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WONDER WOMEN |
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Name: |
Rebecca Bartel |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
• Convenor Childcare Access City of Port Phillip (CAPPs)
• Managing Director (Ceutica Medical Communications)
• Proud Mum of Joss (9 months old) |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
At this very moment, lack of access to childcare is our key focus.
This year alone it is estimated:
• 174,500 children across Australia will not have access to childcare
• 13,000 babies in Victoria will not be able to access childcare
• 1,600 babies in our local area will be without childcare
This childcare crisis limits choice and opportunity.
It directly restricts women’s re-entry into the workplace, affects workforce supply, causes financial constraints and community alienation. Most families suffer this in silence. |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
We are lobbying all levels of Government to find solutions to this National crisis and get new community and commercial childcare places opened immediately. At the Federal level, Australia requires:
• Capital funding for new childcare places
• Extension of long day care incentives to accommodate all “areas of need”
• Review the childcare rebate and extend to parents who are unable to access childcare
• Change the financial model of family day care
• Acknowledgement that the market does not fix everything (including access to affordable childcare)
We are also asking the government to create a national registry of families waiting for childcare so informed decisions about childcare services can be made. |
What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
1. No written law has ever been more binding than the unspoken or unwritten custom supported by popular opinion - Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947)
2. Prepare your daughter for working life. Give her less pocket money than your son. - Equal Opportunity Commission (VIC) Advertisement |
What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women? |
Be proud to be a feminist. Feminism is really a fight for choice, justice and humanism.
It’s about treating women as human beings.
Read the vast array of literature and opinions within the feminist movement - some will surprise you. |
How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
Now I am a mum, I’m even less tolerant of this attitude (and more keen to act!).
You have to tackle these attitudes immediately and directly. |
Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
My mothers group! |
How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
Far from equal – Any achievements made in terms of equity for many groups continue to be eroded in this country. |
Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
Can women’s equality be provided as a 30% rebate?!
There is a lot to fight for. We’ll need to find solutions outside the mainstream political parties. |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated.
Nominate a ‘Wonder Woman’ you would like to see profiled here. Send an email to Jo at womensrightswatch@democrats.org.au
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WONDER WOMEN |
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Name: |
Nicky Jones |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
No particular role, apart from membership of various women’s and issue-based rights organisations. |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
This is a difficult question to answer… The main issue preoccupying many young women at the moment, certainly those in the workplace, is how to balance the requirements of work & children/families, as well as the lack of childcare places and funding.
It’s also important to get men involved in the debate so that it’s not just considered to be a women’s problem, which it often is at the moment – after all, men have families too.
Then there are issues such as the ongoing problem of unequal wages; lack of stability and superannuation for women in part-time jobs; employment discrimination faced by older women; the greater emphasis in our community on women’s appearance rather than on competence, and many other difficulties which are constantly facing women in everyday life. |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
Apart from doing what I can in my private life, I am involved in a number of community groups which are concerned with women’s rights and with raising awareness in politics and in the community of issues such as those mentioned above. |
What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
No particular advice, but I have frequently been inspired by older women role models who continue to work for women’s equal rights: my mum (who has been political all my life), Dale Spender, Germaine Greer, Mary Robinson, Quentin Bryce, the late Janine Haines, Jackie Huggins…there are so many and their strength, determination, warmth and good humour (and yes, also their sarcasm) are an inspiration for me to keep working for more and better opportunities for all women everywhere. |
What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women? |
Don’t take any gains towards women’s equality for granted – remember the generations of women who have worked hard for small wins and incremental improvements in the economic, social, civil and political status of women.
Also, it’s important to remember that women’s rights can mean different things to women in other communities and countries, as opposed to what we understand it to mean in Australia. |
How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
Depending on how these attitudes are expressed, I think it’s generally best to respond directly and with humour if you can, although unfortunately, I tend to get a little too angry a little too quickly. |
Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
The relevant state and federal Offices for the Status of Women, as well as organisations such as the Women’s Electoral Lobby, UNIFEM, and community/women’s groups. |
How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
Unfortunately, still far from equal. |
Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
I think the situation for women will continue to improve, but I think it will be slow and will require constant and combined efforts from women, men, governments and the media – which is a big ask! |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated.
