CHAPTER 19: When the Women's Movement is Quiet

'I have a strong belief that unless you look politically at what you are doing,
and understand the power structures, you are not going to get anywhere, really.'
Edith Morgan Women's Web www./womensweb.com.au http://www.womensweb.com.au

 

Molly Hadfield and Edith Morgan protesting at the Maritime Union of Australia Dispute 1998
Photograph with the courtesy of the photographer Sharon Jones See http://www.womensweb.com.au

In this chapter we look at a snapshot of women's involvement in social justice campaigns in the 1990's to now. As in the 1920's and 1950's women often worked outside women's organisations, but they didn't stop working 1...'POST FEMINISM'? 2...1988 POSITIVE WOMEN 3...FEMINIST INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF RESISTANCE TO REPRODUCTIVE AND GENETIC ENGINEERING (FINRAGE) 4...1990 THE WOMEN'S CHARTER Stage 1 - The Quest   5...FUTURE ISSUES FOR WOMEN'S SERVICES WORKSHOP, APRIL 1993 6...RURAL WOMEN'S NETWORK 7...WOMEN IN THEATRE 8...1994 THE LODDON CAMPASPE WOMEN'S HEALTH SERVICE 9...HEALTHSHARING WOMEN 10..LISTENING TO THE SILENCES: WOMEN AND WAR 11..1996 FAIRWEAR 12..DECLARATION 1997 WOMEN AND HEALTH

13..1998 PROJECT RESPECT 14..The UN PROTOCOL TO PREVENT, SUPPRESS, AND PUNISH TRAFFICKING 15..SAVE FAIRLEA COALITON 16..RELEASE HEATHER OSLAND GROUP 17..'STOP THE ROT' Women stand their ground 18..2000 S11 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM MELBOURNE 19..WILD POLITICS - Susan Hawthorne 20..2004 WOMEN, GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE . 21..RAWA (Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan) SUPPORTERS MELBOURNE 22..WOMEN IN BLACK - MELBOURNE We finish with 23..2007-2008 FREEWAY CAMPAIGN - Councillor Jacki Fristacky and 24..MORE CURRENT ACTIVISM

1...'POST FEMINISM'?

In the 1990's we were told we were in a post-feminist world where the women's movement was old fashioned and dead. It certainly seemed we had again become invisible. Women's Liberation was not in the telephone book and feminist women's groups were hard to find.

Some women had success individually but were unable to, as the Hon. Joan Kirner (Premier of Victoria in the early 1990's) expressed it, 'lift as you climb'. Their success didn't carry over to women as a whole. With those still able to work collectively, though, one woman's success meant success for many more women -
Hon Joan Kirner: 'I learned pretty early on that the collective is an excellent way to operate. If you act as a woman alone you can be cut off quickly and ignored. You may have some initial success, but if you are not part of a movement you are likely to lose''. p 171 Liz Byrski Speaking Out, Australian Women Talk About Success New Holland 1999

Thanks to Zelda D'Aprano, copyright Leeds Postcards, England

The Women's movement was quiet in the 1920's and the 1950's and that didn't stop women. Neither did it now. It caused problems, though. Without a visible and vocal Women's Movement there can be the confusion over what is 'feminist'.

One example was evident when Muriel Heagney said she was not 'feministic' when it came to industrial issues, and as she was definitely feminist by most peoples' definition, it brings up the question of why she thought or said that. A clue may be that the Australian Women's National League called themselves feminist in pushing for an anti-feminist 'wages for wives' payment from the husband in reaction to the mothers' allowance Muriel Heagney was asking the State to provide. In the 1980's it was the Women's Action Alliance arguing for a 'wives' payment from the husband in reaction to feminist requirements for a wage for people bringing up children. In spite of acting in a way that feminists saw as anti feminist they called themselves feminist - 'moderate feminist'. And they still do.

Confusion caused by the behaviour of reactionary groups doesn't stop women, but continuity can be lost and feminist groups can feel isolated and unsupported, reduced to being a 'self help' group or even a charity if they need government funding.

A perennial problem is the 'Capital F' or patriarchal family, still being supported by governments. In her Phd thesis in 2001 Carole Ford quoted Eva Cox saying 'the incumbend government acknowledges and promotes families as providers of unpaid care, but ignores the evidence that it is women - not families as such - that bear the brunt of diminishing public services and facilities.' Women were working harder than ever in paid and unpaid work -
Lois Bryson: 'this traditional distinction between 'women's work' and 'real' paid labour persists.' p 197 'Who Cares? Social Security, family policy and women, International Social Review No 2 1985

Carole Ford 1991: '(D)ecision making by governments continues to enact legislation based on the male experiences of work. The emphasis on 'familism' and the traditional division of paid and unpaid labour in social policy continues to define women as economically dependent and part of the secondary labour market. This location apparently justifies the lack of justice in industrial relations' policy and practices.' Carole Ford, Phd Theseis 2001, Deakin University

This chapter shows some of the work that women in the Women's Movement are doing - women who resist being isolated, limited, silenced and diminished because we are in a supposed 'post feminist' world.

www.womensweb.com.au

2...1988 POSITIVE WOMEN

Stephanie Moore: 'Here at Positive Women, we have focused on two main strands supporting women already living with the disease (AIDS) 1. raising awareness of HIV and 2. getting the prevention/education message out to the general public. We have developed our own unique style of doing this, mainly by being as creative as possible, using theatre, music, art and any other way to show the world we mean business. We have built collaborative and cooperative relationships with the Arts community in order for this to occur. We have challenged the myths and stereotypes of how people living with HIV should be. ...Currently over 50% of the worlds HIV population are women and children, that is, over 21 million women and children. It is so easy to become overwhelmed, helpless and start to think of people as faceless statistics. BUT every positive person is a person with a story.

