International Women's Day Shoalhaven Committee
Sandra Lee started the International Women's Day Collective in 1992 and has been involved ever since.
IWD has grown enormously since 1992 and there has been growing support from the wider community. In the first year there was a march down Junction Street, Nowra, much to the amazement of local people, culminating in speeches and performances in Junction Street Mall.
I love organising events that bring women together to celebrate what they do, which is why I continue my involvement in IWD. My main commitments are to the Meroogal International Women's Day Awards and the Women's Performance night at Tomerong Hall.
The Shoalhaven Women's Health Centre is committed to honouring the dedication and sheer guts and determination displayed by women before us in order to establish the conditions that women of today enjoy - now accepted conditions such as the right to vote, contraception, legislation of abortion, equal pay for equal work, child care centres etc. The centre also acknowledges that women must remain ever vigilant in their agitation to improve and safeguard these conditions for the future generations. This is why we support the Shoalhaven International Women's Day Committee and their program of events held every March to celebrate International Women's Day.
Marg McHugh - I like the link with working women of a century ago who struck and marched for their rights. They are an example of the vision and unity needed to make change. I admire how each woman acted alone and together to try and control the social conditions of life.
Being part of the second-wave of feminists I like how we interpreted IWD and introduced an element of celebration to the confrontation.
TopMelissa Hedger - Shoalhaven City Council's Community Worker - Generalist; covering the target groups of Women and Children and Multi-Cultural community, has been involved with the Shoalhaven International Women's day committee since 2003. Council's involvement in International Women's day is to meet Social plan objectives: " To promote opportunities for recreation and socialisation for women", and "to facilitate opportunities for cultural expression, participation and appreciation of women". Melissa also believes it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the issues facing women in our community and a time to reflect on the gains women have made over the years for women's rights and work on the issues still facing women.
"The Shoalhaven International Women's day committee is a group working in partnership, aiming to address the issues facing women in our local community and to celebrate and appreciate the work that women do in all aspects of communuity life".
Judith Reardon - YWCA NSW supports vulnerable people at those critical transitions periods in life when they are more prone to fall through the gaps. We develop skilled & contributing individuals and support their families to create secure & resilient relationships, to build healthy, inclusive communities that are able to thrive. YWCA NSW has supported International Women’s Day events in the Shoalhaven for five years. We are proud to be a part of an event that has its roots in a campaign to improve the lives and conditions of women and to promote the event to young women who will be our future leaders.
Deliah Wright – Shoalhaven Women’s Resource group,Rosa Women’s Refuge,Phillipino women’s group
Helen Watson – Older Women’s network, Amnesty International
TopHistory of International Women's Day
International Women’s Day originated from a public demonstration by women members of the International Garment Worker’s’ Union in New York in 1908, who were demanding changes to their intolerable working conditions.
In Sydney, IWD was first celebrated in 1928 at a rally that called for equal pay for equal work, an eight hour day for shop workers, no piece-work, a based wage for the unemployed and paid annual holidays. Rallies and marches have been held throughout Australia every year since. Some of the major issues on which women continue to campaign include workplace reform, international human rights, poverty, childcare and violence against women.
Green, white and violet were the colours used in 1908 by the women who fought for votes for women in England and have been used ever since.
In Australia in 1902 following Federation the Commonwealth Franchise Act gave women the right to vote and to stand for Federal Parliament. Through the work of the Womanhood Suffrage League, women gained suffrage and began the fi rst significant steps toward equality between men and women. Aboriginal women achieved the right to vote in 1967.
IWD stands for equality between women and men. It is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women and men who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women’s rights.
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