Earlier this year, the Australian government revealed the ‘Status of Women Report Card’, to paint a picture of what “life looks like” for women around the country. While the report showed that some progress towards gender equality has been made, it also affirmed that there’s still a long way to go in terms of the pay gap, safety, health, and so much more.With that in mind, VICE Australia, in partnership with Johnnie Walker, recently carried out a survey to get your thoughts on where the country is at with gender equality.When asked what aspects of gender equality they found most important, 83.1% noted that having “equal opportunities” as the most crucial, while 77.3% said that equal pay was the highest priority. As of February 2023, the average difference in pay between men and women was $253 weekly and $13,183 yearly.While 62.3% of people believe that gender inequality has "improved” in the last five years, most stated that they believe there’s still a long way to go, with 45.5% stating they were “moderately optimistic” about the future of gender equality in Australia.82% feel societal norms are currently hindering progress, along with workplace culture and a lack of education. When asked specifically what they think the root of the issue is, here’s what people said:“A lack of childcare availability, leaving the primary carer (usually the mother) to forfeit her career.”“The gender binary and all other aspects of queerphobia are colonial imports to this land. Ergo, the colonial state known as Australia is the biggest barrier.”“Conservative views amongst the establishment.”It’s clear that there’s a lot to unpack in the broader discussion around gender equality.Over the last year, VICE Australia launched “The VICE Guide To Being Better”, in partnership with Johnnie Walker. The series aims to unpack topics that impact young Australians today, and celebrate the people spearheading progress in the conversation around neurodiversity, gender fluidity, modern masculinity and, of course, gender equality.To discuss the topic of women in sport, VICE Australia caught up with record-breaking AFLW player and Ghungalu woman Ally Anderson. Despite the current attention the FIFA Women’s World Cup received, there’s still a huge disparity in the pay, representation, and general treatment professional female athletes receive in comparison to males.In the video below, Ally talks about the importance of representation, how AFLW players deal with the criticism of playing a male-dominated sport and what it’s like juggling being a professional athlete with life’s many commitments.You can watch more of the “VICE Guide To Being Better” here.
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