In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.
The White Ribbon Campaign in Australia is led by more than 1000 White Ribbon Ambassadors. These men are leaders in their careers, sporting code or communities and actively support the White Ribbon Campaign, and encourage other men and boys to become aware and engage in the campaign.
Women also support and expand the campaign through their networks, workplaces and community organisations as White Ribbon Champions, but not all women are happy with the high profile and amount of money channelled into this foundation.
Respect For White Ribbon Day’s Aims, But…
In the Herald Sun online, journalist Nina Funnell gave “10 reasons why I will ignore White Ribbon day” and although I don’t usually read the Herald Sun, her article came up when I Googled ‘White Ribbon.’ One of her points resonated:
” Since its inception White Ribbon has happily leant on the work done by decades of women’s organisations and in private it still attempts to foster positive relationships with feminist organisations.
But in public, it’s a different story. As Clementine Ford writes the White Ribbon Foundation has done this “in order to align itself with a more corporate, mainstream agenda that ignores the hard work done by underfunded women’s health services across the country”.
Look White Ribbon, I get it. You’re trying to impress your corporate dude-bros. All that corporate slick and polish is important to you and feminist organisations don’t really meld with that image you’re going for.
But just don’t expect us damsels to passively sit by and cop this crap.”
We All Stand On The Shoulders of Those Who Came Before…
Left-Wing Ladies
The Union of Australian Women in Victoria, 1950 – 2012 (2nd edition)
2nd Edition Published 2012 by UAW Ross House, Flinders Lane, Melbourne
This book sheds light on the policies and practices of Australian governments, political parties, trade unions, security and intelligence organisations, the Churches and the women’s movement. It has relevance for anyone interested in the politics of the Left, women’s issues and feminism, the peace movement – and how to organise at a grassroots level.
Last year, the Union of Australian Women was 65 years old. President Anne Sgro visited the Southern Branch in Mordialloc, to revisit UAW history by referencing the above book and reminding us why it is important we remain resolute in the fight for social justice.
To paraphrase Paul Keating, we continue to be ordinary women achieving extraordinary things!
Anne reminded us we need to celebrate and acknowledge our aims of peace, social justice, gender equity and a fair go for women. Aims still as relevant today, if not more so, than when the foundation members began the organisation.
The fight to redress and reduce family violence very much a case in point!
In 1950, communities were recovering from WW2. Women needed equal pay and better housing. Change needed – and women knew what they wanted.
Those women would be amazed we still only earn 82% of the male wage!
The equal pay campaign – equal pay for work of equal value still to be won. Some occupations like teachers better placed than others, but areas considered traditionally women’s work still lacks value. A car park attendant can earn more than a childcare worker. Pay equity still a necessity, despite huge advances basic demands still to be achieved.
The founding women were from the Communist Party, the ALP and Christians from churches working for peace and social justice. The first UAW President, Aileen Dickie, a devout Christian, courageous and tenacious working for change.
Ordinary women with progressive values looking at ways to make change happen. They organised and attended international conferences, forums and community meetings. They challenged a conservative Australia with those in power pushing the message women must go back to the kitchen, housework and home. John Howard’s white picket fence.
Many of the women who initiated radical change came from the southern area – the south-eastern suburbs: Betty Olle, Molly Hadfield, Dot Young, Nola Barber, Eileen Cappocci…
Over 15-20 years these women trail blazed, fundraised, and lobbied – councils, state and federal governments, corporations and individuals. They understood practicalities and can take the credit for establishing 13 kindergartens, several libraries, countless bus routes, and the election of female councillors and mayors.
Zelda Soprano chained herself to railings, Yvonne Smith and Betty Olle also – drawing attention to UAW demands and ideals. Yvonne Smith achieved remarkable advances in the health field by setting up the DES Society for women affected by the morning sickness pill (Diethylstilbestrol), which led to their children being born ill.
The Nothing on A Plate exhibition illustrates what some in sensible shoes, hats and sturdy constitution can do! The well-known tram ride, where the activists paid 75% of the fare garnered great publicity, getting the population onside for the push for equal pay.
The campaigns to expose how drinking in Women’s Lounges in hotels cost more and for women to be allowed to drink where they wanted saw a lot of women chaining themselves to bar stools. It was about the principle of equal access and cost.
The equal pay campaign usually carried out at demonstrations with placards, hiccupped during the Vietnam War years because of a ban on placards. However, innovative UAW activists put slogans on aprons and walked single file or in pairs on the pavement – just not in bunches!
