anita sarkeesian TED talk

i thought this TED talk by anita sarkeesian was worth sharing.  she speaks about the harassment resulting from her kickstarter project to raise funds for producing videos about the treatment of female characters in the video gaming industry.  this stuff is pretty well known now, but i thought this was a good summary:



it's really sad but entirely predictable that the comments had to be turned off on the you tube page due to the same harassment that ms sarkeesian talks about in the talk.

i'm particularly looking forward to seeing the videos when they go up.  you can find her past videos here, if you haven't seen them yet.

Royal Society of New Zealand 2012 Research Honours Dinner

Cross Posted from my usual home-base.

The annual awards evening celebrating top NewZealand researchers was held at Auckland Museum on Wednesday.

Huge congratulations to Distinguished Professor Margaret Brimble, CNZM FRSNZ, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, who last night became the second woman to win the Royal Society of New Zealand's Rutherford Medal.

She was quoted by Fairfax at stuff.co.nz

“I am personally very pleased that New Zealand has now recognised me, not for being a woman in science, but for my science.”

The Rutherford Medal was awarded to chemist Professor Brimble, for her world-leading contributions to the synthesis of bioactive natural products. Part of her work in chemical sciences has been research benefitting those who have experienced brain injury by modifying a naturally occurring peptide found in the brain after an injury, which helps to prevent secondary cell death.

If you are interested in reading more about her research, please go to the university website for more information.

Other women who won during the presentation of thirteen awards on Wednesday night were:

The Dame Joan Metge Medal for excellence and building relationships in the social science research community.

Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the School of Māori and Pacific Development, University of Waikato, for inspiring, mentoring and developing Māori researchers.

Professor Janet Holmes FRSNZ, Chair in Linguistics, Victoria University of Wellington, for her outstanding contribution to linguistics.

Congratulations to all the winners on Wednesday night, you are inspirations.

I am going to try and focus more on the amazing work of New Zealand women, who, unless they are in film and television tend to slip through the cracks of NZ media, making small headlines no matter how outstanding their work is. Those who are already in their field appreciate them for the work they do, lives they change, and ideas they bring forward.

I will be recognising them here with the original drive due to the fact this is a feminist space, but in the hope that the circle of people who appreciate the work being done will widen. Please don’t hesitate to link to further information on the work these women are doing, or information about their achievements.

Snippets from the "Diary of a Caregiver" - Wellington August 9th

This event sounds totally amaze, many thanks to Rebecca for telling me about it.

Snippets from the “Diary of a Caregiver”

EEO Commissioner, Judy McGregor, will talk on her experiences as a caregiver and compiling the report Caring Counts

This event is hosted by the NZCTU Women’s Council and is a fundraiser for the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma Women’s Committee

August 9^th, 5.30- 7.00pm, 13^th Floor Education House, 178 Willis Street. Wellington

Serving soup, rolls and snacks at 6pm – a cash bar will be open

Cost $20 & $10.00 for low waged

Rsvp (required) to Karin Currie Karinc@nzctu.org.nz by  August the 7^th. 

Facebook event.

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I'm keen to assist with organising something similar in Auckland if others are interested...

Happy Suffrage Day!

Although as AnneE points out some people seem to have neglected to remember what today means, I've been heartened by the tweets and Facebook status updates expressing Happy Suffrage Day sentiments.  Not just from women either.  Take this example from Idiot/Savant marking the day, and also how far we still have to go to achieve fair political representation for women, even here in Aotearoa New Zealand where women have had the vote for 118 years now.

It's also a timely point to thank our readers, and the blogging team, for the community that we all contribute to here.  There have been some tough times since last Suffrage Day, and The Hand Mirroristas still have some work to do on issues identified by readers, so we thank you for your goodwill and feministy comradeness as we work through those behind the scenes.

And if you're in Auckland on Thursday night we would love love love to see you at this year's Suffrage Eve debate - Women's Choice 2011 - 7pm in LibB10, in the basement of the University of Auckland's main library, on Alfred St in the city.  If you do the Facebook thing you can find lots of info here, and if not then there are links to helpful stuff like maps here.  Oh, and since I wrote that last post we now have a fifth candidate confirmed - Sue Bradford speaking for Mana.  Hope to see you there.

