COMMISSIONED by child rights organisation Plan International Australia, the survey of 1000 girls and women aged between 14 and 25 found that less than one per cent dream of a job in politics, and that 49 per cent say sexism affects their career choice.
It also found that more than three out of four girls and young women have been subjected to sexist comments, while almost half believe sexist attitudes in Australia are actually increasing.
Plan International Australia CEO Ian Wishart said the results were a “wake-up call” for Australians.
“We commissioned this research to discover how girls and young women feel about sexism and their own place in Australia, and were genuinely shocked by the results,” he said.
“The fact that fewer than one per cent of them dream of a life in politics does not bode well for a future in which women can take their places in the corridors of power.
“We need a concerted effort by everyone who cares about the future of women, or a generation of girls will be locked out of power.”
Yesterday, a delegation of 24 girls and young women presented a declaration to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Canberra, outlining measures they believe will lead to a better and more equitable world for girls and young women.
The measures include ensuring universal and global access to quality education and health care; ending child marriage, child labour and human trafficking; equitable access to employment opportunities and an end to gender-based violence.
The delegation is part of Plan’s Because I Am A Girl campaign, which aims to unleash the potential of girls by promoting their rights, transforming their futures and creating a better world for all.
“We don’t want to accept the attitudes the survey uncovered,” said Vera Cheffers, a 16-year-old Girls Delegate from Mildura. “We want to challenge the everyday sexism faced by girls like me and ensure that we are treated equally and fairly and can play a leading role in changing our lives, both here in Australia and around the world.”
The United Nation’s International Day of the Girl is on October 11. The day was established by the UN in 2012 after intense lobbying from Plan.
Your say: Do you, or anyone you know feel the same way? Email us on [email protected]