Every HIV positive person is a person with a family. I know many of these statistics - women, just like you or me - that's why I want to ensure, as do our members, that no more women become infected.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions http://www.womensweb.com.au

Anne Phelan - Patron Positive Women You are at risk too ... Julie Shiels SLV rp000119
Positive Women - Supporting Women Living with HIV Aids - www.positivewomen.org.au

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3...FEMINIST INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF RESISTANCE TO REPRODUCTIVE AND GENETIC ENGINEERING (FINRAGE)

Robyn Rowland: 'In March 1989, FINRAGE held an international conference in Bangladesh. One hundred and forty five participants from thirty-five countries, mainly women from so-called 'developing' countries, discussed enforced sterilisation, the dumping of contraceptives on the Third World and IVF as part of a population control programme. The use of sex selection to pick out female fetuses was also documented: women in poor countries are encouraged to sell their children even before birth. This has been occurring in India and in Bangladesh. One participant from Sri Lanka talked about the baby farms established there where pregnant women after birth immediately give their babies supposedly for inter country adoption. At the end of the conference, participants drew up the Comilla Declaration, including the following statement:

Having shared each other's experiences, insights, and knowledge, we women at the Bangladesh Conference reaffirmed our deep commitment to continue and intensify our work towards a humane and just world for all. We appeal to all women and men to unite globally against dehumanizing technologies and express solidarity with all those who seek to uphold and preserve the diversity of life on our planet and the integrity and dignity of all women.' p 288 Living Laboratories Women and Reproductive Technologies Pan McMillan Australia 1992

4...1990 THE WOMEN'S CHARTER Stage 1 - The Quest

In October 1989 the Union of Australian Women called women together to a Women's Summit at Melbourne, at which it was decided to prepare a Women's Charter that could help women to plan for the year 2000 and beyond. It was to be based on the 1940's Charters and aimed to revitalise the old Charters by discussing and asking questions about 'the feminisation of poverty; the need for universal provision of human services; privatisation and its effect upon the home; the 'hidden' unemployment of women; the rights of women to control their own bodies; the legacy for Aboriginal people from the white colonisation, domestic violence and much, much more.

'As carers of ourselves and others women have been the first to recognise that the environment can no longer stand the stresses that our society places on it. We also recognise that we, and those we care for, are affected by the growing internationalism of the economy - this not only affects the goods we can purchase, but the information we are given, the opportunities we have for employment and the way our social needs are met.

In this Charter, The Quest, we examine these chan ages and make challenges to the status quo in: Aboriginal Rights, Childcare, Community Arts, Disabilities, Domestic Violence, Fertility, Health, Housing, Media, Mental Illness, Natural Environment, Peace, Rural Environment, Social Security, Sport, Transport, Urban Environment, Voluntary Work and the Workforce (Paid Employment).' Union of Australian Women (Victorian Section) Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000

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5...FUTURE ISSUES FOR WOMEN'S SERVICES WORKSHOP, APRIL 1993

Wendy Weeks: 'Feminist women's services for two decades have been on the cutting edge of community service provision. They have identified gaps and problems, the inequities, dangers and matreatment which many women and children face. They have named these issues after a lot of thought and discussion of violence against women, over-prescription of psychotropic drugs, excessive gynaecological surgery, low wages, double work shifts, exploitation and unpaid work - to mention a few.

Women have met in two's threes and larger groups to find solutions. They did not wait until there was money or legislation, they proceeded to act, to piece together what resources they could, to commit their time and energy to addressing the problems of women, children, and, in effect, families. They have also made public how desperate, angry and violent many men feel and behave - previously seen as 'privileged' and inappropriate knowledge to bring public attention ...

The women's services (in Victoria) participating in the Herstory chart survey, 1993 are CASA House - Centre Against Sexual Assault; Council for Single Mothers and Children (CSMC); Domestic Violence Incest Resource Centre (DVIRC); Elizabeth Hoffman House; Geelong Rape Crisis Centre; Healthsharing Women; International Women's Development Agency; Kalparrin CASA, Centre Against Sexual Assault, Morwell; Mallee Sexual Assault Service; NECasa - Centre Against Sexual Assault; New Women - Goulburn North Eastern Women's Health Service; North East Women's Health Service, Reservoir; Rural Women's Network; Telephone Service Against Sexual Assault (:TelSASA); West CASA - Centre Against Sexual Assault; WICH - Women in Industry and Community Health; WIRE - Women's information and Referral Exchange; Women in Supportive Housing (WISH); Women's Health Resources Collective; Women's Health Service for the West; Women's Legal Resource Group; Women's Refuge Referral Service (WRRS); Women's Resource Information and Support Centre (WRISC), Ballarat.' Wendy Weeks in collaboration with women in women's services, Women Working Together, lessons from feminist women's services

