Comments on: Thinking about how change happens http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/ blog.humanrights.gov.au Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:24:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Duc http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/#comment-183 Duc Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:53:44 +0000 http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/#comment-183 I believe any change of culture must start from youth. I mean the equality needs to be taught at school to children. It is the age that we can build a new generation with new values. I am originated from Asian culture and we have the proverb that says "To grow a person, we need 100 years"; this means we have to spend one generation to build for the next. The equality can also be established by changing the law (e.g. Flexible work opportunity; parental leave; carer leave; E.O. in the workplace, etc). We can also disseminate the equality to the public through the media. But all of those laws and propaganda may not be able to take roots in our society unless young children are well educated for good attitudes and good behaviours. I believe any change of culture must start from youth. I mean the equality needs to be taught at school to children. It is the age that we can build a new generation with new values. I am originated from Asian culture and we have the proverb that says “To grow a person, we need 100 years”; this means we have to spend one generation to build for the next.
The equality can also be established by changing the law (e.g. Flexible work opportunity; parental leave; carer leave; E.O. in the workplace, etc). We can also disseminate the equality to the public through the media. But all of those laws and propaganda may not be able to take roots in our society unless young children are well educated for good attitudes and good behaviours.

]]> By: Anonymous http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/#comment-102 Anonymous Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:51:31 +0000 http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/#comment-102 It will always be painfully obvious that sex discrimination is defined by all government departments such as this as discrimination only against women. Furthermore the real propaganda aims of all such commissions can be clearly seen by the government advertising campaigns proporting that all men with small penises are reckless drivers, all men are abusive to their partners and the reverse is never the case. You might as well say 'To violence against men, Australia doesn't care'. It will always be painfully obvious that sex discrimination is defined by all government departments such as this as discrimination only against women.

Furthermore the real propaganda aims of all such commissions can be clearly seen by the government advertising campaigns proporting that all men with small penises are reckless drivers, all men are abusive to their partners and the reverse is never the case. You might as well say ‘To violence against men, Australia doesn’t care’.

]]> By: Katelin http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/#comment-88 Katelin Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:02:51 +0000 http://hreocblog.com/2007/12/07/thinking-about-how-change-happens-%e2%80%93-4-december-2007/#comment-88 Hey Liz, The question of how to involve men is not as complicated as it seems. We need to keep the positive messages of shared parenting responsibilities flowing to the media. There have been a number of features in weekend newspapers this year that highlight the great rewards new parents are gaining from sharing the load. Although there is still very much a ''back-patting'' culture underpining the majority of stay-at-home dad stories, I really believe this will subside as more fathers take time out of their working lives to share the committment. I am absolutely behind a paid maternity scheme for Australia, but I believe the way to tackle the problem of men feeling the weight of expectation to work is to legislate for paid PARENTAL leave where both parties have access to similar periods of leave. When it is written in law I think you will see a more rapid decline in the stigma attached to stay at home parenting and a move towards true equality of caring responsibilities between the genders.( I believe too that this will have ramifications for caring responsibilities of older family members, but that is another thing altogether). I also think we need to look at the European countries where this type of PARENTAL leave has already been enshrined in law. We really need to get the message out there that this system of PARENTAL leave really does work-dads don't have to feel the weight of societal expectation and pressure as the breadwinner - kids need both parents in their lives in equal measure. We need to start providing real-life, concrete examples of the positive effects PARENTAL leave has for both parents and children for people to examine and take on board.Then we the scientific evidence of positive outcomes to back it up. I think the listening tour is a top idea - I'll keep my eye out for a visit to Wollongong. Thanks, Katelin Hey Liz,

The question of how to involve men is not as complicated as it seems. We need to keep the positive messages of shared parenting responsibilities flowing to the media. There have been a number of features in weekend newspapers this year that highlight the great rewards new parents are gaining from sharing the load.

Although there is still very much a ”back-patting” culture underpining the majority of stay-at-home dad stories, I really believe this will subside as more fathers take time out of their working lives to share the committment.

I am absolutely behind a paid maternity scheme for Australia, but I believe the way to tackle the problem of men feeling the weight of expectation to work is to legislate for paid PARENTAL leave where both parties have access to similar periods of leave. When it is written in law I think you will see a more rapid decline in the stigma attached to stay at home parenting and a move towards true equality of caring responsibilities between the genders.( I believe too that this will have ramifications for caring responsibilities of older family members, but that is another thing altogether).

I also think we need to look at the European countries where this type of PARENTAL leave has already been enshrined in law.

We really need to get the message out there that this system of PARENTAL leave really does work-dads don’t have to feel the weight of societal expectation and pressure as the breadwinner - kids need both parents in their lives in equal measure.

We need to start providing real-life, concrete examples of the positive effects PARENTAL leave has for both parents and children for people to examine and take on board.Then we the scientific evidence of positive outcomes to back it up.

I think the listening tour is a top idea - I’ll keep my eye out for a visit to Wollongong.

Thanks,

Katelin

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