ARRRRRGH

There's some interesting - and worrying - news regarding employment for women in Christchurch in the aftermath of the earthquake:

...research showed female employees were hit hardest by job losses after the February 22 earthquake.
A Ministry of Women's Affairs study found women accounted for 70 per cent of job losses in the city. Women made up 90 per cent of the 12,600 jobs lost in the retail and accommodation industries.
Meanwhile, just one in 10 of the 4500 construction jobs created in Christchurch last year were filled by women

Why this this interesting and worrying? Because of the effect on women? Because women are under-represented in growing industries? Because it may indicate that women are being discriminated against when it come to dismissals?

Ahaha no. No.  It's because it's leading to a woman drought, silly.

A FUCKING WOMAN DROUGHT.

Oh, but wait, there's more. Not only are there less women for men to choose from, the quality of them has diminished, because women from university age to thirties are the first to leave. Not only that, "the girls stopped making as much effort with their appearance. They obviously didn't have to try as hard."

So nice to know we've got our priorities sorted.

Wgtn Public Meeting & Fundraiser - After the quake: community responses in Christchurch

Public Meeting
7pm, Friday April 8th
Upstairs @ Thistle Hall (cnr Cuba and Arthur Streets), Wellington
Entry by koha

Following the devastating earthquake in Christchurch on February 22nd, a number of organisations sprung into action to help organise and coordinate support within the community. In many parts of Christchurch, aid and communication from Government and large NGOs was virtually non-existent for some time after the quake, and it was left up to pre-existing organisations, neighbours, families and friendship networks to ensure that people were able to access the resources and information they needed.

3 speakers will be talking about some of the work that went on in the period immediately after the earthquake, and on some of the challenges facing Christchurch residents over the coming months.

Allister Dietschin from Beyond Resistance will talk about the work that his group was involved with in the Linwood and Avonside suburbs, providing food, water and gas to hard-hit communities. He will also talk about likely challenges that working class communities will face during the rebuilding phase.

Matt Jones from Unite Union will discuss the situation for workers in Christchurch. After the earthquake in September, Unite organised protests to pressure employers who were refusing to pay workers. Now, many thousands of people are out of work in Christchurch (some temporarily, others permanently) and Matt will talk about the issues they face.

Ros Houghton from Women's Refuge will explain some of the challenges faced by Women's Refuge in Christchurch after the earthquake, in which much of their local resources were destroyed. She will talk about the work that Refuge is doing to support women and children who have affected by sharp increase in domestic violence since the earthquake.

There will be a raffle with prizes and cake for sale so please bring money to donate.

All funds raised will be split 50/50 between the Christchurch Women's Refuge Earthquake Appeal and Beyond Resistance, whose callouts for funds were the driving force behind the organising of this meeting.

The venue is BYO so feel free to bring a drink for yourself, but please respect the speakers

books & television

yesterday i went to the launch of nz book month. i managed to get an invite because, out of the blue, i was asked by them to write about a book that had "changed my life", which i duly did. it was a lovely event, hosted by tvnz7, with a debate featuring c k stead, emily perkins, finlay macdonald, steve braunias, and a couple of other people whose names escape me just now. it was a pretty good debate on whether nz books deserved "special treatment". i'll leave you to watch "the good word" to see how it went.

i always feel a little anxious about events like this, because i'm not sure that i'll know anyone there and am always afraid that i'll be standing in a corner alone looking sad and friendless. but i was lucky enough to come across some cool labour peeps, who kept me entertained (especially you, david parker!). i also got stopped by the lovely jolisa gracewood, who recognised me even though we'd never met. it was really nice chatting to her, and i also got the chance to pester david slack to start writing again, which he took with customary good grace.

but it would be fair to say that the tvnz people there were worried about the government decision to stop funding channel 7. a decision that hasn't been publicly announced anywhere that i'm aware of, nor has it been put up for public discussion. just done quietly at about the time that civil defence in christchurch were announcing that the rescue operation had moved into recovery phase. a time at which we were all filled with sadness and sympathy for those families who had been hoping against hope for any chance of survivors.

i can't understand this decision. at a time when the country is again in recession, it surely can't help to cut more jobs. since the actual money saved won't happen until the middle of next year, and since that spending could easily be covered by an earthquake levy, and since (in relative terms) it's not a whole lot of money anyway, the decision can only be ideological. it is also destructive, and leaves maori television as the only properly funded public service television channel.

i feel for all the people who are involved in providing us with excellent programming, and i'm angry that these choices are being taken away from us without any chance for us to have a say.

refugee city

i wanted to share this link (hat tip to maia) about the three cities that christchurch has now become:

REFUGEE CITY is the rest of Christchurch -- mainly the eastern suburbs, though there are pockets elsewhere. It includes perhaps 50,000 to 100,000 people, though a more-mobile chunk of them may have self-evacuated by now.