An afternoon discussion with Dame Fiona Kidman - WGN

What:  Afternoon tea organised by ALRANZ, with Dame Fiona Kidman talking about her latest book of short stories The Trouble With Fire
Where:  Mezzanine Community Room, Wellington Central Library, Victoria St
When:  Saturday 3rd September, 1pm to 3pm

Message from the organisers:

ALRANZ is delighted to invite you to hear Dame Fiona Kidman speaking to us about her latest book of short stories 'The Trouble with Fire'. In her writing Dame Fiona explores the many facets of relationships. One of the stories called “Extremes” (set in the 70s when trips to Australia were common) poignantly considers two women's choices one to have an abortion and another to continue with the pregnancy – and the consequences for the next generation.

There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion afterwards. Unity Books will be there selling copies of both Dame Fiona's book and also Margaret Sparrow’s recently published book “Abortion then & Now: New Zealand abortion stories from 1940-1980”.

Afternoon tea will be provided. There is no charge to attend this special event but donations are always appreciated.

 
Facebook event listing.

chief human rights commissioner

over the last ten years, and particularly when helen clark was prime minister, we regularly had the list of women in nz who holding the top-most positions of power. most of you will be familiar with it: woman prime minister, woman speaker of the house (margaret wilson), woman chief justice (sian elias), woman heading one of our largest corporations (teresa gattung), woman governor-general (sylvia cartwright).

one of the women who was rarely mentioned was our rosslyn noonan, our chief human rights commissioner. she has headed the human rights commission for ten years, and has done some marvellous work over that time. the HRC has not only been a strong advocate under her leadership, but she has delivered on her vision to take human rights out of lawyers' offices and into the community.

i've know rosslyn for some years, not very closely but certainly enough to know what a strong, generous and compassionate woman she is. she has spent her life advocating for human rights in various roles, and last year she was elected chairwoman of the ICC (International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights).

here's a brief bio i found online:

Rosslyn Noonan is New Zealand’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner. She has an MA (Hons. 1st) in history from The University of Auckland and is the author of the centennial history of the New Zealand Ministry of Public Works. She has been a university lecturer, a trade union official and a Wellington City councillor. She has also worked internationally. Much of her career has been in the education sector as General Secretary of the Kindergarten Teachers’ Association (1976-1981); National Secretary of NZEI Te Riu Roa (1988-1996) and as Coordinator of Trade Union and Human Rights for Education International (1996-2001).

Rosslyn has been actively involved in the women’s movement and the anti-racism movement in New Zealand.

rosslyn's term as the chief human rights commissioner ended on 31 may 2011. she is continuing on for the present because the government hasn't managed to organise a replacement for her. indeed, it will be extremely difficult to find someone of her calibre, and it bothers me that this present government might choose someone who isn't willing to be such a strong advocate.

be that as it may, here is a powerful nz woman who deserves much more recognition than she gets. and i know that it's a great loss to the country to no longer have her working in this role.

Not the next Marie Curie

Found via a friend's Facebook feed, from XKCD

recognition of international students

when immigrants and foreginers are so consistently treated as a drain on the countries resources, especially if they're the "wrong kind" of foreigner. so it's nice to see something like this, which celebrates the contributions of our international students:

Almost 100,000 students come from overseas to study in New Zealand every year, but a few seem to embrace the experience both inside and outside of the classroom with exceptional enthusiasm.

This year, Education New Zealand ran a competition for the first time to find New Zealand’s top international students from all educational sectors. These students have highlighted the contribution that international students make to the cities and towns in New Zealand where they study, and to their fellow students both Kiwi and international.

Nominees were judged on their academic achievements, their participation in institutional and community activities, and how they have thrown themselves into Kiwi culture and experiences. Institutions were encouraged to nominate the best of the best, and a judging panel has selected these winners to represent each sector.

so i'm going to inlcude below the details of the person i know. however, i would strongly recommend that you read about all the award winners, each of whom is exceptional. i met kai when doing the taku manawa human rights facilitation programme earlier in the year. i can confirm that she is indeed an exceptional person, and fully deserving of the recognition awarded to her. nz has been lucky to have her here over the last couple of years, and many of us will be sad to lose her when she finishes her studies and returns to her home country. here are the reasons she was selected for the award:

Kai Quan – Wintec, Hamilton

Kai is from China, and is a year three Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences, Social Work student.

Kai volunteers for and becomes involved with events on campus and outside. For International Social Work Day 2009, Kai volunteered to help in creating the stand at the library. Kai is active in the Ethnic Social Workers Support Group and takes on responsible roles within the group.

