Matthew Jenkins

Have We Reached Our Goal?

It has taken many, many years for gender equality to be almost perfected; however some perspectives and social ideologies still remain.

This blog is dedicated to the topic of inequality for women. Regarding Australian women specifically, Jack Davis’ play ‘No Sugar’ accurately displays women’s treatment in the past. I’ll do the honors of adding in my own statistics on how it still relates today.

Views of women in recent years have lead to corruption, injustice and lost lives. I am all for society to change their perspectives.

Justice For Justice

Statistically in 2018, according to the Australian Institution of Health and Welfare, 1 in 5 women were sexually assaulted/threatened since the age of 15. This is major, especially compared to the male’s counterpart at 1 in 20. No hate for the men, but our women are having a 20% chance in living a life with a dark experience. During the same year 2,800 women were hospitalized after being violently assaulted by a spouse or partner. Again, only 560 men suffered a similar fate. 1 woman a week was statistically averaged to be killed by a former/current partner. Yet again, the men get the lucky end of the stick with 1 a month. 72,000 women sought homelessness services during 2016-17 as well.

These statistics were only last year. Last. Year. (Except for the homelessness). To think that these numbers should show any deteriorating is now out of the question. Now, is to look at the why, and then how to prevent it.

Referring to ‘No Sugar’, Mary

Vulnerability and Exploits

Women are also very exploitable. Says who? Says the countless perpetrators who think they can exploit someone based on their gender.

Recent news in Australia cover the deaths/homicides of women throughout the years. This is at an odd stand point in time as well; it’s alarming. It has many articles and news outlets questioning the safety and well-being of the women in this nation and what things we can do to stop this madness.

Ideally, the text does reflect on this; not on the deaths, but on women’s vulnerability. Matron Neal, wife to Mr Neal, is consistently shown to be oppressed and exploited throughout her introduction in the book. Her husband molests female patients in the infirmary with her knowledge, however they both know he would just get away with it. Especially during the discriminatory and racist time period, the Matron Neal, despite her white ethnicity, is taken advantage of. Mr Neal knows she can’t do anything about it, and so does she, because of her gender.

This implication carries onto the murderers of these poor women. They think they can specifically assault these women because they’re women. They’re ‘weak’. ‘Frail’. ‘Manipulative’. These ideologies must be eliminated.

Epilogue

Ideally, it’ll take time. Modern feminism has had its downfall, yet a phoenix is bound to rise from the ashes and take on what the controversial predecessor has attempted to achieve; a world in which men and women are equal. In this case? Equal through justice and society. What’s worse is that this is in Australia. One of the countries with the lowest crime rates ever recorded. Shocking.