Nominate a ‘Wonder Woman’ you would like to see profiled here. Send an email to Jo at womensrightswatch@democrats.org.au
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WONDER WOMEN |
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Name: |
Dr Nouria Salehi |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
Afghan Australian Volunteers Association has been established to provide aid in education and health to the Afghans, especially women and their children. |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
Giving them a voice which enables them to defend their rights in a war torn country in Afghanistan. |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
I believe in “involve me I understand”. Being an Afghan Australian, helped me understand the condition of life and miseries in the refugee camps in other countries and also inside Afghanistan during the war and today. |
What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
Be Patient, do more for people who need your help, be active if you can and see the result. ”my mother’s advise”
Encouragement, from Senator Lyn Allison, Margaret Piper and Pamela Bone. |
What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women? |
Asking for their rights is not enough, feel responsible for the wellbeing of others. |
How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
I try to stay calm and prepare myself for a positive action instead of negative reaction. |
Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
I use the internet and websites. |
How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
If we work hard as we do today and without any sabotage, we will approach the gap soon. |
Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
In Politics, Education, Health and Business. |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated.
Nominate a ‘Wonder Woman’ you would like to see profiled here. Send an email to Kellie at womensrightswatch@democrats.org.au
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WONDER WOMAN |
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Name: |
Marina Castellanos (born in El Salvador) |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
Currently working as volunteer with the Latin American Community helping people on different areas: older people, community housing, advocacy, counselling and education. |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
Violence against women which is a cross-cultural issue. Women need to increase their awareness how patriarchal systems have oppressed them through history. |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
I take advantage of any opportunity to increase awareness on this issue when I work with groups and individuals. I include men also in my approach. I believe men need to increase their awareness also how oppressive social systems encourage them to perpetuate violence. It is not easy task. |
What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
Solidarity to continue the struggle against all forms of violence against women and children. They were many women in my country of origin who inspirited me. Some of them were killed in the struggle to see our country free of oppression. My mother was my greater inspiration for her courage and solidarity with the most in need.
In Australia I admire Sisters De Lourdes Jarrett, Genevieve Caffery and Joan Paul for the great work they do supporting migrants and refugees mainly women and children. Perhaps their names are not well known. I thank all of them for being my inspiration. |
What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women? |
To value themselves and support one another in order to become stronger in the struggle ...together we can conquer the world. |
How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
At the beginning I was a little angry. But I have learnt to be wiser when I respond. Well I am my sixties now, men listen to me. |
Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
I search your web site of course. I search Latin American Women web sites too. |
How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
I think it is still a long way to achieve equality. I never loose hope that future generations will live in a world where justice will prevail. Women’s struggle continues for a better world. |
Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
Politics, industry, work place, education, health and importantly at home. |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated. |
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WONDER WOMAN |
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Name: |
Dr Susie Allanson |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
Clinical Psychologist, Fertility Control Clinic & Private Practice. |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
Women’s reproductive rights especially the right to access safe, timely, affordable abortion without harassment by anti-choice protesters, and without suffering societal stigma.
Related issues of concern are: violence against women; education about, and access to, sexual health/contraception and relationship assertiveness; ensuring support for parenting (e.g. a wide range of child care options with occupational, financial, health and social supports) |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
As a clinician I assist women, children and families deal with life’s challenges. Within a multi-disciplinary team at the Fertility Control Clinic, we provide women with respect, validation, information and health care to address their reproductive needs in a truly woman-centred way. To try to make changes in the broader environment, I have become involved in advocacy - submissions to government, speaking to media, lobbying parliamentarians, joining with like-minded people…. I am most concerned about the influence of the religious right and “right to life” (i.e. anti-choice) tactics which include harassing women and their families on the footpath outside the clinic, and receiving federal government funding to provide anti-choice “counselling” to pregnant women. I also regularly teach and supervise students and other professionals, and place great importance on research, although I have only been able to undertake a small portion of my long list of topics/questions. My advocacy also includes a book, Murder On His Mind, to be released in July 2006 coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the shooting death of our security guard.