She has been involved in community events such as the Indigo Festival, playing an active part. In 2010 Kai approached Rawiri Waretini – Karena, tutor Te Whiuwhiu o Te Hau to learn the Maori model Paiheretia. The tutor comments that Kai was so engrossed in the process and quick to pick up the concept that as a result of the learnings she did an amazing presentation to her peers which was very well received.

This year Kai voluntarily coordinated and then participated in a Human Rights Facilitator Training workshop that was run by the Human Rights Commission for a week in February 2011. This impressive young woman works with others in a manner that is integral, approachable and has the best interests of others at heart.

Dame Margaret Sparrow on RNZ National just after 10am

One of the founders of ALRANZ, standing down as president after many years, and she's written a new book (Abortion: Then & Now).  It's been one of the highlights of my year so far to meet and talk to Dame Margaret Sparrow last month, and hear of her strong commitment to changing our abortion laws and services, and her principled stance on the right of the pregnant person to choose.

Listen in if you can, once it's done I'll add a link to the audio file in here. And now that it's available online, you can listen to it by clicking here.  If that doesn't work then check out the Nine to Noon page for today.

RNZ National (formerly known as National Radio) is generally to be found at around 101 FM on the dial (e.g. 101.4 in Auckland). 

Comment direction:  Not a post about the morality of abortion.  We have a whole entire Abortion & Morality page for that, so go there instead please if that's what you want to comment on.

women on screen

stratos has finally become available on freeview, and i'm loving it. not only the access to al-jazeera programmes, but the documentaries, and the films. tonight i was totally blown away by the interview with the palestian comedian maysoon zayid. i can't find a clip of it online, but as soon as it's available, i'll put it up.


sent to me by email today was a link to the site "every mother counts", a site devoted to improving maternal health care, so that quality care is accessible to all mothers. i'd really recommend reading the various barriers to adequate health care detailed on the site, including lack of health workers, lack of equipment, lack of transporation, lack of access to family planning, lack of emergency care, and lack of post-partum care.

also on the site is information about a film by christy turlington burns called "no woman, no cry", a documentary sharing the stories of women at risk:




finally, i received by email from the director of "the shape of water", details of her next project. kum-kum bhavani is now working on a documentary called "nothing like chocolate":

NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE portrays the intimate story of anarchist chocolate-maker, Mott Green. Mott operates an unusual chocolate factory that turns out delicious creations unknown to a world saturated with industrially produced cocoa, much of it produced by trafficked and enslaved child labour in West Africa. With a rich blend of ingredients missing in the large-scale production of corporate chocolate, Mott utilizes solar power, employee shareholding and small-scale antique equipment to make delicious, organic, and socially conscious chocolate. Each step in the production process, from cocoa pod to candy bar, involves ethical and sustainable methods aimed at empowering the community of farmers involved. An anarchist chocolatier, with his tiny chocolate company challenging the global model of large-scale chocolate production, and undermining the exploitation of child labour...

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of a voluntary protocol agreed to by chocolate manufacturers, including Hersheys and Mars, that all their chocolate would be made without exploited child labour in a very short period. Releasing NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE in 2011, perhaps at Sundance, will both show people are making delicious, slave-free chocolate, and put pressure on the large corporations to stick to their word.

kum-kum is seeking funding for this project, and if you are interested in further details, you can find them here.

the loss of a matriarch

another layer of grief today, as an old friend of the family passed away today. alme jacub was one of the elders of our community, and came to the country in 1949 after she got married to a pakistani who had migrated here in the 1920s.

mrs jacub (or bibi, as she was affectionately known) arrived in the country as a teenager in her late teens, travelling alone from pakistan to nz. within a year of her arrival, her husband died and she was left with a child a farm in taranaki. she spoke no english at that time, and even in her later years, she spoke very little. she spoke punjabi, and managed to get by on that.

you can read more about mrs jacub in the crescent moon,if you have a copy. i've known her for as long as i can remember. she moved to hamilton very shortly after we did, back in the early 70s. she was a tough but very caring woman, and a true matriarch. i still remember staying the night at her house with my little brother, at the time my sister was born. that's so much a part of the migrant experience, when you have no family to call on, your friends become your family.

over the years, our two families have shared so many experiences. because she was the most senior member of our community, her house would be the first we'd visit at eid. she was always so happy to see us, at any time of the year, and took a keen interest in how my children were and what they were doing. i miss her so much already.

