As part of the Getup and Julian Burnside joint campaign, I am writing the following letter to an asylum seeker, to let them know that many Australians are thinking of them, and care about their plight. I encourage you to write your own letter, and send it to:
Julian Burnside
205 William Street
Melbourne, 3000
Include a self-addressed envelope so that your new penpal can write back to you.
Feel free to copy any parts of my letter that ring true to you.
Hello,
My name is Catherine Brooks, and I'm an Australian citizen, writing to you to let you know that I care for your health and wellbeing.
I'm sorry that you are in a detention centre. I do not believe in detaining people who are seeking asylum on our shores. I do believe that you are in the care of the Australian Government and its people, and I am sorry that you are being detained. I believe that you should be better looked after.
When I go to bed at night, after a lovely meal, I think of you in detention, and I feel incredibly sad. I wish, for you, comfort, and fair process, so that you can be released from detention as quickly as possible.
If you would like to, please send me a letter (using the enclosed self-addressed envelope) and I will promise to write. My hope is that this will brighten up your time in detention and open my eyes about your plight and journey.
In the meantime, I will keep supporting Mr Burnside and Getup and the many other Australians as they work to campaign against the poor treatment of asylum seekers.
Warmest regards,
Catherine
Friday, April 25, 2014
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Why do I post so much about gender equality?
My girlfriend recently asked me why I care so much about the feminist movement and why I constantly post about the topic on my Facebook page. "We should be equals, we are equals, so let's move on" she said. I was flabbergasted. Floored. But rather than get into a debate about it over lunch, I thought I'd write her this open letter, setting out the poignant statistics, hopefully explaining why I care so much, and why I still feel that this is a relevant topic for us in Australia. I've made it personal, and I hope my girlfriend forgives me for this, but considering that she has a three year old daughter, I thought it would be of maximum impact to consider her daughter's future to demonstrate why I do care. And why we need to deal with this issue NOW.
Let's first look at the Australian workforce. My girlfriend is extremely smart and is an accountant, having held senior roles at large companies in Australia. Her husband is also incredibly intelligent, and works in the airforce. When I imagine what their daughter will do when she grows up I think, well wow, the world is her oyster. But is it?
The most recent statistic (April 2014) show that women comprise over 60% of the workforce in three occupations: clerical and administrative workers; community and personal service workers; and sales workers. And whilst my girlfriend's daughter might want to work in those fields (and they are great areas) she has a 40% chance of only being able to perform part-time work in those sectors. Women are also more likely to be under-employed than men (10.4% for women compared to 6.1% for men).
But what if my girlfriend's daughter doesn't want to work in those areas? What if she wants to get a trade qualification? Currently only 14% of technicians and trade workers are women. You don't have to try too hard to imagine how difficult it is for a woman to be a tradie in today's workforce.
Another recent statistic shows that among total workers, over a quarter of women (26.4%) (compared to a fifth of men (19.9%)) do not have paid leave entitlements. Women are least likely to have paid leave entitlements if they work as part-time sales workers
(67.5%). This is despite the fact that women still play a major role in our society as carer's (mostly unpaid).
So women are under-represented in many professions, much more likely to work part-time, experience under-employment and don't have access to paid leave.
But we get paid equally right? No. In November 2013, the gender pay gap stood at 17.1%. The average weekly ordinary time earnings of women working full-time were $1,270.30 per week, compared to men who earned an average weekly wage of $1,532.80 per week, making women’s average earnings $262.50 per week less than men. For exactly the same job.
But this is being fixed right? No. Since November 2012 the gender pay gap has increased by 1.6 pp respectively in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, followed by smaller increases in Queensland (+0.6 pp) and the Northern Territory (+0.5 pp).
This means that in Victoria, a woman has to work an extra 49 days per year to receive the same pay as a man.
So my girlfriend, and her daughter, also need to work more hours to receive the same pay as a man.
What if my girlfriend's daughter wants to be an accountant like her mum? Well, in November 2013, the financial and insurance services industry had the highest gender pay gap (31.9%). So my girlfriend is currently being paid less than the man sitting next to her doing the same job, and unless things change, so will her daughter.
What if my girlfriend's daughter wants to go into the airforce like her dad?
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner recently undertook a survey which, for the very first time, compares data of the prevalence of sexual harassment in the Australia Defence Forces (ADF) to other Australian workplaces.
The survey findings show that sexual harassment rates for women in the ADF are comparable with the general community at around 25%.
Hang on, women have a one in four chance of being sexually harassed in the Australian workforce? Wow. That's high.
