AFLW star from South Sudan wants to kick gender equality goals

Akec Makur Chuot is working with Plan International Australia to promote women's right (Source: AAP / JOEL CARRETT/AAPIMAGE)

2023 has been a highly successful year in promoting the rights of women across the globe, especially on the sporting field with the success of the FIFA Women's World Cup which sold the most tickets than any previous version of the tournament.

Plan International Australia is working with athletes to support women's rights in Australia and across the globe.

Its C-E-O Susanne Legena says progress is slowly being made towards gender equality.

"We are seeing progress in the world. We are seeing advancements being made for children and girls all over the world and in Australia we're seeing that in particular."

But new statistics from the World Economic Forum have shown the world is still a long time away from achieving gender equality.

In fact, the organisation says it will take another 131 years to get there.

Ms Legena says it will take a concerted effort from policymakers and individuals alike for things to change.

"We need action from governments to change policies and laws, but we need actions from everyday Australians too who care about this matter, to talk about it in their families, to be aware about it in their biases and to challenge those sexist attitudes when they see them."

Akec Makur Chuot is an A-F-L-W player who is contributing to the efforts of Plan International Australia in promoting women's rights.

She's a refugee from South Sudan.

She says one of the worst memories of her life centres on the way women are treated in her home country.

"I have a case where my little sister, years ago, she got married off to somebody who was much older and at the time, she was only 15. And I just remember my heart absolutely being broken at the thought of, she's only 15. How is that possible that they could do this to somebody who has such a bright future?"

One of the other barriers that has been broken by women this year is the prestigious Nobel Prize.

Claudia Goldin became only the third woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics for her work examining the gender pay gap.

Plan International Australia says women make almost $26,000 less on average than men, yet 37 per cent of the population still doesn't believe that pay disparity even exists.

Ms Legena says this situation needs to be changed.

"Whatever the reasons are, we need to really challenge that and challenge our on bias in relation to that, find out why that is occurring and create different kinds of recruitment and other mechanisms in our workplace to ensure that, for the same work, men and women are being paid the same amount of money."

Plan says 60 per cent of Australians believe women's sport should be on equal footing, a finding Makur Chuot describes as disappointing.

She also says sport plays a role in changing perceptions on gender roles.

"Slowly by slowly, things are changing and they're changing for the better. And they're changing to move things forward for everyone else so that a husband and a wife, if a wife is working late hours, the husband can come in, look after the household, and everyone coexisting fine with that. Where I come from, sometimes you realise (that) the woman does everything. So, things are changing and it is really positive and sport really does play a massive role in that."

Plan International Australia says one in five Australian families claim they treat their daughters differently from their sons.

Plan's Susanne Legena says parents need to ensure their girls are given the same space to grow as their boys.

"It's as simple as who do you ask to do the dishes or help around the house or do the care work. Are there different standards in the cleanliness you accept from your daughter's bedroom to your son's bedroom? Who do you prioritise in terms of after school activities? Who do you listen to for their opinion? Who do you ask what they think about certain things? And just being super aware and finding ways to ensure that we are treating our boys and girls in the same way and ensuring that girls have equal rights and opportunities to develop themselves and participate in everything that their brothers are."