'... in collaboration with women in women's services'.
Women working together : lessons from feminist women’s services /
Wendy Weeks in collaboration with women in women’s services.
Melbourne : Longman Cheshire, 1994

6...RURAL WOMEN'S NETWORK

Ros Bowden: 'Mary Salce was the convenor of the first International Women in Agriculture Conference which was held in Melbourne in 1994. It was an idea she had some years age but it took time to enthuse others, to get funding and organise such a big event. Over 850 women attended from thirty-three countries. Her life is very busy and in recent times she is frequently away, leaving the running of the farm near Sale in Victoria to other family members. I was lucky enough to catch her at home -

Mary Salce: "I could ... see that women's view of farming was ... different, and I had a gut feeling that women could change agriculture for the better. I thought these guys were repeating the 'twenties and the 'thirties and the 'forties and the 'fifties, and I thought to myself, When are they going to look at something differend and better? Women are the only ones that are going to be able to do this. So then I put my energies towards getting women to support other women because I knew you couldn't do this by yourself. I didn't even want to do it by myself. I got involved lobbying for a Rural Women's Network to be established here in Victoria - it was the mid 1980's and I've just been putting my energies into that ever since." Women of the Land, Stories of Australia's Rural Women as told to Ros Bowden ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1995

Women of the Land Stories of Australia's Rural Women told to Ros Bowden
ABC Books 1995 State Library of Victoria

7...WOMEN IN THEATRE

Women's Liberation Newsletter Nov 94: 'Difficult Women is an empowering, inspirational and often humorous theatre show performed in a cabaret setting. The show is a celebration of the work, in living theatre and music, of women who struggled against ignorance and alienation to express their visions of a better world.

Linn Van Hek and Joe Dolce present an upbeat, eclectic mixture of original songs, readings and vignettes. ... Each characterization is an illuminating sketch of some of the popular icons of the twentieth century including: Katherine Mansfield, Alice B Toklas, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and Frida Kahlo. With over 50 characters in their repertoire one can never be sure of who will feature in the show - Difficult Women never fails to surprise! The Bendigo Art Gallery is proud to host such an inspirational show. It is a must see for both sexes and all ages!' Melbourne University archives

Melbourne University archives

8...1994 THE LODDON CAMPASPE WOMEN'S HEALTH SERVICE

Tricia Szirom: 'We celebrate the existence of independent, women managed services committed to seeing that women's health is included on mainstream agendas. We celebrate the existence of individual women who are committed to seeing that women have real choices in the health services they use and real power in their decision making about health care. We celebrate the long and vital tradition of health services for women.' Women's Liberation Newsletter Nov 94

Alma Morton: 'Crone = Old woman, long lasting one. Logic = Capable of correct reasoning

Crone Logic: So here are some long lasting old women's correct reasoning -
Old people are often considered an economic burden on society, but the reality is that older people are more likely to be providers of support than recipients. For example a 1983 study found that: 76% mind their grandchildren; 76% offered emotional support in a time of crisis; 61% care for others; 38% help with renovating.

This study also found that financial assistance to their families was 37% for major purchases; 27% for tertiary education; 33% for deposit on a house or flat; 12% for bond money and 14% for travel. Aged volunteers account for approximately 60% of the volunteer work of $8.4 billion per year, plus the financial support that goes to their families as outlined above. The elderly have a huge pool of experience in skills and culture. Their role as mentors for the young and wise elders for their community at large is yet to be fully recognized.' Women's Liberation Newsletter Nov 94

9...HEALTHSHARING WOMEN

Book launch: Women's Health Activism - stories from the Queen Victoria Hospital to women's health services today. See Appendix 1 Papers for talks by speakers at the launch - Terri Jackson, Lyn McKenzie, Sylvia Azzopardi, Bon Hull and Lena McEwen.' Newsletter Nov 94

Women's Health Week SLV rp000259

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10..LISTENING TO THE SILENCES: WOMEN AND WAR

Georgina McEncroe: '(Sexual assault) is a vague muddy fear worn by every woman no matter how rich, educated or powerful she seems. It seemed that women in armed conflict are so very vulnerable ...

When I joined Women's Interlink, I discovered that Austcare had already organised for a member - a psychologist Jane Gronow - to be sent to a refugee camp in Zagreb to offer counselling ... The women Jane was helping wanted justice. They wanted the world to know what had happened to them and their communities and they wanted the perpetrators to be brought before the international community and condemned for their actions. And so the Australian Committee of Investigation Into War Crimes (ACIWC) was born.

ACIWC wanted to join the small but insistent chorus of women from all parts of the world who were claiming that sexual assault is more than a tragic, unavoidable consequence of war. Instead it is a powerful tool, capable of causing paid and fear among the enemy long after the 'peace' agreements have been signed. We discovered through women in Zagreb that the aim of sexual assault in certain armed conflicts is to assist with genocide ...

