It appears, it wasn’t the first time. The Elephant Journal created a time lapse montage of Vittoria’s life in the European Parliament.

 

Being a parent is not a part-time job and women are known for being multi-taskers. But Licia Ronzulli is giving multi-tasking a new definition, entertaining and carrying little Vittoria while addressing Parliament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The work of feminism and the feminist movement has made these images possible. But the work is not complete.

Today professional women in Australia are still under-represented in C-level jobs. Just take look at the statistics published by the Executive Women Australia:

• 141 executive ASX 500 line management roles vs. 2148 line management roles for men
• 2% per cent of ASX 200 Chairman roles
• 2% per cent of ASX 200 CEO roles
• 3.8% of ASX 500 Executive Director roles
• 9.2% per cent of executive roles in the ASX 200 and ASX 500
• 6% per cent of ASX 500 line management positions
• Managerial representation on one third of companies in the ASX 500
• Twenty one per cent of roles earning $100,000⁺ per annum

Women’s weekly earnings in the public sector are 12.9 per cent less than their male counterparts, and in the private sector are 28 per cent less their male counterparts.

In May 2013, Corporate Woman columnist and Deputy Editor of AFR Boss magazine, Catherine Fox, revealed at a leadership summit the seven myths about women and work every woman should know, three of which are particularly relevant here.

That the gender gap is grossly exaggerated.

It is not. There is an 18% gender gap that hasn’t changed for 20 years.

That women have children and choose to lose their jobs or lose interest in their careers.

Women do not lose their ambition. They do however need an environment where they can play two important roles, that of a mother and a productive member of staff.  And for many women, it’s not a choice to work, they need income.

That women are scarce at the top because there’s not enough of them in the pipeline.

This is simply not true. Women make up half the workforce and 60% of women of working age are employed.  There are more women graduates coming out of schools and universities (approx. 55%).  We need to look at why educated women are not going up in the ranks.

So now, are you a feminist?

If you want to be paid equally for the same type of work a man does, if you believe that being a woman doesn’t diminish your ability to contribute to business and society, or make you less ambitious. If you believe that girls and women have a right to make decisions about their own bodies, choose their own partners and live a life free from violence and persecution, there’s no denying you’re a feminist.

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