WEL celebrated 100 years of the vote for Victorian women at the event "Conversation: Launch", organised by WEL member artist Fern Smith at the Brunswick Town hall on April 12, 2008.
This event presented women's social and political engagement through the insights of artist, composers, League of Women Voters, RMIT University students and Women's Electoral Lobby. The 'conversation' speaks of communication tools that women have used to evoke awareness of women's suffrage and persistent struggle for equity in Victoria. The event was welcomed by Councillor Andrea Sharam and opened by The Honourable Christine Campbell MP. The students have interviewed prominent women such as Mary Owen, Beatrice Faust, Elleni Bereded-Samuel, Angela Clarke, Professor Patricia Grimshaw, Associate Professor Jenny Strauss, Professor Marian Quartly, Gracia Baylor AM, Eleanor Sumner, Ursula Dutkiewicz, Ellen Chandler and Patricia Goble, and presented these women with hand-made limited edition books of the interviews.
We thank the Victorian Government for the grant to celebrate the 100 years of suffrage
Note: 'Persuasive Dissent' will be showing at the Counihan Gallery, sponsored by the Victorian Government in the current Suffrage Centenary Grants with assistance from Moreland City Council.
Paid Maternity Leave is at last on the agenda. In June 2007, WEL, with other women's organisations agreed that an expert committee be set up to implement the policy taking into account those mothers who are self employed or who do not have paid work.
Attachment to the workforce results in long term benefits both for women and their families and also for the economy. Paid Maternity leave allows women time to bond with their infants enhancing positive child development. WEL is also concerned that women have access to super and do not retire to poverty.
Paid Maternity Leave is supported by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner, John von Doussa who told Channel 10 viewers in May 2007 that it is time Australia acted. He said that Australia was out of step with the OECD nations-- Australia and the US are the only countries which do not have compulsory paid maternity leave. Women, he said, in Australia are being punished for having children.
See Discussions on Child Care from WEL members in our Discussion Forum.
WEL Convenor, Kerry Lovering talked with 175 students at Elwood College on the changes in the status of women in Australia over the past 100 years. CLICK here to read a summary of the changes.
On June 6th 2006 WEL Victoria presented the Edna Ryan Award to Liberal Senator Judith Troeth, on behalf of WEL NSW. The award was granted for publicly supporting women's right to choose and their right to take responsibility for managing their own fertility. Four Senators Lyn Allison, Claire Moore, Fiona Nash and Judith Troeth from four different political parties, joined forces on an issue of great importance to women: the successful RU486 debate. CLICK here to see photo of the award ceremony to Senator Judith Troeth and CLICK here to read all about it in the Canberra Times. Edna Ryan was a prominent feminist activist in NSW who died in 1997 at the age of 92 (See her book Two Thirds of a Man, Women and Arbitration in NSW 1902-08, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1984).
Anne Gunter writes about indigenous feminist Lisa Bellear who died recently. CLICK here
See our Issues: Legal Issues page to read all about the Accountability Forum in Melbourne on 27 June 2007.
Recently, there has been progress on removing abortion from the Victorian Crimes Act. See our Issues: Abortion for the details of the report by the Victorian Law Reform Commission tabled in late May 2008.
CLICK to read the MEDIA High Crt Appt.doc about the High Court appointment.
