Atlas Assignment: Australia

Australia: School

In 2005, more than 95% of girls were enrolled in primary school. This shows the high rates of girls enrolled in primary school, and these high rates are now equal or almost equal to boys. This 95% supports that women in Australia are not held back by perception that says boys have more potential than girls, educating women is a waste of time, women should be home-centered, and women should not be in the workplace. Africa is an example of place where these perceptions may be effective in preventing girls from going to school. In some parts of Africa fewer than 50% of girls were enrolled in primary school in 2005.  Unlike Australia, this may be a place where war, economic hardship, and declining developmental aid are reasons for education not being a primary concern (Atlas, 80).

Australia & Water

90% and over of Australia’s population has access to an “improved” water source (tap stand, well, protected spring). This high amount of access is very good considering that globally, over 1 billion people don’t have access to improved water supply, and over two billion don’t have access to any kind of improved sanitation facility. When considering women and their relationship to sanitation, lack of water and sanitation facilities can be very detrimental to their quality of life. Girls are less likely to go to school that don’t have facilities (in poor countries many schools don’t have toilets). Child bearing and family caretaking can be more threatening without access to sanitation. The home-centered gender work that women are often bound to, is a lot more strenuous. When considering the Valentine reading “Geography and Fear”, women in public spaces often feel vulnerable. When women are unable to use home sanitation facilities, they are more vulnerable to attack when using open, insecure, shared or distant sanitation facilities. (Atlas,76)

Australia & Working For Wages

50-59% of women in Australia work for pay (2005). Although employment of women outside the home has improved, they are typically paid less than men for their work. This discrepancy in pay is based on several factors: gender discrimination, concentration of women in female dominated jobs, and the higher number of women working part time. Many women work in the informal sector- domestic service, market trading etc. This type of work is very prominent in poorer countries, and is a dominant source of employment for women. The percentage of women in Australia who work for pay is descent compared to other countries where women are more bound to the informal sector, experience gender discrimination or are occupationally segregated. (Atlas, 62)