This means that if my girlfriend's daughter wants to follow her dad's footsteps in the airforce, there is a high risk that she will be sexually harassed. But it also means that wherever she works in Australia (unless things improve by the time she enters the workforce) there is a one in four chance that she will be sexually harassed.
No one should have to worry about that issue when commencing a career, or gaining work experience, or getting some pocket money.
The research (conducted by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner) also found that for many women in the ADF, they also had a very difficult choice to make: career or family. In the star ranks (the most senior ranks in the ADF), the contrast between men and women who have children is telling – almost 90% of the men have children compared to just over 20% of women. These figures speak to the difficulty that women with caring responsibilities encounter in building their military careers.
No person should have to choose between these things.
And if my girlfriend's daughter is a high-achiever, and wants to work her way up the ranks - well she will be in a very small minority of women in leadership in the ADF. Women are particularly underrepresented in leadership positions in the ADF, with less than 5% of all star, or senior officer ranks women, and less than 8% of all senior non-commissioned officers.
I have every confidence that my girlfriend's daughter will be a success, in whatever she chooses to do. I know that she will choose a profession, and she'll be a star at her chosen career. And I also hope that one day she will fall in love, and be able to have children and a career.
So to do that, to get that far, she's avoided, or survived, sexual harassment. She's overcome the hurdles of being a minority in a senior role. And now she's pregnant. What then?
The Australian Human Rights Commission have just released their report on pregnancy discrimination. They found that one in two women report experiencing discrimination in the workplace during their pregnancy, after requesting or while on parental leave, or upon returning to work.
As a result of this discrimination, the vast majority of women (84%) experienced negative impacts on their mental health (such as stress and marked reductions in confidence and self-esteem), physical health, families, finances, career and job opportunities.
So after all of her hard work, she will then have to fight to keep her job, and her health, just to be able to have a family.
And I haven't even touched on domestic violence. I haven't even yet told you that one woman dies every week from domestic violence in Australia. One woman. Each week.
So this is why I care about feminism. And gender equality. This is why I post about it all the time. This is why I celebrate the successes (of both men and women). This is why I encourage my friends, including my girlfriend, to think about equality in the context of her daughter, and her daughter's future.
I think many of my girlfriends think of sexism as something that doesn't happen much, or just happens to other people. The statistics prove otherwise. The statistics are not acceptable.
On a final note - if it is this hard for us to get right, if we can't even provide equality for women living in Australia, an affluent first world country, just imagine how hard it is for women in less fortunate circumstances (not that far away from us across the sea). Yes we do have it pretty good. But pretty good isn't good enough. And our lack of action, or acceptance at the wrongness of the current situation, is definitely not good enough and won't help anyone.
Let's first look at the Australian workforce. My girlfriend is extremely smart and is an accountant, having held senior roles at large companies in Australia. Her husband is also incredibly intelligent, and works in the airforce. When I imagine what their daughter will do when she grows up I think, well wow, the world is her oyster. But is it?
The most recent statistic (April 2014) show that women comprise over 60% of the workforce in three occupations: clerical and administrative workers; community and personal service workers; and sales workers. And whilst my girlfriend's daughter might want to work in those fields (and they are great areas) she has a 40% chance of only being able to perform part-time work in those sectors. Women are also more likely to be under-employed than men (10.4% for women compared to 6.1% for men).
But what if my girlfriend's daughter doesn't want to work in those areas? What if she wants to get a trade qualification? Currently only 14% of technicians and trade workers are women. You don't have to try too hard to imagine how difficult it is for a woman to be a tradie in today's workforce.
Another recent statistic shows that among total workers, over a quarter of women (26.4%) (compared to a fifth of men (19.9%)) do not have paid leave entitlements. Women are least likely to have paid leave entitlements if they work as part-time sales workers
(67.5%). This is despite the fact that women still play a major role in our society as carer's (mostly unpaid).
So women are under-represented in many professions, much more likely to work part-time, experience under-employment and don't have access to paid leave.
But we get paid equally right? No. In November 2013, the gender pay gap stood at 17.1%. The average weekly ordinary time earnings of women working full-time were $1,270.30 per week, compared to men who earned an average weekly wage of $1,532.80 per week, making women’s average earnings $262.50 per week less than men. For exactly the same job.
But this is being fixed right? No. Since November 2012 the gender pay gap has increased by 1.6 pp respectively in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, followed by smaller increases in Queensland (+0.6 pp) and the Northern Territory (+0.5 pp).
This means that in Victoria, a woman has to work an extra 49 days per year to receive the same pay as a man.
So my girlfriend, and her daughter, also need to work more hours to receive the same pay as a man.