i heard the news at around 1.20pm, just half an hour after the 2 minute silence. i quickly went to the mosque, to help with bathing the body and preparing it for burial. it's the third time i've participated in these activities, but it doesn't get any easier. i didn't think about it much at the time - when there's a job to do, you just roll up your sleeves and get on with it. only when it's over do you remember the images in your head, memories that you'd much rather not have. even so, it's an honour to be able to help out in such an important rite, and i wouldn't have missed it for the world.

in the muslim tradition, the body has to be fully washed, and then is wrapped in five pieces of white, unsewn cloth, each of various sizes and for covering various parts of the body. we don't have coffins nor do we have grave stones nor any other markings on the grave. it is a truly "dust to dust" concept we have around death.

giving comfort to a grieving family is another kind of rite. i get so frustrated with people coming in and wanting to share their own grief with family members who are already suffering so much. my own philosophy is that i'll do all my crying at home, with my own family members to support me, but when i'm at there house, i'll hold it in and do what i can to support them. i don't know, maybe i'm being a little callous, and maybe there is some comfort to be found in crying with every person that walks into the house. but i can't see it. all i can see is added stress as family members have to cope with the grief of each new visitor.

i hope they get some sleep tonight, those who are grieving, though i suspect they won't. it doesn't matter how old she is, your mother is still your mother, and it is tragic to lose her at any age. for me, it feels like the end of an era, the loss of something precious. the loss of a piece of history, and of a valuable human being. inna lillahe wa inna ilaihi raji'oon.

courage

[update: here is a link to the article on stuff about this wonderful young woman. and here is the unicef webpage, where you can make a donation if you wish.]


i went to a fundraiser today. i was invited by a friend of mine whose daughter is scheduled for neurosurgery this week. since she was going to have her head shaved for the surgery, this young teen decided to turn the experience into a fundraiser, inviting family and friends to an event that would raise funds for unicef.

it was a beautiful event, with 4 men and two other teenage girls shaving their heads in solidarity. there were songs, dances, poetry readings and a choreographer got us to do the moves to thriller. such a lovely event, a celebration of this young woman and what she has to go through.

this the second friend i have who has to deal with serious health issues that arose in their teenage years. the other one has a daughter who developed a degenerative disease. the girl doing the fundraiser today was diagnosed last year with a rare condition that will require surgery to her brain stem. it's likely that she will require more surgery in coming years, this is only the first step in a process. i can't imagine what it must be like to have to cope in situations like this. somehow, i don't think i would cope very well at all.

so i thought it was incredibly courageous of this young woman to put on a fundraiser, even though she was feeling incredibly nervous about shaving off her hair and even though she is terribly afraid of the surgery to come. it's not only the way she is facing her own situation, but also that she can think of others and focus on supporting others in the world is amazing.

i have to admit that i lost it a little when we were singing the second verse of "lean on me". and then again, when seeing the tears of the proud mother of one of the other teens who shaved her head in support. this is why i hate it when people carry on about "young people these days", because i seem to continuously come across wonderful young people. they're never perfect, but then neither are the adults around them.

it is in these everyday stories that we see the true strength and beauty of the human character. i'm truly humbled by this young woman, and i hope everything goes well for her particularly in the next couple of weeks, but also in the longer term.

a humble life, but well worth the recognition

i've been busy for the last little while organising the muslim women's conference in hamilton. it was a great conference, attended by 200 people at various points. we started on friday night & finished sunday around midday. the biggest day was saturday, as a lot of women are only able to attend for the day.

as i was busy behind the scenes, i didn't get to any of the workshops. i'll try to post about the topics covered, and the afternoon activities at a later date. today, i wanted to write about part of the conference dinner on saturday night. although we have been holding these conferences annually since 1990, this was the first time we formally recognised the achievements of muslim women.

there were four women who were recognised for their service to their communities. what i loved most about the women chosen was that they worked quietly, without ever seeking recognition nor making a big noise about what they were doing. more than that, a lot of the recognition was for "women's work", work that is generally devalued and little rewarded. the sort of work that doesn't count for much with a lot of people, but which takes a lot of time and energy, making a big difference to the way communities function.

i haven't asked three of these women if i can publish their details, so i won't speak about them here. even though they are absolutely amazing, generous, kind-hearted, compassionate and giving women & i'd love to write a whole post on each of them. but the fourth woman, who achieved a lifetime achievement award, is my mother. she was nominated by someone else, but i was asked to write about her life, and i've reproduced below the bio that was read out at the conference dinner. she knows that we will be sending this out to various forums and has given her permission.

i can't even begin to say how incredibly proud i am of my mum. it wasn't until i began writing about her that i realised just how much she has given. i don't think i've managed to convey her contribution adequately at all, but i hope readers are able to get a sense of it. this has been written from faith-based perspective, because that's who she is & it's the perspective that is most important to her.