The Kennett years saw an expansion of these crocodile marches – making a fuss in small groups: single file, aprons plus a megaphone, stopping in a key area so that 20 activists looked and sounded more like 100!
The Grandmothers Against Detention have adopted similar tactics to ensure they take over the footpath. Aprons in the 60s, placards in the 90s, and direct action still today as UAW activists use their voices to make a difference.
The UAW wrote submissions for the Arbitration Commission on behalf of women workers in the sweatshop industry, lobbied for affordable, decent, public housing in the post-war era.
It seems like déjà vu with a lot of these issues, but passion hasn’t lessened. Methods of action and of organising have changed. The UAW has kept up with digital technology and social media, recognising young women activists operate differently today.
However, the UAW are effective at putting in submissions and had their say at the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
The UAW has always opposed family violence even although in the 50s and 60s no one talked about it.
They established friendships and relationships with Women’s Liberation in Victoria and supported the movement setting up Women’s Refuges in the 70s. Anne Summers piece in the book, Fury: Women Write About Sex, Power and Violence edited by Samantha Trenoweth explains the setting up of Elsie, the first women’s refuge in Sydney and is a sobering read.
The UAW is proud of the long-standing campaign to free Heather Osland, who spent 14 and 1/2 years in gaol for the murder of her violent husband when it was her son who actually committed the killing.
Anne reflected on how Dot Young spoke at a UAW forum and said, ‘when I was 19 and had a small baby, I shot my father.’ Dot’s father had been a violent abusive drunk and she was protecting her mother, herself and her baby.
Family violence does not only affect women but the majority of perpetrators are male. Women suffer at the hands of abusive men with on average 2 women a week killed in Australia!
The opportunity presented by the Royal Commission must not be wasted. If these deaths were attributed to terrorism there’d be a public outcry for action; it would be classified as urgent. Ex-police commissioners, Christine Nixon and Simon Overland introduced some good initiatives and Ken Lay has continued their work but so much more needs to be done.
What is wrong with our society that this violence against women and children continues? Not only men must soul search and change.
We need gender equity, society must value women and the work they do, their nurturing and caring roles as well as other contributions. Men are still seen as the breadwinner, blokes considered more important therefore disparity continues.
Men wouldn’t punch their workmates and get away with it, yet they are violent at home.
When Germaine Greer wrote the groundbreaking Female Eunuch in 1970 she said, we don’t want what blokes want, for us the gender equity recognition is about something different.
Maybe we need to try different approaches to deal with violent men. In Glasgow, they are immediately taken into custody for 24 hours, and there are programs in schools to change attitudes and behaviour. Maybe we should look at making men responsible with compulsory stints in prison.
We have to continue to look at the feminist dream of the 70s and work to create a fairer and more just society.
Wear a white ribbon on November 25, but instead of buying merchandise donate the money instead to an organisation on the front line of family violence because they definitely need it! Here are just a few…
WESNET The Women’s Services Network
Safe Steps (formerly Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service of Victoria)
Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) Forum
Women’s Health in the South East
Up the Creek with a pen ... 
I was able to join the march in the city yesterday as I walked down to Flinders St from the Wheeler Centre. I don’t know about the politics that Nina Funnell was raising, but there was a jolly good crowd and a good representation of groups supporting it.
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As I said, Lisa, her article came up on Google and I was intrigued by her view too, however her comment about those before gave me an opportunity to remind people not only how long we have been struggling with this issue, but many others, like equal pay and gender power imbalance. When I think how hard it was in the 70s to get public recognition of this issue and to get funding from governments for refuges and safe houses I see a huge cultural shift that the problem is out in the open – MP Emma Husar’s gutsy speech in parliament a case in point. I worked at Maroondah Halfway House and we went to the Liberal member Peter Falconer for support, his response was why should the government taxes and people without children pay for services for dysfunctional families! Thank goodness we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, albeit small steps – although I think Dan Andrews Royal Commission was a huge step! For some people, perhaps the worry is always about resources and where it is spent and also how sincere people are in really wanting change and what they’ll do about it. For politicians putting on different coloured ribbons in their lapels is hypocritical while they slash funding to frontline services. I don’t know what else activist women can do – it really is men who have to step up and talk to other men and if White Ribbon encourages this that’s great! The one thing I learned from working in the refuge is violent men come in expensive suits as well as boiler suits! No discrimination there!
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Yup. I’m afraid I think the article is destructive, because it gives people a cop out for not engaging with the issue.
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