We were amateurs with nothing to guide us but our own sense of duty and obligation. We received no money, no training and no regular guidance ... I am proud of what we achieved and although much remains to be done to improve the rights of women especially during armed conflict, I have seen with my own eyes how small conversations can lead to very big changes.' Helen Durham and Tracey Gurd ed. Listening to the Silences: Women and War M. Nijhoff, c2005

Listening to the Silences: Women and War edited by Helen Durham and Tracey Gurd
pub. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers State Libray of Victoria

11..1996 FAIRWEAR

Pamela Curr: 'In April 1996, on the 4 Corners television program on the Australian Broadcasting Commission, there was a program about outworkers. These women sewing in their homes, in Australia, in garages and loungerooms, for $2 an hour. I couldn't believe it. I thought "We've got a basic wage, a minimum wage in this country. We have industrial laws, and yet here are workers in Australia routinely being underpaid and employers are getting away with it". I set out to find out if indeed it was happening. At the time I was doing Social Policy and I had to do an essay assignment so I thought I would combine it with that. That program alerted me to something I hadn't known could happen in Australia. So, I spoke to the unions - I spoke to Annie Delaney from the TCF union, I spoke to the churches and to some groups who had been involved in investigating this.

Annie: "We are looking at setting up a community campaign to work alongside the unions". I thought about that and I thought "Wow, that would really be something", because the more I looked at it, the more I could see that what we had here was a Third World economy with Third World conditions operating in our beautiful, wealthy First World economy.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions www.womensweb.com.au

Fairwear Code of Practice -
- That any homeworkers in the production chain are paid the correct Award rate including the sewing time for each garment
- That no homeworkers work less than 30 hours or more than 76 hours per fortnight or are paid the overtime rate for time in excess of 76 hours
- That homeworkers are covered by workers’ compensation
- That superannuation contributions are being paid to homeworkers
- That if work is no longer available, homeworkers are given appropriate payment and written notice of their termination
- That a pro-forma letter from the TCFUA is provided to homeworkers
- That all details of the supply chain are provided, including statutory declarations and standard contracts from every supplier.
- That lists of suppliers and work records maintained for the work that they subcontract are also provided
- That the company maintain lists of contractors and homeworkers and provide these lists to the TCFUA and check on their contractors to require them to comply with the same criteria.' NOSWEATSHOP www.fariwear.org.au

NOSWEATSHOP www.fariwear.org.au

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12...1997 DECLARATION - WOMEN AND HEALTH

1997 The Sixth International Women and Health Meeting - The Incredible Woman - Dr Jocelynne A Scutt: Paper presented to the Sixth International Women and Health Meeting, Manila, Philippines, 3-9 Nov 1990:

'At the conclusion of the conference, the Declaration was read by six women positioned around the hall: two of us from Australia, one from Nigeria, one from the Phillipines, one from Malaysia and one from India. We read it paragraph by paragraph, each paragraph in a different voice, to celebrate the differences women enjoy in our cultural, racial and ethnic diversity, and to celebrate too our togetherness in wanting and demanding the best healthcare and wellbeing for our sisters and ourselves.'

Sixth International Women and Health Meeting: We women from different parts of the world attending the Sixth International Women and Health Meeting ... declare that:
- women's entitlement to health and wellbeing is a fundamental human right;
- women's health and well being are dependent upon adequate housing, food, clean water, sanitation, education, living wages, safe occupational conditions and adequate health care.

Whereas:
- Women's choices are limited by internal and external factors of individual lives; race, ethnicity, class, sexual preference, nationality, age, and/or disability; dominant ideologies of the subordination of women to the needs of the patriarchal state (including governments, bureaucracy and corporations); eugenically and racially motivated political uses of human sterilisation and population policies; violence against women inflicted by individual men and by nation states.
- The conferring of presumed 'choices' by patriarchy, and presentation of patriarchally determined 'solutions', merely perpetuates conditions of oppression and maintains the status quo.
- Population control policies are generally motivated by eugenicist, racist, and classist notions imposed by supremacist governments, donor agencies and avaricious drug companies.
The status and well being of women is not enhanced by 'solutions' that are drug-company driven and determined, in collaboration with the state or global powers.

We demand:
a. A recognition that health and well being are integral to women's personhood.
b. An acknowledgement that women's health and well being are often compromised or actively harmed by many high technological 'solutions' that promote inequity through inequitable, skewed allocation of resources.
c. An end to collaboration between multinational drug companies, the population control industry and governments.
d. Legislation, practices, policies and programs promoting and ensuring the proper resourcing of adequate housing, food, clean water, sanitation, education, living wages, safe occupational practices, and adequate healthcare for all the women of the world.
e. The promotion and proper resourcing of woman-defined healthcare, including the reclaiming by women, for women, of beneficial traditional women's healing and methods of reproduction control.

We recognise that women must:
(a) maintain our integrity in our lives and particularly in our relationships with other women;
(b) acknowledge that to assert a woman has full, free and wholly autonomous choice where the range of options exists only among negative options, is to perpetuate the commodification of women's bodies.
(c) oppose legislation, practices, policies and programmes that promote or perpetuate the commodification of women's bodies.