What if my girlfriend's daughter wants to be an accountant like her mum? Well, in November 2013, the financial and insurance services industry had the highest gender pay gap (31.9%). So my girlfriend is currently being paid less than the man sitting next to her doing the same job, and unless things change, so will her daughter.
What if my girlfriend's daughter wants to go into the airforce like her dad?
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner recently undertook a survey which, for the very first time, compares data of the prevalence of sexual harassment in the Australia Defence Forces (ADF) to other Australian workplaces.
The survey findings show that sexual harassment rates for women in the ADF are comparable with the general community at around 25%.
Hang on, women have a one in four chance of being sexually harassed in the Australian workforce? Wow. That's high.
This means that if my girlfriend's daughter wants to follow her dad's footsteps in the airforce, there is a high risk that she will be sexually harassed. But it also means that wherever she works in Australia (unless things improve by the time she enters the workforce) there is a one in four chance that she will be sexually harassed.
No one should have to worry about that issue when commencing a career, or gaining work experience, or getting some pocket money.
The research (conducted by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner) also found that for many women in the ADF, they also had a very difficult choice to make: career or family. In the star ranks (the most senior ranks in the ADF), the contrast between men and women who have children is telling – almost 90% of the men have children compared to just over 20% of women. These figures speak to the difficulty that women with caring responsibilities encounter in building their military careers.
No person should have to choose between these things.
And if my girlfriend's daughter is a high-achiever, and wants to work her way up the ranks - well she will be in a very small minority of women in leadership in the ADF. Women are particularly underrepresented in leadership positions in the ADF, with less than 5% of all star, or senior officer ranks women, and less than 8% of all senior non-commissioned officers.
I have every confidence that my girlfriend's daughter will be a success, in whatever she chooses to do. I know that she will choose a profession, and she'll be a star at her chosen career. And I also hope that one day she will fall in love, and be able to have children and a career.
So to do that, to get that far, she's avoided, or survived, sexual harassment. She's overcome the hurdles of being a minority in a senior role. And now she's pregnant. What then?
The Australian Human Rights Commission have just released their report on pregnancy discrimination. They found that one in two women report experiencing discrimination in the workplace during their pregnancy, after requesting or while on parental leave, or upon returning to work.
As a result of this discrimination, the vast majority of women (84%) experienced negative impacts on their mental health (such as stress and marked reductions in confidence and self-esteem), physical health, families, finances, career and job opportunities.
So after all of her hard work, she will then have to fight to keep her job, and her health, just to be able to have a family.
And I haven't even touched on domestic violence. I haven't even yet told you that one woman dies every week from domestic violence in Australia. One woman. Each week.
So this is why I care about feminism. And gender equality. This is why I post about it all the time. This is why I celebrate the successes (of both men and women). This is why I encourage my friends, including my girlfriend, to think about equality in the context of her daughter, and her daughter's future.
I think many of my girlfriends think of sexism as something that doesn't happen much, or just happens to other people. The statistics prove otherwise. The statistics are not acceptable.
On a final note - if it is this hard for us to get right, if we can't even provide equality for women living in Australia, an affluent first world country, just imagine how hard it is for women in less fortunate circumstances (not that far away from us across the sea). Yes we do have it pretty good. But pretty good isn't good enough. And our lack of action, or acceptance at the wrongness of the current situation, is definitely not good enough and won't help anyone.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Letter to the Sydney Morning Herald following the article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/disabled-apartheid-to-end-20100314-q677.html
The new laws regarding minimum access requirements for new buildings do not go far enough. With pre-existing buildings remaining inaccessible, basic amenities (such as toilets) unusable and transport impossible, how can we expect disabled people to live a full life in our society? The cost of our inaction is far greater to the Australian economy than the cost of removing the barriers for participation of disabled people. Shame on us for allowing such discrimination to persist.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Disabled have rights - The Age
Published letter in The Age 15 January 2010
Disabled have rights
YESTERDAY morning my mother, who is in a wheelchair, waited for more than an hour for a bus to take her to work. Numerous buses went past but none were low-floor buses. She had rung the Melbourne Bus Link the previous night warning them she was coming, to which they promised a low-floor bus.
Countless phone calls later a low-floor bus finally arrived. The driver looked at my mother in disdain because he had to lower a ramp for her. When are we going to demand equal access for the disabled? When will our prejudices change?
Catherine Brooks, Port Melbourne
Disabled have rights
YESTERDAY morning my mother, who is in a wheelchair, waited for more than an hour for a bus to take her to work. Numerous buses went past but none were low-floor buses. She had rung the Melbourne Bus Link the previous night warning them she was coming, to which they promised a low-floor bus.
