'A Woman's Place'- Leslie Cannold, Jane McCredie and Jeff Sparrow.

'A Woman's Place' was a brilliant discussion on gender equality. Although immediately one would consider it a feminist debate, it was more a discussion on how gender equality has evolved into so much more.

The beginning of the discussion touched on how there is an entrenched gender inequality in power. This was in relation to the treatment of Julia Gillard, Australia's late Prime Minister. Her mistreatment was described as 'to an extent of no other', and this was due to her femininity. Leslie and Jane expressed how her capacity to lead was questioned, rather then her style of leading. She was asked whether she could lead, rather then how she would. However, her value as a visible example of women ascending to a power position has had a motivational and ever-lasting affect on the Australian public.

Australian women have become more aware of what barriers lay in the corporate and public world. The discussion returned to the evolving feminist perspectives. The 1990's feature as the end of the feminist revolution, of perhaps better phrased as a pause. The nineties became a phase of feigned equality. Women were disillusioned by the past success of the revolution, and considered the period of 'equal advantages.'
However, feminism has resurged due to the visible inequalities that still remain, but it has altered and evolved. It has transformed from only female oppression, partially because women don't want to identify themselves as oppressed, and also because society is more aware of the power-positions held by women that are not shared equally with men.

Different forms of disempowerment exist in the public and private sector. As a woman is unable to reach certain levels of equality in the public world, the private sector is her domain. As men maintain control in the public sector, they are oppressed in the private sector. Not only has this gender inequality awareness revolutionised, the masculine/ feminine stereotypes have revealed more of the oppressive nature.
Young boys who identify as more feminine are not given the opportunity to explore it, or comparatively to the extent that a young girl is given to explore masculinity, as an example: The Tom Boy. This has been associated with the use of social media also. There are apps and programs designed to play on those stereotypes in order to dominate and victimise the users. Rather then being able to escape those stereotypes, the users are pressured to ascribe to them. An adolescent girl is given the opportunity to receive more education  about these programs, such as Snapchat or dating sites, then perhaps an adolescent boy would receive. In a world of instantaneous communication, the education about these programs is necessary and should be equally provided.

Jeff, within the discussion highlighted that even our vocabulary has altered due to these entrenched gender roles. Words such as Liberation and Freedom have been inherited different meanings and are associated to different ideals. In order to battle these inequalities, the genders must join in battle.

A very interesting discussion.