Edwina Bartholomew: Let’s get the parity started

Call it crap, or worse, call me a feminist, but International Women’s Day is vital because we have a long way to go before true equality, says Edwina Bartholomew from Channel 7’s Sunrise.

Social media is a funny phenomenon.

Today, you’ll see everyone from Michelle Obama to Reese Witherspoon post about International Women’s Day. There will be panels, breakfasts, cupcakes, Beyonce-themed gym classes (Guilty. See you at 11, Queen B) and hashtags — #sisterhood, #motherhood, #womanhood, all the hoods.

So, what? Why do we bother? Why should we care? And why is there no International Men’s Day? Yes, that question seems to come up every year.

I could bore you with the stats on gender equality and pay parity and women’s rights but you probably heard them all last year and frankly, nothing has changed much since then.

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In fact, recent reports suggest we are still 202 years away from gender parity, so you can tune out on those numbers for a few more years to come. Check back in 2221.

Instead of rehashing old territory, let me tell you a story about Sally*.

It’s a story that also started with a social media post.

I was asked this year to take part in a campaign to end domestic violence. It was simple, all I had to do was take a photo and choose a slogan. I choose ‘Lives Lost’.

A motivational speech is important, but we need to gather our focus this IWD. Picture: Jewel Samad/AFP

The ‘Australia Says No More’ campaign launched this week to tie in with International Women’s Day. I put that photo on Instagram and was blown away by the response.

It wasn’t the number of likes or comments; it was the personal stories that started dropping into my direct messages that shocked me.

Sally told me she had just lost a court battle to continue the AVO against her ex-husband. She says she now lives in fear again that he will find her and hurt her.

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Kate has four daughters and is currently in hiding from her abusive ex. He took all their possessions and put them in storage when she wasn’t home. Now, they have nothing.

DV case workers shared their stories of nursing women through not just physical abuse but emotional, psychological and financial abuse too.

There were replies from men as well. Some were called liars and told to ‘man up’ when they were abused by their female partners. That is not okay either. This kind of violence is clearly not just a women’s issue, but unfortunately the statistics do skew in our favour.

Domestic Violence advocacy group, Our Watch reports that on average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. One in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15 and one in five has experienced sexual violence. The figures are a lot higher for indigenous women.

Australian women are nearly three times more likely than men to experience violence from an intimate partner and more likely to end up in hospital with serious injuries.

When I shared this information, I also copped it. ‘Fake news’, said one follower. ‘Feminist crap’, said another.

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It is feminist. It is crappy, and today is a good day to talk about it. So is tomorrow, by the way, and the next and the next.

This week, 32-year-old Preethi Reedy was killed by her former partner. Her body was found in a suitcase in her parked car in Kingsford in Sydney. She had been missing for two days. Her ex-partner is the only suspect. He killed himself by ploughing into a semi-trailer. Two lives taken, and a truck driver who must deal with that burden for the rest of his life.

See you in dance class, Bey. Picture: Mega Agency

In total, 11 women have been murdered in Australia this year at the hands of their husbands, sons, brothers and total strangers. Not all their names and stories made the news.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged $328 million to combat domestic violence. He said, “This is about changing attitudes to violence, and helping those who think violence is an option, to stop.” Of the funding, $82 million will go towards frontline services and $62 million will be spent on the 1800 RESPECT counselling hotline to meet increased demand.

That is the sad reality. Demand is increasing.

So, what difference will today make? Will marking International Women’s Day prevent more violence against women? No. Will it draw more attention to it? Maybe.

At the very least it’s a chance to acknowledge the progress so far, the fight ahead and to stand up for women, who can no longer stand up for themselves.

It is feminism. You might think it’s crap. But count me in.

And happy #IWD2019.

Edwina Bartholomew is a journalist and presenter on Channel 7’s Sunrise. @edwina_b

Originally published as Edwina Bartholomew: Let’s get the parity started