The 2nd female speaker of the Australian house of representatives has praised the legacy of the first female speaker after Joan Child died peacefully on Saturday.
Anna Burke's comments inadvertantly highlighted how fair and equal a society we live in today, where people are increasingly being selected not because of their sex or race, but because they are the best "person" for the job. Asked about the ALP's adoption of an affirmative action quota for women, Anna Burke says quotas only lead to more inequality "My difficulty with quotas has always been that you only got there because you're a girl." Burke said, "I wrangle against that. I think someone like Joan Child got there because she was remarkable."
Minority groups still fight against discrimination, but today is the best time to be forging a fight for equality. A century ago, Evenki shaman Olga was one of the most powerful non-royal women on earth - she was chieftain and religious leader of her Siberian village, but today there are 17 female heads of state (one of whom is a black woman), and a black US president who until recently had a female secratary of state.
Former Victorian Premier, Joan Kirner said of Joan Child "She showed a woman could get to the top."
Thanks to people like Joan Child, in this day and age, it's as simple as the best person getting to the top.
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