GENDER MATTERS COME UP FOR DEBATE

Monday, 10 November 2008
Some of Victoria’s best minds will come together tonight and debate if gender still matters at the BMW Edge Theatre as part of Melbourne Conversations.
Women’s Affairs Minister Maxine Morand will open the forum providing a reflection on women’s democratic participation.

“With Victoria celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage this year, it is timely that we discuss the role of gender in today’s society,’’ Ms Morand said.

“When the suffragists gained women the right to vote in 1908, they gave women a voice and women’s issues, family violence and women’s and children’s health a voice in parliament.’’

“For Victoria’s women the right to vote was hard won, a total of 18 private members’ bills supporting women’s suffrage were defeated in process for reasons including desecration of motherhood, destruction of family life, immorality and biological weakness.
 
“Progress has been achieved, but has enough been achieved?

“While there are far more women in Victorian parliament now than what there ever has been, we still make up only 30 per cent of the parliament and some local councils still have no women councillors.

“The recent study by Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace indicates that women are still underrepresented in senior business jobs. Of the top 200 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, only four have a women Chair (2 per cent) of their Board, and only four have a female CEO (2 per cent). Women represent only 8.3 per cent of Board Directors. 

 “A lot more needs to be done to ensure that women participate equally in all aspects of Victorian life.”

Gender – does it matter nowadays being held as part of the Brumby Government’s Victorian Women Vote 1908 – 2008 celebrations. It is being presented by the City of Melbourne and the Brumby Government.

Joining Ms Morand at the forum will be;
•    Chairperson of Islamic Women’s Welfare Council Tasneem Chopra;
•    Novelist and lawyer councillor at City of Port Phillip, Convenor of the Australian Women Donors Network Eve Mahlab;
•    Executive director of the ALSO Foundation Lyn Morgain;
•    Historian Dr Clare Wright; and
•    Journalist Ramona Koval.