Only half of those who remain in Refugee City have power, and almost NONE have running water. Many have been living on their own resources, and their neighbours', for over a week now.

That means that batteries have run down, gas (if they had any to start with) has run out, other supplies are low or gone. Roads are often very bad - and a lot of those from the poorer suburbs have no transport anyway.

Their houses may or may not be intact. Their streets may be clear, broken, or full of silt. Or sewage. There are no showers. Or ways to wash clothes. Or to wash dishes. Or to heat the "must boil" water that is available -- assuming they can make it to the nearest water truck, day after day. No refrigeration. No working toilets, and precious few portaloos. No face masks to defend against the blown silt.

They have no internet either, and usually no phones. And their radio batteries are dead or dying. The papers -- if you can get one -- are rapidly dated, and usually far too general in their coverage. It really doesn't help someone without a car in Aranui to know that Fisher and Paykel are providing free laundries in Kaiapoi!

All the above means the locals have few resources, little information, and no "voice" either. It's remarkably hard to call talkback radio - or your local politician -- or emergency services -- when your landline is out and your cellphone battery is dead. Or when it maybe has JUST enough charge to stay on hold for 5 minutes - but not 20! - when calling the sole government helpline.

The media flies over, drives past and dips into Refugee City, usually at the main welfare or water points. But they don't cover it that much. From my observations, the officials - those who are making decisions about the relief effort - seem to do likewise.

(We saw Opposition Leader Phil Goff the other day - he stopped for a photo op with the Army group who had paused briefly at the cordon. Not that he or they talked to any of the locals waiting amidst they dust they'd stirred up, hoping for a nugget of information.)

Judging from the media coverage to date, the official response in this part of the city sounds reassuring - "Relief Centres" (if you can get to them -- and if it hasn't been relocated to Rangiora), a field hospital (ditto), Army (two drive-bys in the past week), "Operation Suburbs" teams (ditto; and this whole area is not even listed with them), increased police presence thanks to 300 loaned Australians (some sign of them, but not enough). And some worthy and welcome images of food and other supplies being distributed at marae and other central points.

IN THESE POWERLESS SUBURBS, THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE IS FAR FROM ENOUGH. Especially in terms of the fundamentals.

these are the stories we need to be hearing more of. as i said in an earlier post, whoever is covered by the media is who we identify with and who we want to help. at least there is some coverage starting to happen, but not nearly enough.

ETA: i was talking to the chairperson of the waikato refugee forum today, and he had spent the morning at housing nz, trying to get accommodation for around 20 refugee families moving up from christchurch. they told him that they would only assist those refugees who were already housing nz tenants. this isn't good enough. i know that auckland is really starting to get stretched, with quite a number moving up there. there needs to be better co-ordination and support of nationwide services, particularly for those in the lowest socio-economic group.

In lieu of a Friday Feminist

Cross posted

I am heartsore this week, sad about the deaths caused by the earthquake in Christchurch, aware that the weeks and months ahead will be difficult beyond belief for the people living there, regretful about the loss of the beautiful buildings.

In lieu of a Friday Feminist quote, I ask you to spend a moment thinking of the people of Christchurch. I know that most of us have had Christchurch in our minds all week, just as we have been so aware of the slow flooding disaster in Queensland and New South Wales and Victoria. Even so, take a moment.

And then, carry on. People in the eastern states of Australia, people in Christchurch need us to carry on, to keep working, to keep caring and loving, to keep on scrutinising our politicians and our officials. They are depending on us to keep the place running and to support them while they work to get their lives, their homes, their communities, back together again.

Each time I have seen photos of the toppled spire of Canterbury Cathedral this week, I have thought of a plaque I saw there many years ago, when I was still a student.

He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!

What is the most important thing in the world?
It is people! It is people! It is people!

Helping Women's Refuge in Christchurch

So many of us are looking for something, anything, to do to help our sisters and brothers, our friends, our family, so many of them not known to us at all, our country women and men in Christchurch. Here's something, beyond donating to the official appeals. The Christchurch Women's Refuge is appealing for:

new bedding, nappies, sanitary items, non perishable food for example.

Contact them on info@refuge.org.nz

Check out their Facebook page here: Women's Refuge Christchurch Earthquake Response.

offering accommodation

those who are able to provide accommodation, there is information from here:

Places to find and offer accomodation for Christchurch people

Facebook group. Offering free temporary accomodation for Christchurch quake victims

Couch Surfing christchurch.

