_Women's Eco Movement
__ Melbourne, Australia
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WHO WE ARE
On the 31st March 2009 - the centenary of women winning the vote in Victoria - Zelda D'Aprano suggested we form an organisation that would:
- enable women to communicate their ecological concerns and actions with each other, and
- provide women a means to organize.
Subsequently a meeting was organized, and at the first meeting Women's Eco Movement was born.
Excerpts from the talk Zelda gave to 130 women who were at the Welsh Church Hall, 320 LaTrobe Street, Melbourne, to launch Women's Web's new book Women Working Together.
Zelda D’Aprano Hon. D.L.
Zelda speaking at Women Working Together book launch 2009
Photograph taken by Jean McConnachieHere I am again to celebrate the launch of a wonderful book which records the numerous thoughts and actions of hundreds of women. What more could you ask for when wanting to research or just learn from a concise report of our past? Thank you, Geraldine, for this mighty effort.
How I feel a sense of joy when coming together with intelligent, active, women. It takes me back to the early years of the Women’s Action Committee, and following on to the Women’s Liberation Movement. What could be better? The optimism, the belief in our own strength, the ideals of developing a more healthy and fulfilling society, and daring to participate in activities highlighting our demands.
Our early campaigns brought us to understand what we were up against and we became aware of the power of patriarchy and were undaunted. Although many women were initially abashed at our effrontery, they very soon recognised the reality of our politics and came to understand their own oppression.
The campaign for equal pay succeeded in public servants gaining 80% of the male wage while only 12% of women in the meat industry got equal pay. The majority of women in the work force were not doing the same work as men; hence the poor result of the 1969 equal pay case.
Zelda D'Aprano (right) outside Trades Hall 1969Many laws have been amended since 1969 to improve legal and social equality. The campaign for abortion rights for women gradually improved women’s control over their bodies and lives, and our State Government introduced further improvements early this year. However, already the forces of the Catholic Church are manoeuvring to destroy these benefits, and while claiming not to be feminists, they take affirmative action in standing up for their rights.
Since 1969 we have seen more women accept feminist principles, and while claiming not to be feminists, they take affirmative action in standing up for their rights. It is no longer a rare occasion to see women actively facing the press when campaigning on various issues.
Of course, there is also a flipside. We are constantly witnessing women who are selected by their companies to be apologists to cover up the company’s appalling conduct. This was obvious in the Hardy asbestos case, and the recent dismissal of almost two thousand workers from Pacific Brands. When you see an apologist it is almost always a woman.
The global economy has decimated many of our industries, particularly those employing women, and the majority of women now find themselves working in part time jobs on low salaries, or finding it impossible to obtain full time secure employment …
The Patriarchal Structure
Let’s take a look at just one patriarchal structure - The United Nations Security Council. It has five permanent members – China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the USA. The others are short term.Is it right to assume that the Security Council is the body seeking to maintain peace in the world? That is precisely what I see as the responsibility of the Security Council, and I think most people do likewise. So why do these five nations, who are the greatest manufacturers of armaments – the creators of weapons of mass destruction – sell them to almost any country prepared to pay for them? Even if not directly, they do it through traffickers.
I would have thought that this situation puts each of them into conflicts of interests. So what do we have? Thirty wars currently taking place on our planet, all of them armed on both sides. What sort of Security Council is it? ...
Patriarchy has separated us from our inner survival mechanism and we must reconnect before it is too late.
We could gear up to have next year’s International Women’s Day a world day of women’s united power, in opposition to the political dallying and obfuscation which threatens our survival.
We can organise regular visits to our local politicians.
Perhaps we can initiate a national petition for where we can illustrate our opposition to our government’s pathetic stand on reducing carbon emissions; the destruction of our forests; and for the need to safeguard our precious water and soil.
For too long we have attempted to fix our diseased world with band aids. Now we have to communicate with each other on changing the entire basis on which our society depends.
If we don’t do it, it may be too late. I believe we can do it.
Zelda D'Aprano
Website: Geraldine Robertson Tel: 03 9486 1808
