‘I am Woman, Hear me Roar…’

Sunday March 8th celebrates International Women’s Day and if I was asked to make a comment, I’d have to give the stock politician’s response: ‘As a man, I couldn’t possibly comment…but what I can say is…’

However, I’ve asked four women who live close to me to comment instead and here you can hear them roar.

JANINE McGinnes-Whyte

Writing, singing, music, art, social justice and environment issues have been of central interest throughout my life; but every few years the focus shifts slightly or opportunities arise which take me down another road. I continue to write short stories, songs and poetry, but have also formed a community singing group through the local neighbourhood house. As a side-project, I’m rehearsing with a 3 piece band, featuring original work, which is both challenging and fun. The ocean remains an inspiration and I become frustrated by the plethora of disposable materials that our society generates; consequently I also have a passion for recycling, including vintage fashion.

Although Australian women are being represented within the murky world of politics, I believe we still have a long way to go. Not just with equal wages, but also equal respect. Disrespectful attitudes are at their most disappointing when coming from other women; criticisms in relation to attire or appearance serve no purpose and are noxious barbs.

It’s a brave woman that makes any form of political foray, but this is my impression of the modern Australian woman – we are gutsy and determined.

ROSE Hodge

I am in my 11th year as a Councillor for the Surf Coast Shire and still find it as challenging, diverse and rewarding as year one and I just finished my second term as Mayor. I have also held for eight years a position on the Board of Gateways (which specialises in support for people with disabilities). Gateways helped me greatly when my son was diagnosed autism many years ago, it’s great to try and give back to a wonderful organisation. Torquay Community Enterprise is another board position I hold, which with the Bendigo Bank gives grants to local community groups.
I juggle this with being a partner to my husband’s bricklaying business and trying to keep house for three adult sons. I live in in a fabulous community and have been in the Jan Juc/Torquay area since the 1960s.

In a political sense in 2010 I was heartened to see Australia’s first Female Prime Minister Julia Gillard sworn in by Australia’s first female Attorney General Quentin Bryce. That was a special moment remembering the suffragettes had fought so hard for the right to vote a hundred years earlier. It was a great moment for equality and for women’s political standing in modern Australia, holding the two most powerful positions in our country.
However, the following years have not been so kind in the political world but Julia Gillard held her dignity just as Gillian Trigg has done recently in the face of destructive criticisms of their performance. That shows strength and pride to the next woman in those positions.
Women are not equally represented in decision making in all forms of Government, but with all the negativity I think women are striving diligently and bravely in the political sense and more are aware and listening and calling unfair behaviour or just plain bullying and that is a good sign. Women are made of strength and dignity in our political world. Surf Coast has a majority of women on Council; the “Sisterhood” is alive’!!

RENÉE Otmar

Over the past year or so I have been at the forefront in the establishment of a new academic health science centre, Western Alliance (www.westernalliance.org.au). This is an alliance of a university with the 13 major health service providers in western Victoria, to improve the impact, quality and quantity of research in our region. In essence, we are working to elevate and support those who are conducting research of value to regional communities, and to nurture clinicians who aspire to do so.

In my role as a book editor over about 25 years, perhaps the most interesting and rewarding aspect of the job has been to assist authors to bring their best work into the world. Regardless of whether I was offering advice to restructure a manuscript, rewriting text or helping to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s, I wanted to help ‘my’ authors to shine through their writing. I liken this to the job of a jeweller – regardless of the state of the gem, the job is to polish and enhance it so that someone else might wear it with pride. Not surprisingly, this skill is proving to be tremendously useful in my role of supporting researchers.

The role of women in society traditionally has been, for the most part, one of nurturer. We have been taught to think of our dreams and ambitions as secondary to the success of the males in our lives and in society. And there is no doubt we have excelled in this role. Just take a look at the wealth, status and power of men around the world – these were achieved, directly and indirectly, by standing on the backs of women and girls, and to our detriment.

There is no doubt that we have come a long way in westernised societies over the past several decades: millions of women now enjoy the benefits of universal suffrage, gender-appropriate health care and economic participation. But for every one of us there is another elsewhere in the world who continues to be oppressed and abused simply because she was born female. Australian women are cognisant of this fact, and collectively we are working to improve conditions for our sisters, albeit slowly and incrementally. We may not speak with one voice, but the message is clear: when women are empowered, we are all better off.

LAURA Connor

Currently in the community I am Co-ordinating the local Community House, something I have done for the last 13 years.
I am also the Chairperson of the Torquay Community Enterprise, a member of Torquay Food Aid Committee, a member of the Barwon Network of Neighbourhood Houses Executive committee and just recently I have become the Chairperson of the Surf Coast Rural Australians for Refugees as well as a member of The Surf Coast Grand Mothers against the detention of Refugee Children.
I am currently enjoying Italian and Tai Chi classes with the U3A.
All of that keeps me in or out of trouble whichever way you look at it and beach walking with my friend Maree keeps me sane.
It is an unusual time for Woman in today’s society, a time of ambiguity and moral contradictions, emphasised by strong social pressures.
Sometimes, I feel as Woman we are going backwards not forwards in terms of equality.
In our privileged society Woman are perhaps becoming complacent about their rights and most certainly the rights of sisters in less fortunate countries and the disadvantaged in our own country, particularly our indigenous sisters.

Take International Women’s Day for example, many woman this year are celebrating by having High Teas, Cocktail parties (some in Men’s only Clubs) our own Surf coast Shire chose to celebrate at a 200 year old Bridal Exhibition.

My concerns is that we need to come together to continue the fight for equality of all Woman, to pay homage to our for-bearers, the Suffragettes who fought long and hard without the ease of email or mobile phones to win us the right to vote.

Woman’s vote was only a little over one hundred years ago, even shorter for our indigenous sisters.

International Woman’s Day to me is a day for women all over the world to come together to celebrate their achievements, acknowledging the continued suffering of many women in our struggle to gain equal rights and freedom, lives free from persecution and violence.

Each and every woman I know has a story to tell, one of great strength, fortitude and compromise and those stories tell of further stories to share and pass on to the next generations.

There are many inspirational young women like Malala and a young local woman Kristi who established Offspring, an organisation committed to restoring woman who have been rescued from being trafficked in the sex trade. However we cannot and must not become complacent in our fight for equality& respect in the world.

We can no longer tolerate situations such as the accepted national abuse our first woman Prime Minster, Julia Gillard and most recently the disrespect shown to Gillian Triggs, the Human Rights Commissioner.
As woman of today we need to work together to improve our lives and the lives of the next generation, insuring a better way for our Daughters’ Daughters.