Mona 'Ladies Lounge' appeal

Cath Scott posted the following thoughts on her LinkedIn:

The celebration of the Court’s decision in the Mona “Ladies Lounge” appeal demonstrates what this decision means to women.

The Court recognised that the Ladies Lounge promoted equal opportunity by highlighting the lack of equal opportunity, which generally prevails in society, by providing women with a rare glimpse of what it is like to be advantaged rather than disadvantaged.

The “flipped universe” of the Ladies Lounge makes the point that gender inequality still exists despite “equality at law” and that it holds women back not through any fault of their own. There is power in reminding ourselves of that point.

As we pointed out in submissions to the Court in the appeal:

In Australia in 2024 women are less respected, less valued and less powerful than men.
As was evidenced by the Status of Women in Australia Report Card, in Australia in 2024 women are less safe at home from gender-based violence and less safe at work from sexual harassment and less safe in the world from sexual violence than men. In Australia women are paid less, do more unpaid work and are less likely to work in higher roles than men.

There is nothing wrong with women. This gender inequity or societal disadvantage cannot be attributed to what women are capable or not capable of - there is no factual basis or rational reasoning for women deserving less respect, value or status than men. Instead, this societal disadvantage is caused by historical discrimination and current attitudes to gender equality, by a negative bias about women’s abilities to participate economically and politically, and the position and status of women as compared to men.

The source of this impediment exists in our heads. It is something that might be subconsciously held but impacts on our thoughts, decisions and actions – maybe we are less likely to listen when women speak, more likely to interrupt or dismiss their opinions, maybe we make decisions based on a subconscious belief that women are not as capable of something as men. Maybe we judge women more harshly and criticise women for behaviours that we accept as appropriate in men. Maybe we don’t even realise we are doing it.

The Ladies Lounge doesn’t accept that women should be treated as less. This artwork points out the continuing existence of gender inequality, and protests against it. It points out that we can change this if we are prepared to recognise it and to think differently.

For all the advances we have made in gender discrimination the world still tells women that you are not good enough, that you don’t belong at the top, and that you have to work harder to get ahead. We still expect women to keep working in that world and most days we just get on with it and we hope that the world will continue to improve. I think that’s why the recognition by the Court of the continuing impediment of gender inequality, felt like a good day for women.