Countless phone calls later a low-floor bus finally arrived. The driver looked at my mother in disdain because he had to lower a ramp for her. When are we going to demand equal access for the disabled? When will our prejudices change?
Catherine Brooks, Port Melbourne
Monday, August 17, 2009
Finding public transport a drainer?
How annoying is it when the tram/train/bus is full and you can't get on? Or when a vehicle is late, or when a driver simply doesn't stop for you? You get grumpy, get over it, and get on the next one. But imagine if you couldn't get on 4 out of every 5 vehicles? And not because it was full, but because you physically couldn't get on up on to it.
Did you know that if you are in a wheelchair, it doesn't matter how long you've been waiting in the cold/rain/heat you simply cannot get on every vehicle that passes you by. Sometimes this is because the vehicle does not have a ramp for you to use to get on to the vehicle. Sometimes the ramp gets stuck. Sometimes the driver doesn't want to have to get up and put the ramp down. Sometimes it's because the vehicle is not a low floor vehicle so even if there was a working ramp you still couldn't get on.
Did you also know that, despite the introduction of low floor trams and super stops, you still can not get on at every stop, or off at a stop that's convenient to you, let alone every tram line? And our Government is not bound to ensure disabled access on public transport until 2020.
Did you also know that when you book a disabled taxi you have to leave an hour either side of the booking, that is that if you book a taxi for 2pm, it could come at 1pm or at 3pm - how could you possibly plan your life around that? Think twice next time you get into a disabled taxi at the airport - someone in need could be waiting for it.
Further, imagine that you actually manage to get to work and you rock up and the lift is broken. Or you're invited to a dinner party and when you arrive you realised that you can't get in. Or imagine if you have a meeting, and the door into the meeting room isn't wide enough for your chair. Or imagine if you've finally found a disabled toilet and the door is so heavy that once you're inside, you can't open it to get out.
My mum faces these problems every day. So do many like her.
So if so many people are facing these problems, why don't we recognise it and change it? Before mum was in a wheelchair I hardly knew these problems existed. I think we have this incorrect notion that someone's disability, or illness, is their own private battle. But mum's battle happens every day in public. It's when she leaves the house that she really feels disabled. She battles to get to work, she battles to get on to a bus/tram. She battles with the stares from people around her - and worse, the surprised looks on people's faces when they realise that a woman in a wheelchair has something of worth to say.
When mum was forced to accept a wheelchair as her mode of transport, she chose to increase her mobility and independence as much as possible by using an electric wheelchair. Her wheelchair, in an ironic way, provides her with a freedom that she otherwise would not be allowed as a disabled person. So why then, when she has it hard enough, do we need to stifle that freedom (which, let's face it, is already pretty minimal compared to us non-wheelchair-bound people) by making it so hard for her to get out of the house? And why do we need to make her feel like the only one in the room by our staring? And why do we find it so surprising that people in wheelchairs are just like us?
Please - the next time you see someone in a wheelchair, don't stare. If they're waiting for public transport ask them if they require any assistance and get out of the seats in the designated wheelchair zones. And like the dear old ladies on my mum's bus, lend them your umbrella if it's raining - people in wheelchairs cannot hold umbrellas and steer their wheelchairs at the same time so they may need you to shield them with your umbrella. And don't be surprised if what they have to say is of value - expect that it will be, like anyone else.
If you're mad about public transport, or disabled access in general, look around you and see what you can do. If your work doesn't have a lift - ask why. Don't book at restaurants that don't have wheelchair access or toilets - there are plenty that do. If there aren't any people in wheelchairs on your public transport ask why.
If we could remove these road-blocks then maybe we'd be lucky enough to meet more people like mum in the workforce, in the community, at our dinner parties. We must understand and accept that the problems that exist for those with a disability exist within our community. The problems are ours. The solutions are ours to find and implement. This is our public battle.
Did you know that if you are in a wheelchair, it doesn't matter how long you've been waiting in the cold/rain/heat you simply cannot get on every vehicle that passes you by. Sometimes this is because the vehicle does not have a ramp for you to use to get on to the vehicle. Sometimes the ramp gets stuck. Sometimes the driver doesn't want to have to get up and put the ramp down. Sometimes it's because the vehicle is not a low floor vehicle so even if there was a working ramp you still couldn't get on.
Did you also know that, despite the introduction of low floor trams and super stops, you still can not get on at every stop, or off at a stop that's convenient to you, let alone every tram line? And our Government is not bound to ensure disabled access on public transport until 2020.
