Tomorrow is the day we commemorate the actions of a group of brave working-class women who protested against dreadful working conditions in the garment industry. It’s also the day we celebrate and think about the gains women have made in areas like income equality and reproductive rights. Of course, there’s still a long way to go for women – especially for women living in nations dominated by extreme schools of thought – but we do have a lot to celebrate. In honour of International Women’s Day (IWD), here’s a video clip of “Oh Bondage, Up Yours” by the legendary English punk band X-Ray Spex. The clip comes from a somewhat interesting documentary called Punk in London. Unsurprisingly, the film is dominated by male artists and male points of view. Thanks heavens for the adorable Poly Styrene.
Spot on, Darlene. We do still have a very long way to go in all areas.
It was reported in the paper yesterday I think, that the disparity between men’s and women’s salaries for the same work is increasing and our reproductive rights are always under siege.
And it’s not just some men’s attitudes that need changing, there are plenty of women who still buy into the bullshit agenda about their own sex, particularly in strongly patriarchal societies.
Jesus Christ, and I didn’t even realise that it was IWD. Thanks for reminding me Darlene.
I love X-Ray Spex. I still have their first album which I bought at the time. People use to tellme I sounded like Poly Styrene, when I sang. I’m not sure if that was a compliment.
So, let’s drink to all great women who came before us and all the beautiful young women still fighting the good fight.
Yes – lets drink to beautiful young women.
Darlene says:
Firstly, happy International Women’s Day for tomorrow. Could you give us a few examples of what you mean by “nations dominated by extreme schools of thought”?
That’s terrible news about the wage gap, Jane, and just unbelievable in this day and age.
It’s hard not to buy into the bullshit agenda, I reckon, but it has to be done.
Ahh, but Fine, Poly was opera trained. I am sure that when they said you sounded like Poly, they meant you were cool, individual and out there. That’s a compliment. The Spex are getting back together for a reunion gig later in the year.
Good on ya, Baz
. Have one for me.
Hi Eliot
Places like Iran and Sudan.
Here’s a link to a page to do with women on Amnesty International’s website:
http://action.amnesty.org.au/svaw
Oh and happy Labour Day for Melburnians for Monday.
And happy Moomba, too.
….and a happy Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harverst Festival.
How appropriate that Julia Gillard will be our Acting Prime Minister for International Women’s Day this year (unless Kev comes back tomorrow… can’t say I’ve checked his itinerary).
Happy International Women’s Day to all (for tomorrow). Here’s to the continued progress of equality between the sexes, and to equal respect for everyone.
Wow X-Ray Specs, blast from the past.
I assume the lack of international men’s day is because men have never suffered.
The way the world’s organised at the moment, every friggin’ day is international men’s day.
If you feel left out yobbo, that’s your problem.
I am very cranky that they don’t have the king and queen of Moomba these days. If you go into City Hall, there is a deliciously tacky picture of Molly Meldrum in his Moomba king attire.
“….and a happy Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harverst Festival.”
Not sure what punk song could be used to celebrate that, Darin.
Andos, well said.
Adrien, it is a blast from the past, and a good one. Poly stands out for her political lyrics. They’ll be joining together in September for a gig.
“I am very cranky that they don’t have the king and queen of Moomba these days. If you go into City Hall,…”
The “town hall” i would suggest Darlene just coz we aren’t an American state, just yet. Sorry to be so picky and have a happy IWD. Great vid btw.
Yobbo, sweetie?
International Men’s Day
Enjoy it this November.
Onya, Yobbo.
The terrible oppression that men have had to endure at the hands of women throughout the ages is really cause for reflection on this day.
Moron
I’ve always wondered how those stats are calculated. I spent some time looking at the 2006 census numbers available on the ABS website, and it appears to me that the difference can be accounted for by hours worked, experience, industry and position. That is they do on average get the same pay for the same work. Of course this opens up the question as to why women aren’t in the high paying positions; I think it’s telling that about 50% of women are only looking for part time work compared to 25% for men. Obviously there is a significant divide in the career ambitions that is contributing to the outcome, and I’d suggest that this is the major driver rather than alleged systemic sexism within the employment system.
It disturbing that some people are worried that it may take a lifetime for cultural changes to flow through into something (a career) that takes a lifetime to achieve. It’s unlikely that there’s any quick-fix to what feminist claim is the result of hundreds of years of patriarchy.
@ Darlene… I’m googling for “disgraceful wine middle aged” but no luck yet.
@ Desipis… I can see that it will take a while to fix, but I don’t think it’s only feminists who believe it’s the result of hundreds of years of patriarchy. Claim is such a loaded word
ahh, but Desipis, I don’t think that it is just a lack of ambition. I was on a hiring panel recently, and they seriously questioned whether we should hire someone, because they had one child and she might want another soon. That is what is meant by systemic sexism. There are a whole heap of assumptions in there. No. 1. That because she has a child, she must be thinking of more, No 2. because she has a baby, she probably won’t stay in the position, and probably more that I can’t think of right now. Why are the women looking for part time work?? Looking after the children, crap child care options, family unfriendly work environments that make it difficult particularly for dad’s to work part time or take family leave. Statistics don’t tell you why people are looking for part time work, they don’t tell you about how guilty you are made to feel if you are a working mother, (but not so much for the working father.)
