In Mission Australia’s 2013 Youth Survey young women ranked equity and discrimination as the number one issue facing the country. Female respondents indicated they were concerned about workplace discrimination, racism and gender inequality. WGEA asked young women whether they thought gender equality was an issue in Australian workplaces.
Alyssa Andrews, 18
Do you believe there are as many opportunities for women as men in workplaces?
I believe that there aren’t as many opportunities for women as there are for men. Not in all industries, but definitely in the industry that I work in — sound engineering — it is really hard for me to get a job, because it’s a very male dominated industry.
Did you feel you had a lot of support trying to get into that industry?
I felt like the people that taught me, at university, definitely supported me and tried to get me jobs. But whether people accepted the fact that I was a woman? They see a guy, they think, ‘he’s strong, he can do this job’ because it’s a very physical job. I think [the men] in my industry understand where I’m coming from and agree that it is hard for me to get a job. If somebody was to hire a roadie, they wouldn’t look at a girl and hire her as a roadie because [they think] she’s not physically equipped. If I was trying to get into a mixing job, a desk job, I would probably have more of a chance of doing that. It’s all about what people within the industry think.
Emily Wilson, 19
Do you think that gender equality is a problem in Australian workplaces?
Yes I do. I’ve worked at places where sometimes guys think they are better than the girls they work with, which is why I’m now working in a more female friendly industry.
So you’ve consciously chosen a female industry?
Yeah. I found that trying to find a job in an industry that was seen as male, such as working in a liquor shop, they would tell me there were jobs but I would never get a call back because they are male dominated.
Do you think women and men have the same career opportunities?
I’ve had guys tell me that girls can’t do engineering and you can’t even debate with them, because they think girls just don’t have the skills. There is definitely inequality in those male sectors – maths, engineering – that kind of sector.
And there is definitely inequality that we can’t go on and pursue a career if we want to have children. I think there is an expectation that women need to be superwomen. You can’t just be a mum, or you have to be able to do everything. I don’t think there is a middle ground.
Taylor Brooks, 19
Do you think gender equality is an issue in Australian workplaces?
Yes. I don’t really think that women and men have the same opportunities in their careers. I don’t think women are taken as seriously in the workplace as men, by other employees and by managers.
Do you think women earn as much as men?
No I don’t. I’ve read a few surveys that suggest women don’t earn as much — I don’t know if they’re true or not. But for example, in trades industries – like plumbing, men tend to earn a lot more than women in say the retail industry.
Victoria Koumoukelis, 19
Do you think that gender equality is an issue in Australian workplaces?
I think it depends. In different companies, it might be a problem, but in my experience I haven’t had it be a problem. I think it can be industry-based though.
Do you think that women and men have the same opportunities now?
I think they do. I think it’s changed a lot [over the years]. I know from my mum’s experience, she works in a big corporate company, a lot more women are becoming partners in her company compared to when she started there.
Why do you think women and men tend to go into different industries?
I think it’s dependant on their family’s perceptions of what male and female roles are.
This was first published at WGEA. It is republished here with permission.