The Battle of the Sexes

Statement on Equality by Gloria Steinem, WMC Founder and Board Member


The most workable definition of equality for journalists is reversibility. Don't mention her young children unless you would also mention his, or describe her clothes unless you would describe his, or say she's shrill or attractive unless the same adjectives would be applied to a man. Don’t say she's had facial surgery unless you say he dyes his hair or has hair plugs. Don't say she's just out of graduate school but he's a rising star. Don't say she has no professional training but he worked his way up. Don't ask her if she's running as a women's candidate unless you ask him if he's running as a men's candidate; ask both about the gender gap, the women's vote. By extension, don't say someone is a Muslim unless you also identify Christians and Jews, or identify only some people by race, ethnicity or sexuality and not others. However, this does NOT mean being even-handedly positive or negative when only one person or side has done something positive or negative. Equality allows accuracy.

Indeed, we have a female Prime Minister and two female premiers, but where are the leading corporate females of our world?

Today, I looked through the Australian Financial Review - and there was only one woman represented in the newspaper and she was shopping - her face wasn't even recognisable beneathe her mountain of purchases. Not all women are shop-a-holics and nor should they be reduced to an image of one.

Woman make up about half of the Australian population yet this is not the representation in the work force, particularly the corporate work force.

Australia is 23 on the OECD gender gap list... this needs to improve.

We have men as the CEOs of beauty product companies and retailers (of which the majority of customers are women) and as I look around - the majority of accomplished journalists are men.

I appreciate the phisological differences between men and women and even the psychology driving men to reach these milestones in their careers. However, our society is shifting and in all fairness, women should have the option to escape these chauvinistic ways.

As the next generation of journalists, we are in a position to make a change, to accurately represent our society in the media.

Journalism is supposed to be a profession based on truth and accuracy - so all you girls out there, be strong, work hard and do not crumple when your boss asks you if you plan to have family - because I bet you a million dollars, many of those young male journalists will want a family too!

Once we figure this out - let's start working on an equal racial representaion in the media - we are a multicultural society after all...