International Womens Day Rally, 6th March 2004 : Melbourne Indymedia

Lanora Jackson spoke about the Stolen Wages Campaign.
For over 70 years aboriginal people worked for no or little wages. The government and landowners did not give workers their benefits and wages. Instead the money was kept in government 'trust' accounts. The Queensland Government has offered to return only a fraction of the money due to aboriginal people.
"We need to support wage justice for everyone and to fight the racism that caused this to happen......We need to make sure the stolen wages are returned', Lanora said.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow addressed the crowd, outlining issues for women workers. This is the 21st century, she said, it is time for a better deal for working women. Women need paid maternity leave. Job conditions must allow women to care for their families. They need the option of part-time work and flexible hours. Sharan discussed a plan for women to buy up to six weeks extra leave by putting aside money every week.

There was not a strong union presence at the rally but Gwynnyth Evans, a health and safety worker with the meatworkers union, attended with a union banner. Women make up one third of her union's members but for women being accepted in the meat industry is still an issue, she said. Women in the meat industy do hard physical work such as packing but are at the bottom of the pile. Safety at work is an issue. Gwynnyth's main goal is to ensure her members go to work healthy and come home healthy.

Reta, from Women for Peace made a passionate speech on the importance of peace for women. " We want the 21st century to be a century for women, a century for peace. Not a century for George Bush, war and America."

Reproductive rights continue to be a critical issue for women, a speaker from Radical Women, Bridget Ellery asserted. "Reproductive rights for women can only be achieved when women have economic independence. Only then can women choose." Abortion, contraception, access to reproductive technology,and childcare continue to be important issues for all women, single women, lesbians, and heterosexual women.

Manisol Salinas described the issues facing indigenous women in South America. Across the countries of South America indigenous women face similar issues, discrimination, displacement, murder, rape, the taking of land and poisoning of the environment. These women are organising and fighting for human rights and an economic future. In Honduras in May last year indigenous people occupied the capital. An accord was reached. Months later the agreement has not been honoured. The struggle continues.

Brenda, a tertiary student talked about the current issues in the media including the Bulldogs rape scandal. These reports make clear that womens status and human rights continue to be an issue. For students the Federal Government changes to university funding and HECS are threatening women's access to education. Students are also concerned about broader issues, the treatment of refugees, war, racism and sexism.

Jean Taylor talked of the importance of celebrating the creative achievements of lesbians. Terrible things are happening, war, discrimination and injustice. This makes it even more important to celebrate achievement. In particular to celebrate the creative achievements of lesbians. In Melbourne many lesbians are involved in music, plays, performance, comedy and other artforms. Lesbians are at the forefront of every social justice issue. Their contribution must be acknowledged.

Radical Women, Socialist Alliance and Women for Palestine all had stalls at the rally. Socialist Alliance had posters, Are you interested in Feminism and Socialism? and For the Millions not the Millionaires. Alison Thorne at the Radical Women's stall wore the most feminist hat at the rally. Women for Palestine, dressed in white handed out small white flowers. This group are an organisation that raises awareness around the world about the suffering of people in Palestine. 37 years of occupation have caused terrible problems. Women carry the burden of supporting families as many men are killed or in jail. They are raising children who are without hope, without a future.

The crowd increased and by the time the rally moved off down Swanston St there were about 200 people. Some women waved red flags and others suffragette flags of purple, green and white. Chanting, "Not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate' and 'what-ever we wear, where-ever we go, yes means yes and no means no", we marched down Swanston St to stop outside Nike to hear more speakers.

Rei Haria spoke of the role of the USA in destabilising democratic governments in Haiti and Venesuala. The democratically elected Haitian government has been overthrown by a coup which has French, Canadian and USA support. Marines have landed. The aim is to install in power people more sympathetic to USA interests. These people have links to a previous dictatorship. The women and peace movements must condemn these actions. In the Phillipines there will be a full mobilisation on March 8th by community and unions to fight for an increase in wages and opposing job losses. Reproductive rights is a big issue in the Phillipines where abortion is illegal. Thousands die or loose their health as a result of illegal abortion.

A strong women's movement is necessary. We must look for strategies to rebuild a powerful women's movement. At the World Social Forum a women's conference had strong representation from southern women. Their message is we must ground our feminism in grass roots issues. We must make sure women's issues are raised. Two main points, first, there needs to be unity between the women's movement and other progressive social movements, anti war, environment and labour. The union movement needs to do more than establish women's committees. It must take up, and act on, issues important to women. The second point is we must not collapse feminism into issues of diversity and identity. We need solidarity and common concerns. Class issues are critical to woment in the South. We need to ground our feminism, talk strategy and rebuild the womens movement, a women's movement that works in solidarity with other movements.

The next speaker was Linda Waldron, a Socialist Alliance candidate for the coming election. 100 years after women got the vote and fifty years after equal pay women are still demanding freedom from oppression and exploitation. We are outside Nike which with Addidas and other manufacturers is condemned in a recent Oxfam report for using of using ruthless tactics and denying women working in the industry decent working conditions and a fair wage. Whether you are a professional women, a single mother or an unemployed woman, in the 21st century you still don't have equal rights. Women still carry most of the burden of care for children, aged and disabled. Meanwhile the Federal Government diverted funds for campaigns against domestic violence into anti terrorist phamphlets and fridge magnets. Women are imprisoned as illegal arrivals or sold into sexual and domestic slavery. Our current social system creates hopelessness and despair. There is little difference in the policies of Howard and Latham. Socialist Alliance is standing candidates in the Federal Election. Parliament is not about democracy. 80% of Australians opposed the GST. Thousands marched for peace. They were ignored. Vote for Socialist Alliance. Vote for a different society. Demand democracy and human rights. A world without exploitation and oppression. Together we can change the world.

After these speakers the rally proceeded down Bourke St Mall to stop again outside the Post Office. As I left to take a cranky child home, another speaker was addressing the crowd. It was a lovely day to celebrate International Womens Day. The speakers were interesting and the crowd enthusiastic. It was sad that so few people turned up. There are a lot more than 200 feminists in Melbourne. Where were the unions that represent so many women workers, the manufacturing unions, the nurses, the teachers, and the public service unions? Where were the women's organisations? The challenge for the IWD Collective [and for other women as well] is to ask why so few people are coming and look to ways of involving more women and more women's organisations in the IWD march in 2005.

Echidna

My apologies if I did not include your banner, stall, issue or contribution to the Women's Day March or if I misspelt your name. Leave a comment below for corrections.