We as women recognise: We are not separate from our bodies; our bodies are not property; we are spirit, mind and body; our bodies are ourselves.' p 312 The Incredible Woman - Power & Sexual Politics Vol.1 Jocelynne A Scutt

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Dr Jocelynne Scutt: 'In The Sexual Gerrymander Dr Scutt talks of the more than 190 women's refuges that now (1994) exist in Australia, noting that with violence against women: '... the Women's Movement is now achieving the right to label the event (rape) in accordance with the girls' (and boys') reality. The reality is:

- between 90 and 97 per cent of offenders in all cases are male;
- in over 87 per cent of cases, the assaulted is female;
- sexual assault of children is coercive, and often but not always violent; coercion exists within the structural positions of the offender and the assaulted;
- the assaulted suffers emotional trauma; the longer the behaviour has been going on, the deeper the trauma is likely to be;
- incestuous assault, like other forms of violence against women, is steeped in taboos about seductiveness, and consequently the blameworthiness, of the assaulted;
- the incidence is grossly underestimated.' p.269 Jocelynne A Scutt The Sexual Gerrymander Spinifex 1994

13...1998 PROJECT RESPECT

Kathleen Maltzahn: 'Project Respect is built on the understanding that while women in the sex industry are important, the sex industry is not essentially about them. From the sex industry's perspective - and that of the men who use this industry - women are the raw materials of an industry. Trafficking teaches us this.

Where women's choices and hopes coincide with what the sex industry wants, it will use them. Where there are not enough women willing to do what the industry wants, when it wants, women's choices are irrelevant - some elements in the sex industry will always make sure that men do not have to go without women to buy.

Project Respect works from this understanding. It sees prostitution, like a whole range of other practices, as something that aims to extend men's choices and power, at the expense of women's wholeness and happiness. It's a controversial position, but then so is any position that questions men's right to anything - whether its money or property or jobs - and somehow questioning men's rights to sexual access is more controversial than any other area.

Confronting men's violence when it is minimized and unacknowledged is disturbing. At the same time, though, things shift, and that makes it worth it. We have had some success in changing the law and we work with more and more women who want to get involved in challenging the violence they experience.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions www.womensweb.com.au

Pamela Branas 1984 SLV rp000107

14...The UN PROTOCOL TO PREVENT, SUPPRESS, AND PUNISH TRAFFICKING See Appendix 1

Kathleen Maltzahn said in her book Trafficked: 'The first sep the new government (Federal) should take addresses the protection of trafficking victims. It is time to declare an amnesty for trafficked women ... The second step the government can take is to change the relationship between supporting women and prosecuting suspected traffickers ... The Government should bring its approach in line with support for the victims of other forms of violence against women, and offer support without conditions ...(It) need not abandon its commitment to prosecutions to break the link between support and women's participation in prosecutions. Research by Anti-Slavery International has established a clear link between "the provision of good services to victims, including the right to remain temporarily or permanently in the country of destination, and higher conviction rates of traffickers" ... ' p 103-106 Trafficked UNSW Press 2008

Kathleen Maltzhan Trafficked UNSW Press 2008

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15...SAVE FAIRLEA COALITON - People's Justice Alliance (PJA) evolved out of the Save Fairlea Women's Prison Coalition which was formed in April 1993 to oppose the Coalition State Government plan to transfer all women and their children from Fairlea to Jika Jika, the sensory deprivation unit located within Melbourne's Pentridge Men's Prison.

'On the 2nd of October 1996, at the Supreme Court In Bendigo, Victoria, a jury found Heather Osland guilty of murdering her violent husband Frank Osland. Heather Osland, 51, experienced 13 years of physical, sexual and psychological abuse from her husband. Frank Osland thrived on the abuse he administered to his wife and her four children. The physical abuse ranged from constant pushing and poking, being dragged by the hair or ears, to full force punches to the face and body. Sexual abuse was ongoing, forced vaginal, oral and anal penetration which resulted in recurring infections. The psychological abuse included Frank's control over all activities and strict rules to adhere to. Rules which included the need to have Frank's permission to shower, to walk from one room to another, to watch television, to eat and at times even to enter the house. Psychological abuse also included inhibiting Heather speaking to her children and forcing her to observe the abuse of her children and their pets. Frank also sexually abused some of the children but this was not known to Heather until her trial.

Over the years Heather made many attempts to leave her violent husband. She sought assistance from police on many occasions, took refuge with friends and neighbours, there were numerous separations which involved Heather shifting out of the house and moving to new premises. After years of abuse with no possibility of escape, Heather and her eldest son, David, took measures to save themselves from their abuser. David had been living with his mother and Frank in order to minimise the abuse of his mother, he and the other children feared that their mother would be killed by Frank. When Frank ordered David to leave the house on threat of death, the mother and son killed Frank to protect themselves.

Heather was sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison.

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Heather Osland: "He'd always threaten to kill me or my children. He always told my children that he would kill the one that I loved the most first, and that's how they survived those years with him, always knowing that one of them was going to die. And they'd sit around and plan which one of them was going to die first.