While many companies and Unis etc are pushing the “Family Friendly” barrow, father friendly companies are few and far between. My present employer is probably the best I’ve seen. You can have two weeks paid paternity leave on the birth, or two months paid leave upon production of proof that the mother has gone back to more than %60 of fulltime work.
It’s rather sad that the HR manager could only mention one person who took the two months. But you get 8 personal days for what ever you want. I used one Wednesday to make tuckshop burgers and laugh when the other people there forgot there was a male present.
marymary, I noticed that none of what you said supported the original claim that women get paid less for the same work.
Based on family size statistics there’s a 3 in 4 chance she’ll have another child, that’s a pretty big risk for a business to take. Should businesses ignore real risk associated with the personal situation of future employees?
Desipis @17, after I made my post, I read a report in today’s paper which makes the same point that you made, ie women’s incomes are 65% of male incomes because of factors such as hours worked etc. However, the 65% was a big shock to me, because it proves things haven’t changed appreciably since I joined the clerical workforce 30-odd years ago.
I joined the Commonwealth Public Service as a clerk, in 1972, after a variety of jobs in private enterprise. At the time, women holding clerical positions in the CPS, and I suspect banks, insurance companies etc, were paid 65% just of the male wage despite performing the same duties.
Fortunately, shortly after I joined, female clerks were finally paid at the same rate as their male counterparts and were actually making some progress up the ladder, despite the misgivings of some diehards.
Doubly fortunate, because only a couple of years previously you had to resign if you got married and wouldn’t be hired if married, a practice in all white collar enterprises at the time. In fact, you could forget any well-paid clerical position if you were married.
And marymary’s comment shows that these Victorian attitudes are still alive and well in the 21st century.
The more things change the more they remain the same, it seems.
You mean, should businesses obey the law? Not doing so is a pretty big risk.
Should they obey a law that only serves to make businesses less willing to hire women in the first place?
For the good of women, they probably shouldn’t.
It’s no secret that many businesses, all other things being equal, will hire a man over a woman of child-bearing age for the very reason that they get completely fucked in the ass if the woman decides to get pregnant.
The bottom line is that it’s not an employer’s responsibility to guarantee you a job in the event you feel like breeding. The individual in question should take responsibility for their own decisions.
Get Up is circulating a petition for equal pay, which also has a thingy where you can calculate the rate of disparity between women’s and men’s pay.
Have a good IWD, comrades.
Incidentally, for those questioning what is being done for men, apart from IMD, there a heaps of men’s support groups around nowadays. And if you didn’t realise it, some of the more sexist of them got a big boost from the Hermit over the past 11 years,, if you didn’t notice. But not those who questioned Howard’s antediluvian assumptions.
Yobbo, it was my business, until the former treasurer exhorted me to have one for me, one for my significant other and one for the country. And being the patriotic citizen that I am…;-)
Happy IWD!
I’m thinking that the only way to find out what the true disparity is between men’s and women’s incomes is to compare wages and salaries for women and men in similar occupations, over the same time period.
What’s really sad is there was a time when I went to every march, attended every IWD function AND organised a few of my own.
These days in 2008 I’m so busy with children the day can come and go without me even realising. Shit! I feel like I should hand in my “Women Need Men Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle” badge in disgrace.
My apologies, sisters. I promise to be a better feminist in 2009…
Yobbo, can you say “counter-intuitive”? I work in a small-to-medium business of just over 30 staff, and there have been many instances of maternity leave. In all cases the employer would have been horrified to lose the staff member and in all cases those people performed above the average after returning. Businesses employing low-skilled staff with less of a weight given to business knowledge might be more cavalier, but then those employers have a higher turnover of both genders.
“…for the very reason that they get completely fucked in the ass if the woman decides to get pregnant.”
No Yobbo. What happens is when a daddy bird and a mummy bird love each other very much, then they take their…oh fuck it, would you like me to recommend some informative, colourful and startlingly frank web sites?
That badge won’t be accepted. I don’t even think there was a march in Melbourne this year, Lynda, and I suspect it’s because women are too busy living their lives. It’s kind of a victory in a way, although it’s also a bit of a shame.
Darlene, Linds,
While what you say is almost certainly true, we still need Reclaim the Night Marches. The battle goes on.
Meant Linda. Lettering on my keyboard has rubbed off and have to resort to memory and shonky touch-typing.
Linds sounds like a cool nickname anyway, Paul.
The battle does go on. At times, it is difficult to ascertain what feminists think the battle is anymore.
Jim Schembri from The Age wondered recently why feminists weren’t out protesting against a particularly nasty film. And it’s a fair thing to wonder about. Current obsessions with whether porn can be feminist or not or whether women are actually being subversive when they dress like strippers seem to be taking attention off some real concrete issues. Those issues related to sexuality are important, but why aren’t we still out there protesting about wage gaps etc (probably answered my own question earlier by saying women are too busy)?