Women: Premier’s summit
Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria) — This morning
I wish to congratulate the Minister for Women’s
Affairs, Maxine Morand, for organising an engaging
and informative Premier’s women’s summit on
8 September. Many women attended for the very first
time. I am sure they will now take up the many
opportunities and challenges that were rolled out over
the course of the morning.
The summit was a timely reminder that not only have
we all got more to do in relation to equal pay but we
have lost ground. I urge members to read Dr Anne
Summers paper, The New GFC — the Gender Fairness
Crisis, which provides frightening statistics on the lack
of progress we have made. In relation to affirmative
action — the two words that have been used
contemptuously by the opposition this week — I quote
from that paper:
No-one doubts the competence or ability of Gillard or
Obama, but we have to acknowledge that barriers to their
having opportunities could easily have denied the world their
talents had affirmative action not been there for them.
Imagine how many other bright and clever people are being
denied opportunity because of gender and race barriers. It is
not just the individuals who suffer from these barriers, it is
society. And it is up to society to change this.
Recent Comments