The rights of women

Maxine McKew, the political legend who ousted former Prime Minister John Howard from his long time seat of Bennelong, delivered her maiden speech in Parliament today:

The former journalist who ended John Howard's political career used her first speech to federal parliament to champion wage equality for women.

Maxine McKew, who is parliamentary secretary for early childhood education and child care, claimed the northern-Sydney seat of Bennelong from the former prime minister at November 24 poll.

She paid tribute to Mr Howard during her speech to the House of Representatives today.

"His service to the community and representation in the federal parliament for 33 years is a great record and a fine achievement," Ms McKew said.

"Mr Howard was a hardy warrior for his beliefs and that too should be acknowledged."

Ms McKew said she was particularly thrilled to be one of 40 female MPs and pointed out it took 40 years after federation before the first two women - Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons - were elected to parliament.

"One could say that things have moved at a glacial pace.

"Part of the explanation could be that in Australia, never an easy country for women, it's still too hard."

At the beginning of the 20th century the basic female wage was 54 per cent of the male rate.

It took until the 1970s and after three landmark pay equality cases before gender classifications were removed from job descriptions.

"It remains a continuing disgrace that 30 years on from these cases we still cannot say that pay justice for women has been achieved," Ms McKew said.

"Women's workforce participation now stands at 58 per cent and the educational achievements of women have never been higher.

"Yet whether you're behind the counter of a cafeteria or in the executive suite, if you're female wage parity is not guaranteed."

Ms McKew said Australia remained one of the few developed countries to have no national maternity leave system and negotiating flexibility in the workplace was still difficult for mothers.

"Is it any wonder that women find themselves in mid-life agonising about their limited retirement savings following a life of interrupted work?" she said.

"It's time for this country to jump its historic ambivalence towards female workers and embrace, once and for all, a set of policies that recognises the real worth of everyone's labour."
AAP

In this day and age, it's easy to forget that there is still gender discrimination out there. I have experienced it in the professional arena, and I think it is so entrenched in the male psyche that a lot of the time they don't realize they are doing it.

Equal pay is just one area where it amazes me women rights aren't guaranteed. I mean, pretty much half the population are women.

But obviously, Australian voters aren't as shallow when it comes to choosing their local members. Our federal deputy leader and opposition deputy leader are both female. The Queensland Premier is female and the NT deputy chief minister is female. There is a larger amount of women in Parliaments throughout Oz.

But I guess there is a long way to go.

UPDATE: This from the AAP wire service today...it just shows the kind of sexism that is still in Parliament today:

Labor senator retracts 'bloke' slur on female MP

CANBERRA, February 14, 2008: Labor senator Steve Hutchins was forced to withdraw an unparliamentary remark today after he described a female state Nationals MP as a "bloke".

The offending comment came as the parties clashed during debate a coalition motion that attacked Labor's record on rural and regional Australia.

Senator Hutchins was describing the poor representation of the Nationals in state parliaments, and came to South Australia - where the sole Nationals MP, Karlene Maywald, is actually a minister in the Rann Labor government.

"They don't exist, I don't think they're represented in parliament except for a bloke who sits with the Labor Party in cabinet in South Australia. That's the National Party," Senator Hutchins said.

Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce was quickly on his feet to call his Labor opposite out of order.

"I think it would be fair to say that the person he's referring to is not a bloke, it's a woman," Senator Joyce said.

Senator Hutchins immediately retracted the slur.

"If I've offended the lady I do withdraw my comment," he said.

AAP