VICDOC Autumn 2025 - Magazine - Page 64
A M A F E D E RA L CO LU M N – M A RC H 2025
STRIVING FOR
PROGRESS AMID
GLOBAL THREATS
TO WOMEN'S RIGHTS
-
DR DANIELLE MCMULLEN
AMA PRESIDENT
W
omen’s rights are at a critical point
worldwide. While significant progress
has been made, gender inequity
remains deeply entrenched in many
aspects of life. Around the world, and
even here in Australia, women continue
to face barriers to healthcare, economic
opportunities, and personal safety. We
celebrate International Women’s Day on
March 8 — a day to reflect on the progress
and recognise the challenges ahead. This
year’s theme is “For ALL Women and Girls:
Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, which
serves as a powerful reminder of the need
for systemic change to ensure no woman
or girl is left behind.
This year’s International Women’s Day
also marks the 30th anniversary of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
— considered one of the most progressive
and widely endorsed blueprints for
women’s and girl’s rights. While there have
been many strides forward since then,
progress is still too slow, and fault lines are
appearing worldwide.
A GLOBAL THREAT TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS
-
Around the world, many hard-won rights
are being rolled back. In some countries,
access to safe abortion is disappearing,
64
AMA VI C TO RIA
leaving women without choices over
their own bodies. Gender-based violence
is a terrifying reality for millions, with
laws failing to protect victims or hold
perpetrators accountable.
According to the UN Women’s 2024
Gender Snapshot report, the world is
considerably off track in achieving the
UN’s sustainable development goals by
2030, due to social norms that continue
to perpetuate discrimination and prevent
women from gaining an equal footing
with men.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed
horrific restrictions on women and girls,
banning them from attending secondary
schools and universities, working in many
jobs, and even moving freely outside their
homes. But even in developed countries
like Poland, women are suffering under
restrictive abortion laws. And in the US,
legal abortion has been restricted in
many states after the US Supreme Court
overturned Roe v Wade.
Even in wealthy nations, the gender
pay-gap, workplace discrimination, and the
burden of unpaid caregiving continue to
limit women’s financial independence.
This is not just happening “somewhere
else”. Here in Australia, women’s safety,
autonomy, and healthcare rights are