They always believed David would die first because he was always pure and well-mannered. Probably Sharon would go next. Erica would die, the third child to die, and probably always Paul would be the last." http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2005/s1495369.htm

16..RELEASE HEATHER OSLAND GROUP - Victorian Women's Trust

'The Release Heather Osland Group is comprised of women who came together after Heather was found guilty of murder and sentenced to fourteen and a half years imprisonment. The primary aim of the group is to work towards Heather's release. Heather is part of the group therefore, the group works with Heather not for her. The group always works in full consultation with Heather. For 13 years Heather was a victim of an abusive husband. She saved her life by acting in the only way left to her. She is now part of a campaign to get justice for herself. In this process she and other women will, hopefully benefit. The Release Heather Osland Group is part of this campaign.

You can contact us at: Release Heather Osland Campaign c/o Victorian Women's Trust 1/388 Bourke Street Melbourne  VIC  3000 May 18, 2004'

Red Planet 1999 State Library of Victoria rp000047

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17..'STOP THE ROT' Women at work stand their ground

Ellen Kleimaker: 'Women workers are the authority on issues of women and work. In listening to women from different backgrounds, different workplaces and different geographic areas, we learnt a lot about their experiences. We did not provide women with a set of questions but rather asked them to discuss effects of work changes on their lives and the effects of other changes on their work ...

Australians often consider themselves to live in a progressive, developed country. However:
- The Sex Discrimination Act was only introduced in 1984.
- It is only since 1966 that married women are no longer banned from working in public service. Prior to this, a woman had to leave her job once she married.
- The Commission of Conciliation and Arbitration only commenced the introduction of equal pay for equal work in 1969. Despite this ... Men's total earning (includes part-time and full-time workers ordinary and overtime earnings) in 1998 was $712.40 while for women it was $468.40.

Mrs S: "I think the world is going crazy. We all work harder for less pay, less security and no other rewards. I've been working in this place for 7 years and there has never been a divorce. Last year (1997) two women got divorced and 3 women basically had a nervous breakdown. I am sure there are links between what is happening to us at work and how this impacts on our health and relationships at home."

Mrs D: "There is never any question about men's right to work. Women get very confusing messages. Damned if we do and damned if we don't. Bad mothers if we work and 'dole bludgers' if we don't work."

Mrs L: "My mother had to have an operation in hospital. Afterwards everthing was so bad, they sent her home very soon after the operation. I had to stay home to look after her but my boss is very angry with me. if I can't find a solution I have to lose my job."

Ms S: "Last year I was in a permanent full-time position. i was able to get 5 hours study leave per week at the time. My boss was encouraging me to study because it was also improving my contributions to work. now the position is a casual position and my hours of work change from week to week. Because of that, study is now out of the question, and given the way things are going, I may not be able to go back to study, which means I might never be able to get a decent job again in my life." Ellen Kleimaker Stop the Rot Victorian Trades Hall Council March 1999

Molly Hadfield and Edith Morgan -
Women speak oubout the impact that recent legislative changes made to their working and home lives ...
Trades Hall Council 1999

18..2000 S11 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM MELBOURNE

Geraldine Robertson: 'On Saturday 9 September 2000, about four hundred people attended a 'People's Conference'. This was organised by Public First and took place at Victoria University, Melbourne. It was to be our alternative to the World Economic Forum held across the river at Crown Casino from 11-13 September ... One of our speakers was -

Romawati Senaga, Indonesian Trade Unions and Officer for the 'National Front for Workers' Struggle': 'Thank you for the introduction. Let me just try to describe the contradiction which is happening in the 'third world' countries, especially my country, Indonesia, about the need for foreign investment, and what has been its impact on our country ... 'Foreign investment doesn't create prosperity, it doesn't create the wealth they always claim ... A new baby, when born, already has about $500 Australian in debt ... We have to oppose them. We have to say "stop exploiting all of us". Thank you very much.' Speaking Out Against Globalisation - A Handbook, compiled and introduced by Geraldine Robertson pub Public First PO Box 2288 Fitzroy 3066 2000 See Appendix 1

Susan Hawthorne: 'When the last tree has been cut, when the last fish has been eaten, man will know he cannot eat money.' Wild Politics Susan Hawthorne Spinifex Press 2002

Susan Hawthorne: 'The neo-liberal policies associated with globalisation are undermining many of the women's movement's achievements.' Some feminist additions to an S11 banner, Melbourne, September 2000

Susan Hawthorne: 'I see young women, old women and women everywhere in between doing fabulous things.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions www.womensweb.com

Verity Burgmann: 'Free trade in services makes it difficult to create locally oriented and responsive services, whether through community action, local government or private business initiatives.' Power, Profit and Protest Allen & Unwin 2003

S11 World Economic Forum Melbourne Jesse Marlow SLV pi001727

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19..WILD POLITICS - Susan Hawthorne

Susan Hawthorne: 'I have great concerns about the impact of globalization and global forms on feminism itself. I think the pattern of that is like the pattern of the superstores. Everything is for profit. It comes in under the rubric of choice but it is no choice at all. I see a lot of things go into the public arena that are called feminist that I think are just a con. In the same way I think carbon trading is a con; GM foods are a con; the idea that nuclear energy is the saviour of the earth is a con. So ‘feminism’ is distorted and then sold back as if, well, “We have solved the problems of the women of the world”. I worry enormously about that because I think it is distorting feminism. Who would want to have anything to do with that? I wouldn’t.