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What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
It may be strange that a man can be the inspiration for women’s rights. Although Dr Bertram Wainer died before I began working at the Fertility Control Clinic, his legacy surrounds our work every day, and I have been privy to many stories about Bert told to me by colleagues. The recent film about Bert’s life is a shocking and wonderful reminder of his dedication and courage in the face of stigma, corruption and threats to his life, so that he could ensure that no woman would ever need to endure a backyard abortion again. Unfortunately, in other parts of the world, reproductive deaths by backyard abortion are common place. |
What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women?
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Be a scholar of feminism and history, be alert to sexism by replacing the male with the female and vice versa, value yourself, learn to be assertive and use all this to live your personal life and improve the broader social status of women. |
How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
Anger. Then try and channel that anger into something constructive. |
Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
My tools of trade have always been professional journals and books, but the media provides various examples – often quite depressing ones, and the internet provides data from highly reputable sources (e.g. Aust Bureau of Stats) but also includes nonsense for the unwary. |
How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
Far from equal |
Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
Women’s equality depends on evolving roles of women and men where we embrace individuals’ differences, no matter what their gender, we stop tolerating abusive, sexist and inhumane behaviour just because it calls itself “religious”, and we value our children. |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated. |
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WONDER WOMAN |
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Name: |
Your name Caroline de Costa |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology James Cook University School of Medicine Cairns |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
Improving women’s health and helping them make their own decisions about their health |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
In the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology and the teaching of medical students to become the doctors of the next generation |
What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
As a young woman I was very much inspired by Betty Friedan who not only spoke out but took practical steps such as founding NOW in the US. |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated. |
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WONDER WOMAN |
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Name: |
Eloise Maglizza |
Role and organisation (if applicable): |
I have two roles as follows:
1) Domestic Violence Advocacy Worker with the Multicultural Women’s Advocacy Service (MWAS), which is a domestic violence advocacy and support program for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CaLD) at Women’s Health Services (WHS).
My role involves providing advocacy, support, information, referral and counselling to women from CaLD experiencing domestic violence.
2) Ethnic Liaison Officer at WHS
My role in this position involves liaising with community groups on health information and issues.
WHS is based in Perth, Western Australia |
What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
I would say advocacy would be our main area of work. The most important issues are to provide accurate and relevant information and assistance to women, from CaLD backgrounds, especially in domestic violence situations. Also to assist them with accommodation and in dealing with immigration issues (especially for women on spousal visa). |
How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
I am at the coal face when women are referred to me by various organisations and agencies, including individuals. I assess their particular circumstances and provide information and options that may be relevant to their case. The final decision is theirs – I am there to support them. |
What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
I have been working in this area for over 29 years and over this period of time many people and incidents have inspired me in my work. I cannot name one particular person or episode. However, I would like to mention here that the women’s movement in Perth during the mid-70s and early 80s have been inspirational and influential in my personal and professional life, as well as many of the women I have worked in the past and am working/associated with now. |
What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women? |
To reach for the sky - always believe in yourself and believe that you have the right to pursue whatever you want to in life. |
How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
It saddens me to think that such attitudes still exist in our society today and how much ignorance there still is in the world today. |
Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
In publications, libraries, internet etc. |
How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
Equality for me would depend on the equity and status of women e.g a professional woman compared to someone who does menial work; or who has a disability. Their state of equality will depend on their position. |
Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
I would like to see equality of women at home, at the workplace and in society. Especially, I would like to see financial equality as being a major factor. |
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative of the Australian Democrats to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated. |
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