. When they go into the work force the brother gets chosen for the promotion because the business can’t afford to pay someone that might leave in a couple months to have kids, despite the fact that a man takes part in having kids too. And even when they were working in the same position at the same job, she makes $0.87 to every dollar he makes. This is not just a one off story.

In Australia the statistics for family violence and gender-based violence are astounding. Did you know that in Australia alone, one woman is killed every single week, by a partner or former partner. One woman every week. In 2020, 55 women were murdered by their intimate partners in Australia alone, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. 1 in every 4 Australian women experienced physical or sexual violence from current or former partners in their lifetime. 1 in every 5 women have experienced sexual violence, including rape. 1 in every 4 have experienced emotional and verbal abuse. And 1 in every 3 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.  And perhaps one of the most upsetting parts of this is how it affects children. Half of the women that reported a yes in one of the aforementioned statistics said that children had seen or heard it happen. Just think about how that can affect them. And this isn’t even starting on how these issues affect minorities, Indigenous women, and women of colour who experience higher rates of family violence and gender-based violence in comparison to white Australian women. An Aboriginal woman is 45 times more likely to experience family violence than a white woman and 16% of Aboriginal women over the age of 15 have been threatened with violence in the last 12 months. And physically disabled women and girls are twice as likely to experience abuse then an able-bodied person. 
 
Even after hearing all of this, some of you will probably still think that feminism is too crazy, and that this is just the way the world needs to be to function. After all, it’s been this way for so long why change it now? But if you are going to listen to anything I say in this speech, make it this; feminism, sexism, and gender inequality affects everyone, including men. Before anyone says that “men matter too” I want to remind you all that the toxic gender stereotypes that are placed on men are almost always rooted in sexism towards women. The stereotype that men need to be big and strong is there because society says that women need to be smaller and petite. The gender stereotype that men can’t show emotion is only in place because the patriarchy says that women are overly emotional and that if you show emotion you need to “man up” or “grow some balls.” We still need feminism in Australia in 2021 because we have started to raise our girls more like boys. Accepting them for being more masculine, masculinity is seen as powerful and brave, but we don’t want to raise our boys more like our girls because women are seen as inferior, and femininity is not something that should be praised amongst boys. 
 
In conclusion, feminism is still needed in 2021 as it impacts all aspects of Australian life and everyone has been affected by sexism. Everyone needs to help find a solution, and if that offends you, you’re part of the problem.

Dear Cr Joseph Haweil and team,

​My name is Danielle Farah and I am writing on behalf of the Good People Act Now (GPAN) Project from Banksia Gardens Community Services (BGCS), to bring your awareness towards the lack of female representation and diversity within Hume City Council’s leadership team. The GPAN Project’s key focus is preventing violence against women in Hume by addressing its major driver, gender inequality. The following proposal comes from the perspective of a lifelong Hume local and young female, with my own experiences with gender inequality whilst living, working and studying in the community and also from the young people of the GPAN project who are striving for a more equitable community.

High-level leadership continues to see women being marginalised and underrepresented at all levels, with the Victorian Government reporting in 2018 that only 34 per cent of the 277 director positions in local government were held by women. Our very own council reflects such a poor statistic with the current organisational structure of Hume City Council containing just one female in the six leadership roles. The Director of Communications, Engagement and Advocacy, Roslyn Wai, is the only woman amongst a team of men. Crucial planning and decisions surrounding maternal and child healthcare, learning programs, youth services, local laws, finances, and other aspects of the community are all led by male representatives. One woman in six is unacceptable and pushes us further from gender parity. 

It is of the utmost importance that the youth of Hume view women in leadership positions. While many girls and young women are studying and completing degrees to fulfil future career goals, they often undervalue theirskills when applying for jobs within an organisation. By pushing for gender parity within all levels of the council, we are empowering the female youth in our community and encouraging women to envision themselves in more senior positions. Young women will use female executives as an example and realise their full potential. It is important to consider these points, as gender equality inside and outside of a workforce cannot be achieved unless a gender lens is adopted throughout all aspects of a community. Hume City Council is uniquely positioned to influence residents and other local organisations to follow suit. 

A common misconception surrounding female leadership issues is that fewer women are applying for the position or fewer women are equipped to fulfil the role. This is simply not 2 true. Barriers to leadership exist before a woman enters the workforce. Gender stereotypes, roles and behaviours expected of girls and women within society shape the lives of females from a very young age. Women are taught that society values them for being quiet, polite, domesticated and caring. Not to mention the structural inequalities that exist once women enter the workforce, such as those that see women more likely to be the primary carer for children. It may seem like there is little you can do within your organisational structure to breakdown such an engrained societal barrier. However, the Hume City Council can start by creating opportunities and developing pathways for women that lead to executive positions and implementing structures that prevent this gender gap from existing. Women are equally as capable as men in directing areas within the council. With only a few women in Hume’s leadership roles, our council is missing out on the many benefits a female’s perspective will offer. 