Google spreadsheet, People are offering by adding a row to the spreadsheet, deleting when filled

3 news. People are adding comments to the story for offers of a bed (includes missing person messages)

If you know of other places please email brenda@coffee.geek.nz
We are aware of a combined effort to build a custom website. If you're a programmer/ webdeveloper, and wish to assist, please join the #eqnz irc channel on freenode, or email brenda@coffee.geek.nz.

numbers for those with poor english

a copy of the email i received from ministry of ethnic affairs:

Support for ethnic communities affected by earthquake

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake near Christchurch has caused significant damage. The Police are working to determine the number of dead. Numerous injuries have been reported. The quake occurred at 12:51pm, February 22, 2011 10 kilometres south-east of Christchurch, at a depth of five kilometres.

For the latest information and advice visit the Ministry of Civil Defence website People concerned about the wellbeing of friends and relatives in Christchurch should call 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276). A special phone help-line has been set up for people seeking information about Government services and support. It is 0800 77 9997

For those with little or no English the Office of Ethnic Affairs’ telephone interpretation service is available. Language Line can help provide everyone with the help and information they need. The Director of the Office of Ethnic Affairs, Mervin Singham says: “in times like this it is essential that people with little or no English are able to access information, advice and entitlements in the same way that any other New Zealanders can.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs is committed to ensuring that this occurs”. The numbers below offer Language Line and assistance in your language. Other agencies which use Language Line and the list of languages can be found at http://www.languageline.govt.nz/
· ACC Claims................................................................................. 0800 101 996
· Christchurch City Council............................................................. 03 941 8999
· Work and Income......................................................................... 0800 559 009
· Child, Youth & Family................................................................. 0508 326 459
· Housing New Zealand Corporation.......................................... 0800 801 601
· Earthquake Commission............................................................ 0800 326 243
· Inland Revenue........................................................................... 0800 227 774
· Heathline...................................................................................... 0800 611 116

More phone lines are available here.

Advice from the Ministry of Civil Defence

The Ministry of Civil Defence advises that people in the affected area should:

· Expect aftershocks. Each time one is felt, drop, cover, and hold on.
· To minimise overloading on the phone network people should use text messaging to check if family and friends are safe.
· There are 38 confirmed fatalities and numerous reports of injuries. The death toll is likely to rise.
· Stay out of damaged areas. There are reports of widespread building collapse, especially in the central city.
· Listen to the radio for updated emergency information and instructions.
· Welfare centres have been set up in several areas of the city.
· Help people who require special assistance - infants, elderly people, those without transportation, families who may need additional help, people with disabilities, and the people who care for them.

For more information on Language Line a telephone interpreting service of the Office of Ethnic Affairs contact:

Sue Ingram
Senior Communications AdvisorOffice of Ethnic Affairs, Te Tari Matawaka
The Department of Internal Affairs, Te Tari Taiwhenua
46 Waring Taylor Street
Wellington
Direct Dial: 64 4 494 0584
Mobile: 027 541 4696
sue.ingram@dia.govt.nz

sleepless night

i really don't know what to say. sat in my office trying not to cry (and not entirely successful at that), listening as the news came in. death and devastation in region barely recovered from the last lot of earthquakes, and so much worse than last time. i wonder how many cantabrians are going to get through the night, i know there won't be much sleep for them. not tonight & not for quite a few nights.

i'm sitting here in my comfortable bed, in my intact house, & wishing i could at least offer a family a place to stay. a nice hot shower & toilets that work, a night's sleep without fear of aftershocks.

we had a meeting at my place tonight of members of the waikato interfaith council. we were planning for the 2012 interfaith forum, but took time to have some silence and prayers for the people of christchurch. time for us to shed tears together and think about what practical support we can offer. time to share bits of news and comfort each other, even though we aren't actually the ones suffering.

i'd like to acknowledge and personally thank a whole heap of people. the search & rescue teams. the police. the army. the fire service. members of the public who are pulling their sleeves up and doing what they can to support the rescue effort. the medical teams at hospitals and shelters. those who are supporting friends and neighbours. public servants and civil defence staff. all those who work in the media, including camera operators, producers, journalists, technicians & any others behind the scenes getting the information to us. workers for NGOs and faith groups, offering whatever support they can. those organising shelter for people who have no home left. those working frantically to get communication services and power working again.

and to anyone i've missed who is doing what they can to help out, whether in a big or small way. thank you for doing what i'm unable to do. thank you for your courage and determination, your strength & presence of mind. thank you for making a difference.

finally, to those suffering from physical injury, shock, trauma and fear, i wish you well and sincerely hope that your situation improves soon. for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one or unable to find someone, my condolences. i wish i could offer you comfort or ease.

Oh, Christchurch

I cried when I heard the news, and I held my breath as I waited to hear from people on Twitter and Facebook, and I cried again when I saw the shots of the PGG building, and the cathedral, and thought, people must have died this time.

I think all of New Zealand was crying today. Oh, Christchurch.

Crying won't do, of course. Because now there's work to be done, supporting the people who live in Christchurch.