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Women's Day forum ends in chaos

International Women's Day, March 8, was marked by a forum in the Union Hall on submissions being made to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Women's Rights. Poorly advertised and boringly presented, the forum failed to attract much of an audience and confirmed the lack of dynamic leadership in the fight against sexual discrimination. Guest speakers delivered stereotyped speeches which evoked no apparent enthusiasm.

The first speaker, Dorothy Jelicich, MP. outlined the fields which the Select Committee's report would cover. Education, law, commerce, public service and even the armed forces were of relevance in examining the role of women, for in each of these fields there was some form of discrimination to be found. A huge amount of evidence was being brought forward with the intention of producing new legislation from it. However, she said, no amount of legislation was going to change peoples' attitudes. Only education would do that.

Sonja Davies discussed the problems of pre-school care for children. She pointed out that there were about 35—40,000 pre-school children in New Zealand of whom only 2,282 were in childcare centres. If mothers decide that they want to work, then care should be provided for their children, and the responsibility for paying for this lies with the state.

For the Wellington branch of the National Organisation of Women, Mary Sinclair talked about the manner in which the Select Committee has been working. She wondered how many women in New Zealand would have much idea of what was going on in the Select Committee. Though it had been well advertised, many women would not have the time or the freedom from children to write submissions, let alone come to Wellington and present them. The Now wants legislation against any form of discrimination whatsoever.

Kay Goodger outlined the submissions of the Socialist Action League (Sal). She began by probing behind the causes of discrimination. Is it simply male prejudice? Can we eliminate the discrimination simply by changing the laws? The problem was not a superficial one, but was deeply rooted in the subordinate social role played by women which is required by the present social system. The capitalist economy needs a reserve labour force which it can call on or lay off as it needs. Also a section of society has to be available to care for the sick, the young and the aged, since the state took no responsibility for them.

Another reason for the oppression of women lay in the hierarchial structure of the family. It teaches obedience and acceptance of male domination: father is the head of the household. The family unit perpetuates social inequalities and class divisions by passing on its assets or lack of them the next generation.

The Sal's submissions included remarks on equal pay: If some companies will go bankrupt if they introduce equal pay for women, then those companies should be nationalised.

Diane Cary from the Women's National Abortion Action Campaign said that they wanted to remove all restriction on abortion. Women are prevented from having abortions by the same backward attitudes which prevent the sale of contraceptives to those under 16. An estimated six-and-a-half thousand illegal abortions take place each year, and eleven thousand attempts, yet there is still a huge number of unwanted births, half to married women. WOMAAC says that there should be no handicaps placed on women simply because they are women and bear children.

Abortion should be free and paid for by social security. There should no longer be the threat of compulsory sterilisation as now exists, with women who request abortions on medical grounds. Furthermore sex education should be increased, to attack the source of the problem.

Only when there is an opposition to their cause, do these Women's Liberation leaders appear to display any depth of passion. The opposition on Friday came from Dun Mihaka who illustrated his obsession with racism in an emotional and sometimes illogical series of provocations and abuses to the panel.

"I've done a lot of personal study and research into the situation of women throughout the world. Sonja Davies has talked about women in Australia, but made no mention of Aboriginal women.

"Before we get dollarism worked out or sexism worked out, we must get racism worked out."

Kay Goodger replied that there need be no contradiction between liberation movements. She also pointed out that the most oppressed people rarely speak out. A member of the audience clarified Dun's remarks by pointing out that the 'middle-class pakeha's' women's movement is ignoring oppressed Maori women.

"Were any Maori women invited to speak today?"

Sonja Davies then stated that she was part Maori "and proud of it!" to which Dun retorted, "Yes, it's very fashionable to say 'I'm part Maori' or 'I know Maoris' but there are a lot of Judases among Maoris."

Dun's remarks had some validity but he played into the hands of the sexist males in the audiences who used his opposition to express their own antagonism to Women's Liberation by clapping and jeering. Also, his behaviour could only have reinforced the prejudices of any women liberationists present who believe that it is men, and not the social system who are the enemy.

After many attempts failed to intervene in his inexhaustible supply of arguments, the women retaliated and the meeting disbanded with Dun's voice penetrating the hall, "Whities!—middle-class whities!"