Over
300 people took part in the Brisbane/Meanjin International Women's
Day rally and march at Emma Miller Place on March 10.
According
to the information provided by the rally Working Group and rally
speaker, retired academic Diane Zetlin, Emma Miller Place itself is
of historical significance - for the Aboriginal community, the
feminist movement, the trade union movement and numerous other social
justice struggles, with countless public demonstrations being held
there. It was named after labour and women's movement leader Emma
Miller who famously led women textile workers defying a mounted
police attack on a general strike for union rights in February 1912.
The women charged police lines, defending themselves with the hatpins
they stuck into the horses' rumps. Again the women's liberation
movement faced off against the police, in 1978 defying Joh
Bjelke-Petersen's ban on street marches as they attempted to leave
the site (then known as the Roma St forum).
The
2018 march was led by a group of '78ers - veterans of that rally.
A
range of pressing issues for women were addressed by other rally
speakers. Ros McLennan, secretary of the Queensland Council of
Unions, spoke of the need to address the gender pay gap. She slammed
the federal government and employers for their attacks on penalty
rates, set to get worse when new legislation takes effect in July.
Owing to the concentration of women in low-paying, part-time, casual
and precarious work, the impact of cutting penalty rates will be
disproportionately borne by women.
Yamatji
woman Janine Kelly spoke of the injustices facing Aboriginal women.
She relayed a message from her auntie Carol Roe, Aboriginal elder and
grandmother of a young woman killed by medical neglect in WA's South
Hedland lock-up, calling for justice for Ms Dhu and an end to the
racism that kills Aboriginal people in custody. She played a powerful
song for Ms Dhu by rappers The Cat Empire; a new recording of it is
to be released in the coming week.
Deb
McLoughlin, a '78er from the Women's Abortion Rights Campaign, spoke
passionately for abortion law reform and for access to abortion in
the state's public hospitals. Erin Cameron from Sisters Inside
recounted the marginalisation and discrimination facing incarcerated
women. Griffith University Senior Law Lecturer Zoe Rathus outlined
the difficulties women face in dealing with family law, debunking
myths about women's preferential treatment in custody matters, and
describing the bind women leaving violent relationships can be placed
in: if they try to protect their kids, they may be in violation of
court orders; if they comply with court orders, they'll be treated as
not believable if they subsequently raise the issue of violence. And
Sia Carolyn of the Brisbane Rape and Incest Survivors Support Centre
highlighted the ongoing crisis of violence against women. A
Palestinian woman spoke in solidarity with imprisoned young woman
Ahed Tamimi. A group of Latin American women sang Spanish songs
raising awareness of violence against women, and the Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom performed a piece
commemorating Emma Miller's contribution to the struggle against
conscription.
The
otherwise excellent rally was marred by a small group with
transphobic signs (one of whom had been invited onto the platform as
an entertainer). A large number of rally participants responded by
expressing their support for trans inclusion in various ways. Some
stood near and in front of them, holding signs affirming that trans
women are women; many cheered when speakers expressed support for
trans women's inclusion. On the march, chants were raised in
solidarity with ending transphobia. And when the slated entertainer
took to the platform, many left, some turned their backs, and others
held signs expressing support for trans women.
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