Similarities and Differences between the Role of Women in Australia and China

Similarities and Differences between the Role of Women in Australia and China Over the last four decades, there has been a major focus on the roles of female citizens in various countries. Although ranked behind Europe and North America, the Asia-Pacific nations have strived to make significant steps towards recognizing the role of women in their socioeconomic and political systems (Cotter, 79). Australia and China are some of the nations that have demonstrated evidence of the changing roles of women. In particular, Australia ranks third behind New Zealand and Philippines.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Similarities and Differences between the Role of Women in Australia and China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although China performs poorly in terms of empowering women in all leadership sectors, recent evidence suggests that women in the country are increasingly taking various positions in corporate, social, academic and other fields. Arguably, Chinese and Australian women are increasingly taking the advantage of fast growing economies and social transitions in their countries to improve their welfare and equality, albeit in comparably different ways. The feminism movements of the late 19th century and 20th century produced a profound impact on how the Australian societies perceive women. After gaining the rights to vote and to stand for parliamentary positions in the late 19th century, feminism movements in Australia focused on achieving equality in other areas such as labour, leadership in social and civil sectors, business and corporate, security and military fields (Genardini 34). In the modern world, Australian women are ranked among the most learned females in the region, alongside their counterparts from Philippines and New Zealand. It is worth noting that Australian women have achieved almost equal recognition as potential employees in most sectors. In fact, it has been shown that only a few job categories are considered â€Å"men jobs† in the modern wo rld. In addition, a number of legislations have been established with an aim of protecting females from gender-based discrimination in education and labour. These factors have contributed to an increase in the number of women competing with their male counterparts at work and in labour market every year. However, human rights commission of Australia (1) provides statistical evidence that women are yet to achieve the desired standards of equality at work. For instance, statistics show that women make about 57% of the total employees of the commonwealth public service. In 2010, the federal government set a target of 40% of all positions in the government boards for women, which is equal to the positions set for men. Apart from these boards, the target also applies to a number of other areas such as government business and private-public sectors. However, a good number of boards have less women members than 40% (Greig, Frank and White 51).Advertising Looking for essay on histor y? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In politics and political leadership, the role of women in Australia has become evidence. The political role of women has changed over the last three decades. For instance, a number of women have successfully vied for local and parliamentary positions at the state and federal region. Moreover, women occupy about 24% of the elected members of the House of Representatives and about 38% of the national senate. This is an indication that women roles have gained positive attention form the society. It is worth noting that the election of Julia Gillard as the first female prime Minister of Australia provides evidence of the changing perceptions that the society has for women. In academia, Australian women occupy more than 42% of the total lecturing and leading positions in public universities. However, women have not achieved the expected 40% of the number of professors in public universities. Th is is an indication that males continue to dominate in the academic field. In law, statistics have shown that women have overtaken men in terms of the number of individuals graduating with law degrees every year. For instance, about 61% of all law graduates in the country are women. However, they hold only 20% of the senior positions in private law firms, which shows that women roles in the field need more attention. Moreover, women occupy only 16% of the total positions in the federal court. Despite these achievements, a number of factors hinder the improvement and recognition of the role of women in public and private sectors. For instance, women bear the largest burden of child rearing. A large number of Australian women remain at home taking care of their children and families, despite having equal chances of employment and leadership with their male counterparts. Secondly, aboriginal women are still considered as subjects of their male counterparts in their societies. They are supposed to perform the roles of housekeeping and child rearing rather than seeking education and leadership positions. Like Australia, the role of women in China has evolved from the traditional belief that women’s role is only at home and child rearing to a modern paradigm that allows women to participate in socioeconomic development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Similarities and Differences between the Role of Women in Australia and China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In labour and workforce, women in China perform better compared to their Australian counterparts. For instance, studies have shown that about 45% of the total working population comprises of women (Li 12). In addition, more than 80% of women who graduate from national and regional universities in China find jobs in the local market (Matthews and Nee128) However, Chinese women bear the burden of illiteracy when compared to Australian fem ales. For instance, a large number of rural women in China are illiterate and poor than males. This is not common in Australia, where females and males in the rural areas have equal chances of education and jobs. Australia performs better than China in terms of empowering women to participate in politics and political leadership. In fact, there is a severe underrepresentation of Chinese females in all political settings. While Australia has experienced women leadership, including a Prime Minister, no Chinese woman has ever made it to the top level of political decision-making bodies, including the Communist Party. Moreover, the Chinese cabinet is primarily made of men. In fact, most regimes have maintained a low number of women ministers (Tamney 81). For example, the Chinese cabinet had only three women by 2011. In fact, recent statistics indicate that Chinese women shy away from competing with men in politics, especially in the parliament. However, Chinese women have better and lea ding roles in business and corporate fields. Studies have shown that legalization of divorce and abortion in China has improved women rights (Jeffreys 67). In turn, this has empowered women. It has enabled them to run businesses, seek board membership in corporations and own companies. In conclusion, women in Australia and China have significantly similar roles and positions in the society and family. Women rights and responsibilities have also evolved over time in the two nations, resulting into a new perception of their abilities and roles. Cotter, Mooney. Gender Injustice: An International Comparative Analysis of Equality in Employment. Sydney, Ashgate, 2010. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Genardini, Nancy. A Womans Place: The Role of Women in Australian Society. Sydney: Lloyd O’Neil, 2007. Print. Greig, Alastair Frank Lewins and Kevin White. Inequality in Australia. Sydney, Ashgate, 2011. Print. Jeffreys, Elaine. Sex and Sexuality in China. London, Routledge, 2010. Print Li, Xiaorong. Gender Inequality in China and Cultural Relativismin Women, Culture and Development: A Study of Human Capabilities. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print. Matthews, Rebecca and Victor Nee. Gender inequality and economic growth in rural China. Social Science Research, 29. 4 (2000): 606–632. Print Tamney, Joseph. Modernization, Globalization, and Confucianism in Chinese Societies. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2011. Print.