Nine out of Australian girls don’t think they’re treated equally to boys, with many saying that sexism starts young – and at home – according to a damning new study.
Nearly three-quarters of young girls told researchers they did more housework than their brothers, and five out of six said they’re not given the same opportunities to succeed as boys.
The report – released by Plan International Australia and Our Watch – suggests sexism remains firmly entrenched in Aussie culture.
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“As this survey shows, we have a long way to go to achieve gender equality in Australia,” said Our Watch CEO Mary Barry, who warned that sexism has serious consequences. “Violence against women begins with disrespect and gender inequality.
“We must find a new normal; as long as girls and women are seen as less equal than boys and men, violence against women will continue.”
The report, Everyday sexism: girls’ and women’s views on gender equality in Australia, which was released to coincide with International Day of The Girl, found that less than a third of girls identified as feminists.
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It also found that a third of respondents agreed with the statement that ‘girls should not be out in public places after dark’. At work, a third of girls believed ‘it would be easier to get their dream job if they were male’.
But it wasn’t all grim news. The report also found that the majority of girls (67%) felt that gender equality was improving in Australia, and that girls were ‘becoming more valued as equal members of the community’. It also suggested potential solutions, including modelling respect in the home (eg. by supporting families to reject sexist attitudes), providing respectful relationships education and empowering young women in the workplace through legislation such as quotas or other initiatives to deliver equal representation.