If I had been my twenty-two-year-old self coming into the feminist movement and I saw that as what was on offer, I wouldn’t want to be involved. On the other hand, at one end, with my other hat on – that of poet, writer, and aerialist – I am really keen to have fun and be creative about the way I live. If you can’t make jokes about yourself, if you can’t laugh at yourself you also can’t take yourself seriously.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions www.womensweb.com.au

Susan Hawthorne: 'In Wild Politics I am elaborating on a new paradigm for thinking about the macro-world and the micro-world. It affects every aspect of life, including human relationships to the natural world; to one another; to culture; to the way we think; and to economic structures which control everyone more and more. ... I do not claim to have concrete answers for the current crisis of globalisation. Wild Politics is not a blueprint ... it is a call ... a springboard.' Wild Politics Spinifex Press 2002 www.spinifexpress.com.au

Wild Politics Susan Hawthorne www.spinifexpress.com.au

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20..2004 WOMEN, GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

Dr Jocelynne Scutt: 'In 2004 I attended a conference in Thailand on Women, Gender and Development and I was struck by the fact that women who were there were from Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, The Phillipines - those countries in that area. They don't talk about gender like it is bashed into our brains here, that "Oh, well, men are just as badly off as women". They have women as their central focus, make no mistake about that. The only relevance they see to gender is that it has to be included, because men have to change their conduct start and organize themselves, so that women's contribution can be properly incorporated and recognized and acknowledged.

They see that in this way we will advance both women and men and girls and boys in a really productive way.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions http://www.womensweb.com.au

Women's Liberation and Lesbian Feminist Archives, Melbourne University

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21..RAWA (Revolutionary Association of Women in Aghanistan) SUPPORTERS MELBOURNE

Onnie Wilson: 'I think it is vital for us to lead, to take a new path ... and shape new ways of living. Certainly the feminism that I adhere to is of that sort. A good example of this is the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan (RAWA). It is an amazing organization. It is an example of exactly how women can create a different paradigm. RAWA is unique. Their model is something that could well be taken up in other societies for the better - for everybody's betterment - not just women's betterment, but for everybody's. ...RAWA is strongly political but also active in assisting the most needy, especially women and children and runs many lifesaving programmes: health care, orphanages, small business programmes for widows and prostitutes and the like. They support women, personally empowering them and leading them to become politically minded and active to bring about social change.. ... They also risk their life in being a supporter. This is extraordinary.

Here is a group of women who are extremely competent - they run a refugee camp in Pakistan and their own hospital. They run mobile health care, orphanages, primary and secondary schools, handicraft programs for widows and women who need assistance, small business projects and make all the decisions. And men follow.' Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions http://www.womensweb.com.au

RAWA talk at Toorak College

'RAWA is the oldest political/social organization of Afghan women struggling for peace, freedom, democracy and women's rights in fundamentalism-blighted Afghanistan since 1977. If you are freedom-loving and anti-fundamentalist, you are with RAWA. Support and help us.' http://www.rawa.org

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22..WOMEN IN BLACK - MELBOURNE

'Women in Black… is a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. As women experiencing these things in different ways in different regions of the world, we support each other’s movements. An important focus is challenging the militarist policies of our own governments. We are not an organisation, but a means of communicating and a formula for action.'Women in Black website http://www.womeninblack.org/about.html

Alex Nissen: 'When it comes to war and violence women are the voice of reason.' Speech at Melbourne vigil 3/1/09

We ask you to commit to -
- One act that will honour the dead, wounded and vulnerable - of all sides
- One conversation you didn't think you could risk
- One letter you didn't think you had to write
- One meeting with people who hold a different view
- One resounding NO - when you would have remained ed silent
- One act each day, for a different world.' Women in Black leaflet

Women in Black vigil GPO Melbourne 2008

23..2007-2008 FREEWAY CAMPAIGN

Moira Rayner: 'In Victoria ... citizens' everyday, common-law rights have been traded off for the sake of high-profile urban development projects such as the Grand Prix and the City Link freeway. ... Would those projects have gone ahead without that kind of indemnity? If not, does this suggest that the parties to those contracts believe the projects pose a substantial risk to citizens' welfare: Are Victorians to be the guinea-pigs in a new and dangerous phase of beggar-thy-neighbour competition between the states?' See Appendix 1 Papers p 154-5 Rooting Democracy Allen & Unwin '1997

Councillor Jackie Fristacky : 'The compromise when the F19 freeway (In Melbourne) was constructed was for the government to agree on constructing a rail line to Doncaster. Then the plug was pulled in the government in 1977 and we didn’t get the rail. That was one of the biggest mistakes. If the rail service had been completed you would not have had the level of congestion we now have on the Eastern Freeway and Hoddle Streets. We have 60,000 vehicles a day projected to increase to 100,000 with the completion of Eastlink later in 2008 - highly inefficient and unsustainable. Whereas one train can take 5-8 kilometres of vehicles off the road.

PROTESTING AGAIN - 'So now, thirty years later, we are back again protesting poor government decision making. Now we are standing on the freeway dressed in Christmas clothes with a banner, asking people to sign the petition.'