Did you also know that when you book a disabled taxi you have to leave an hour either side of the booking, that is that if you book a taxi for 2pm, it could come at 1pm or at 3pm - how could you possibly plan your life around that? Think twice next time you get into a disabled taxi at the airport - someone in need could be waiting for it.
Further, imagine that you actually manage to get to work and you rock up and the lift is broken. Or you're invited to a dinner party and when you arrive you realised that you can't get in. Or imagine if you have a meeting, and the door into the meeting room isn't wide enough for your chair. Or imagine if you've finally found a disabled toilet and the door is so heavy that once you're inside, you can't open it to get out.
My mum faces these problems every day. So do many like her.
So if so many people are facing these problems, why don't we recognise it and change it? Before mum was in a wheelchair I hardly knew these problems existed. I think we have this incorrect notion that someone's disability, or illness, is their own private battle. But mum's battle happens every day in public. It's when she leaves the house that she really feels disabled. She battles to get to work, she battles to get on to a bus/tram. She battles with the stares from people around her - and worse, the surprised looks on people's faces when they realise that a woman in a wheelchair has something of worth to say.
When mum was forced to accept a wheelchair as her mode of transport, she chose to increase her mobility and independence as much as possible by using an electric wheelchair. Her wheelchair, in an ironic way, provides her with a freedom that she otherwise would not be allowed as a disabled person. So why then, when she has it hard enough, do we need to stifle that freedom (which, let's face it, is already pretty minimal compared to us non-wheelchair-bound people) by making it so hard for her to get out of the house? And why do we need to make her feel like the only one in the room by our staring? And why do we find it so surprising that people in wheelchairs are just like us?
Please - the next time you see someone in a wheelchair, don't stare. If they're waiting for public transport ask them if they require any assistance and get out of the seats in the designated wheelchair zones. And like the dear old ladies on my mum's bus, lend them your umbrella if it's raining - people in wheelchairs cannot hold umbrellas and steer their wheelchairs at the same time so they may need you to shield them with your umbrella. And don't be surprised if what they have to say is of value - expect that it will be, like anyone else.
If you're mad about public transport, or disabled access in general, look around you and see what you can do. If your work doesn't have a lift - ask why. Don't book at restaurants that don't have wheelchair access or toilets - there are plenty that do. If there aren't any people in wheelchairs on your public transport ask why.
If we could remove these road-blocks then maybe we'd be lucky enough to meet more people like mum in the workforce, in the community, at our dinner parties. We must understand and accept that the problems that exist for those with a disability exist within our community. The problems are ours. The solutions are ours to find and implement. This is our public battle.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
There's something to be said about taking things slow
I've been thinking a lot recently about the joys of taking things slow. I watched a movie the other night about a western man falling in love with a Japanese Geisha. The most sensuous scene was when the Geisha very slowly lifted her hands to her mouth and sipped from a china cup, she closed her eyes and you saw her lips become wet with the tea. Another beautiful scene was set in a bath. The man had his eyes covered by a cloth and the Geisha came up behind him and slowly dipped her hands into the water, and then dripped water over his face and arms, one droplet at a time...In some ways I think we've lost the appreciation for slow touch, slow love, slow tenderness.
My buddhist father has taught me that making time for contemplation is as crucial for your health as exercise. Taking time out to sit and think, to listen to your surroundings, to allow your thoughts to slow, can all be incredibly beneficial and rewarding.
The ability to walk was taken away from my mother seven years ago, and there's now a stillness about her, within herself, that I love, that was never there before. She whizzes around on her wheelchair, sure, but within herself there's a gentle stillness and acceptance that wasn't there before. She has had to learn to slow down, and whilst that is a tragedy there's also joy to be found in that, and a lesson about the human search for peace. Perhaps a peace that can only be grasped once we accept our lack of control.
So if you can, make time to be slow. Allow yourself that luxury and joy.
My buddhist father has taught me that making time for contemplation is as crucial for your health as exercise. Taking time out to sit and think, to listen to your surroundings, to allow your thoughts to slow, can all be incredibly beneficial and rewarding.
The ability to walk was taken away from my mother seven years ago, and there's now a stillness about her, within herself, that I love, that was never there before. She whizzes around on her wheelchair, sure, but within herself there's a gentle stillness and acceptance that wasn't there before. She has had to learn to slow down, and whilst that is a tragedy there's also joy to be found in that, and a lesson about the human search for peace. Perhaps a peace that can only be grasped once we accept our lack of control.
So if you can, make time to be slow. Allow yourself that luxury and joy.
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