Gender inequality begins at home, says Discrimination Commissioner

TELLING boys to mow the lawn and girls to do the cooking may be an inherent cause of gender inequality.

Elizabeth Broderick who spoke at an event on gender diversity in the medical technology industry.als within inner city surburbs.

TELLING boys to mow the lawn and girls to do the cooking may be an inherent cause of gender inequality.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has called for families to not stereotype housework by gender and to equally share jobs between the sexes.

“Gender equality starts at home,” Ms Broderick said.

“Why don’t we look at our homes and how we treat our sons and daughters?”

Speaking at an event in Melbourne on Wednesday, Ms Brod­erick revealed startling cases of gender inequality in ­Australia.

“Fewer companies are run by women than by men called Peter,” she said.

“And companies run by Peter, David, Michael or ­Andrew outnumber those run by women four to one.”

And that was just the beginning of a long list of facts, such as one-quarter of women have been sexually harassed in their workplace in the past five years.

Or that over a lifetime, Australian women will earn about $700,000 less than men.

“It is shocking — it’s 2015,” Ms Broderick said.

“Men recognise this issue and it’s not a women’s issue.

“It’s a society problem and it will take all of us to shift it. Women’s voices must elevate,” she said.