City of Yarra Councillor Jackie Fristacky and Mayor Jenny Farrer

The Economic Benefits of Investing in Public Transport published by the Metropolitan Transport Forum in 2005 sets out the program for the rail lines that need to be extended to service urban fringe growth areas – Maroondah, Arora, Wyndham Vale, Cranbourne East, Melton, and the Doncaster and Rowville corridors. That is what we are seeking to achieve.' .http://www.pt4me2.org.au/

24..MORE CURRENT ACTIVISM

Julia So So, Parliamentary candidate Ui Guinea: 'I look forward to a woman becoming a Governor, becoming a Prime Minister - not only for women but for Nisus Guinea'.

Australian Indigenous Doctors Association respond to the intervention - Produced by Heather Anderson: 'Shame, humiliation, anger the legacy of intervention: doctors - 'It's one month until the Northern Territory Emergency Response review board reports to the Federal government. Submissions have closed and all the country can really do is wait to see what happens next. One organisation that made a substantial submission to the review was the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA), who have conducted their own assessment of the intervention - focusing on the effects on health. Interview with President Dr Tamara Mackean about AIDA's Health Impact Assessment of the Northern Territory intervention.' http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2008-08-29

Anger: Women burn a shredded copy of the intervention legislation at an Alice Springs rally last year (ABC News: Lexi Metherell)

This statement was from Women for Wik women Claire, Eileen, Olga, Raelene, Christine, Rosie, and Eva: 'Statement on Monitoring the Federal Action in the Northern Territory -

The Federal Action in the Northern Territory could provide a unique opportunity to improve conditions in Aboriginal communities, but there is also a real possibility that it may make things worse. As currently planned, it will undermine key aspects of Aboriginal societies - country, kin and culture. Moreover, by using a top-down approach, it has the potential to work against self-government and, in some instances, contravene human rights. This will not improve the lives of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory.

Accordingly, we call on both Federal and Territory governments to recognise the importance of Indigenous identity and develop an environment of mutual respect through cross-cultural awareness, communication and engagement. Like the many Australians who walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of reconciliation, we believe our generation can ensure a fair go for Indigenous citizens.' Women for Wik http://www.womenforwik.org/index.html

From Prescribed Area People's Alliance meeting website and sent to Women's Web by Women for Wik: 'We Aboriginal women from the Prescribed Area People’s Alliance meeting yesterday, September 29 2008, met to talk on issues that affect us the most out of this intervention.  We have made a statement.  We don’t want the intervention.  We want to manage our communities the proper way, the way we want it, this is our community, we are the ones that live there, listen to us and our cultural ways.

 Racism - The intervention law is racist and we want protection under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.

 Rights - Intervention has taken away our people’s rights.

 Law - There is one law and that’s our law. Our laws don’t change.  White people are changing their law all the time.

 Culture - We have been practicing our culture for thousands and thousands of generations. We want to strongly maintain and practice our culture.  We want to stay in our communities and pass on traditional knowledge to the future generations.

 Governments - Governments don’t listen to us.  We want another government who is good, honest and respectful, with good people working for us.  White men are trying to put us back, they like to be in the front. They’re always taking over. Stay with Aboriginal law. Government people bringing in new ways are destroying our way.

 Consultation - We want more consultation and communication.  We want consultation in our languages.  We want to work together.  Intervention workers come in, they don’t know our community and what we need, they don’t work with us.  Government Business Managers are not working properly for our community needs.      Community management belongs to us.  Government works 9 - 5, community is 24/7.

 Police - Police can do what they like, get away with anything since the intervention started. We’d like them to ask us how we’d like to deal with community issues.  We’d like to work in partnership to deal with community problems.

 Income Management - There’s no financial programs to support our people.  A blanket approach to Income Management is the wrong way.  Income management is bringing everyone into town.  People don’t want to have to come into town.  They want to stay in their own communities.

 Nothing has improved - There’s no new houses, schools or anything for communities. They’ve only built new houses for the new intervention staff.  We had programs created by the community for our community.  We wanted more support for them.  Community programs have been taken away.  They’ve taken away our night patrol, community bus  and women’s centres. 

 Going backwards - For old people the intervention is bringing up bad memories of the past, the old days, the ration days, the dog tag days and the mission days.

 Health - We want permanent doctors and nurses in our communities that we can trust, not the fly in fly out, one-day or one week intervention doctors.  Give our people the opportunity to be health workers in our communities.

 Education - We want to our young people to stay on land and learn culture.  We want to see kids going to school and getting a proper education in a school that’s on Aboriginal land, not to have to send them away.

 Elders - Our old people are our government.  We listen to them.  We want to employ our own people, young people, to care for families. Elders want “Return to Country” programs and aged care facilities in their communities.  We listen to our old people, government should listen to them.

 Calls to action:

1. We call on Quentin Bryce, the Governor General, to come and meet with us women.
2. We call on Jenny Macklin to have proper consultation  with us women.
3. Stop the intervention.  We want to manage our communities the proper way, the way we want it, this is our community, we are the ones that live there, listen to us and our cultural ways.' http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/

Prescribed Area Peoples' Alliance protesters http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/

In the next chapter we attempt to sum up the Women's Movement we inherit.

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