Women's Day

March 8 was International Women's Day. I was asked recently by an older male friend, which period of history would I choose to have been born (hypothetic stuff I know!). He was surprised when I replied, emphatically, NOW.
In Australia, my age group and that of my adult children, are the only ages when I could:
1. Vote and own property in my own name.
2. Be confident that I could earn a living commensurate with education, skills and ambition.
3. Have received a high quality, almost free education.
4. Received high-quality medical & dental care throughout my entire life, including high-quality care for me and my children when giving birth.
5. Have the ability to sever relationships with husbands & partners if they become untenable and receive approximately half of the fruits of our joint labours.

While Australian women have earned and fought for these rights and responsibilities we still earn only 82 cents for every $1 earned by a man (see link) . There are still serious inequalities, glass ceilings and as the ADF finds, acceptance of abuse of women.
So I hung my head in frustration when talking to a young 20 something colleague recently as she recounted how she is still trying to train her man to cook meals, take responsibility for cleaning and generally work with her in the daily chores of life, after both come home from their paid employment!
My older, mad scientist, thinks he has the right to work as long and as hard as he needs to get where he wants to go, especially in this tough business environment. But don't ask for effort at home, with adult children, social life or other areas such as technology.
This portrait is not unique to my home. Droves of Australian women are deserting husbands who work, sit in front of the TV or computer and do nothing else.
Is this what equality for Australian women means in the 21st century!
But many women in this world would fight to have my freedom.