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.