The Hume City Council Plan (2017-2021) outlines five key themes and strategic objectives, however, it fails to mention any current or future plans for gender equity in the community. We hope to see this change immediately. As a member of the Building a Respectful Community (BRC) Partnership, your organisation is required to take action towards creating a more gender-equitable environment for the city of Hume. The first goal of the partnership actions is to ensure workplaces are safe, gender-equitable and inclusive, where organisations including Hume City Council should aim to increase the proportion of women in leadership positions. Senior leadership in the council does not comply with these standards, and instead, we still see a lack of gender parity. It is your responsibility as a partner of the BRC and as a local council to be a leader for positive change in our community.

Alongside this gender equity cause, the council does not reflect the diversity of Hume, with a lack of varying cultures and ethnic backgrounds within the leadership group. The community consists of residents from 156 different countries and over 150 different languages spoken. A great amount of knowledge from many viewpoints can broaden the perspective of the council, plus create an inclusive environment. Like female representation, residents viewing a diverse executive team in their council can be more inclined to support the objectives and plans set. Stated in the council’s plan is the aim for a culturally vibrant and connected community, however, it is difficult to achieve such an objective when those leading the community do not come from differing cultures. All parties will reap the benefits of a culturally inclusive and gender-equitable team of representatives. The council will be promoting inclusivity throughout the whole community and empowering the next generation of Hume leaders no matter their gender, race or cultural background.

On behalf of BGCS and the local community, the GPAN Project challenges you, the leaders of the Hume City Council, to address issues relating to gender inequality within the organisation and also to become a leader for change in this important work across Hume. Gender equity is one of BGCS’ five key strategic priority areas over the next five years, ensuring that the organisation’s policies, procedures and practices incorporate a gender equity lens. This has resulted in 43 organisational policies being revised with a gender lens, the creation of gender equity and family violence policies, training for staff and many more key achievements led by 3 the Gender Equity Working Group. This group is overseen by Chair of the BGCS Board, Carole Fabian, CEO, Gina Dougall and Gender Equity Coordinator, Georgia Ransome.

The focus of the GPAN Project is to create a gender equitable community and to prevent violence against women in Hume. This work is supported by Banksia Gardens Community Services and many other partner organisations, including Hume City Council. Jarrod Smith, Elizabeth Johnston and Vanessa Petridis represent the council as members of GPAN’s Steering Committee. We would like to see more commitment from the Hume City Council to creating a gender-equitable community.

Sincerely,

​Danielle Farah and the 2020 Good People Act Now Youth Action Group; Abbey Masters, Alixandra Colafella, Aria Nanai, Bodhi Sweeny, Bree Dodd, Chloe Arnold, Christopher Arnold, Emily Sporik, Georgia Ransome, James Drake, Louise D’Amico, Monica Carbone, Natalie Cook, Nateisha Russell, Renee Leader, Thanchanok Thatsanat and Ujjeshaa Sharma


​This letter was written by Hume local and GPAN placement student, Danielle Farah. The letter was sent on 10 December 2020 to all Hume City Councillors. 
Subsequently, GPAN has met with the Mayor of Hume, Cr Joseph Haweil, who has demonstrated his support for GPAN's mission and is committed to addressing gender inequality in Hume. 

But what if he became the perpetrator?
 
My son is very much a stereotypical 15-year-old boy.
He loves sports, hanging out with a big group of his friends, and playing Xbox.
When I was his age, I spent a lot of time with ‘the footy boys.’ I saw how they behaved, how they talked about girls, and how they treated girls. It was just accepted and normal. ‘Boys will be boys’ was still very much alive and thriving.
So I was justifiably concerned when my son joined the local footy club. I was worried that he would fall into the pack and adopt their mentality. It wasn’t so long ago that I had been a part of that world, so I couldn’t imagine that it had changed much at all.
As his mother, I needed to assess the situation and do what I could to support those important peer relationships, but still make sure he remained respectful and kind. It was a hard thing for me to comprehend, because in my experience the two ideals were mutually exclusive.
Unfortunately, I still don’t have a simple solution, but remaining educated on gendered issues and always including him in those conversations is what’s working for us for now.
We have talks about girls at school, the way other boys treat girls, and how important it is to be respectful. Sometimes it’s difficult and sometimes it’s embarrassing. Sometimes we even get it wrong. But we never stop communicating. The line is always open.
He has proudly told me stories about how he has defended girls at school, and once he even risked getting himself in trouble by sneaking* a girl into our house at 5am because she needed a safe place to stay. (*I use the word sneaking but he told me about it as soon as I woke up in the morning.)
When things like that happen, I am proud to know that my son might be different than the other boys, and that he is brave enough to know and do what is right. To be an effective bystander and ally.
I am still learning to be a mother, and am not even close to perfect, but by continuing to communicate with my son, intuitively dealing with issues as they arise, and making sure we have an open space for respect and understanding on both sides, I truly and deeply hope that my son will never play the starring role in a fellow woman’s story.