I remember being fifteen years old and hearing a particularly sexist remark, so I told the person the comment wasn’t acceptable, and the word feminist was spat at me as if it were an insult. With the #metoo and #TimesUp campaigns trickling down from Hollywood, I am glad to see that feminism has moved into the mainstream. Gender inequality, workplace sexism and the pay gap are being openly discussed.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme #pressforprogress is particularly important, as it highlights the need to push progress forward where gender inequality impacts lives.

Some small facts to remember today, where gender equality hasn’t been achieved:

• Two thirds of the world’s 700 million illiterate adults are women
• Women in most countries earn on average only 60 to 75 per cent of men’s wages
• One in three Australian women aged 15 years and over has experienced physical violence
• On average Australian women spend up to 14 hours on unpaid domestic housework and on average Australian man it’s less than five hours a week. This means women can commit less time or effort for employment making women more vulnerable to poverty if partnerships dissolve.

There are small but significant ways we can all press for progress in gender equality.  Some ideas include:

• Sharing the workload at home, so no single person’s time is diminished for paid work
• Being aware of gender stereotypes and breaking them
• Helping other women! Sponsor a young girl in a developing country, mentor women in your workplace and support women’s programs for education and workplace development.

Happy International Women’s Day!