Qamar Rahman was born in a small village near Banaras (Varanasi) in India, where she grew up and did most of her schooling. After marriage, she migrated to Canada to join her husband who was studying there. Four years later they migrated to New Zealand, and settled in Hamilton. Her family was the first Muslim family to settle permanently in Hamilton. There was one further family in Ngaruawahia & and another in Putaruru, with whom there was close contact. There was a larger Muslim community in Auckland, and the family would make frequent trips to meet with Muslims there.

After a visit by a group of South African Muslims, Jum'ah prayer was started in the Waikato in 1975. Initially the prayer was rotated between Ngaruawahia and Hamilton, but as the community started to grow a little, both Jum'a and Eid prayers were held at Qamar's home. She would clean the house every Thursday evening, then spend Friday morning cooking lunch, which included curries, rice & chapatis, for all the worshippers who attended the prayers. She continued to do this even though she had two small children with only a year between them, and no extended family support. It was not until the Hamilton mosque was purchased in 1982 that this work stopped.

Qamar has been a stalwart of the local community, and often put her time towards teaching others how to read Qur'an along with basic Islamic knowledge. She increased her own level of knowledge by spending time studying the Qur'an daily, and by investing in numerous Islamic books during overseas visits. For some years, she wrote and delivered a weekely lecture in the Urdu language on community radio, broadcast on Friday nights. She carried out extensive research of the Qur'an and Hadith to write these speeches. She also wrote speeches and articles in English which have been published in a number of overseas publications.

As a mother, Qamar encouraged her children to be as active in community service as she herself was. She was a devoted mother, teaching her children to love Islam and to always have high standards of behaviour. She taught her children to aim for the stars in everything they did - academically and Islamically. She understood that a vital ingredient in a strong community is the strength of the next generation. And so for many years she made this task of bringing up the next generation one of her life's most important works.

She also completed a bachelor's degree (with a double major in English literature and politics) at the University of Waikato, even though English was her second language and she had only managed to complete 10 years of schooling in India. Qamar first completed Hajj in 1978, and since then has completed Hajj twice more. She has actively been involved in social service, as many members of the community would come to her with their problems, seeking her advice and an Islamic viewpoint on the issues they faced. She has been extremely active in welcoming new members into the community and inviting them to her home, as well as taking the time to visit them.

Qamar has been a founding member of the Islamic Women's Council, contributed willingly to Annual Conventions and Youth Camps and has encouraged others to be active within the community. For several years she worked as a voluntary English tutor for new migrants. She has travelled extensively through Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia. She has never sought any position nor any recognition for her work, but has worked quietly all her life. These days, she devotes a large part of her days to prayer and worship, as well as encouraging others towards the same.

this matters

it's late & i should be getting to bed, but i had to share this - which no doubt many of you will have read already. it's sady doyle writing about her twitter campaign against mike moore (& keith olbermann). if you want some background about it, her earlier post here is probably the best one to read.

on my own blog, i wrote a while back on the concept of slactivism, basically a concept coined to cover those who do their activism through the click of a mouse or pressing a few buttons on their favourite technology & not much more. this is considered a bad thing because the mouse click is in lieu of more concrete actions in the "real" world that would make a difference.

but here is sady making a massive difference, fighting the good fight purely from her phone & her keyboard, and it matters. here she is, challenging all those myths about rape and rape victims, to the utmost of her ability, and of course it matters.

i'm in awe of her determination and courage, of her strength and her ability to draw support from a range of people. of her ability to withstand the kind of harassment that would have me struggling to rise above it.

please go over and read the whole post. and if you feel able, take part in the protest as this comment from one of the authors suggests:

Tweet messages to @MMFlint (This is Michael Moore’s Twitter account) and @KeithOlbermann with the hashtag #MooreandMe. Have a conversation with them. Tell them that publicizing the names of women accusing a powerful man of rape was wrong. Remind them that these women are now receiving death threats, that they are now in jeopardy because of Assange’s supporters. Ask them to apologize, to speak to us, to acknowledge that we even exist. Remind them of the many times they have asked us to stand up to the powerful in the name of people who could not defend themselves. Ask them to donate to a charity that helps rape victims in crisis. Donate if you can and encourage others to do the same.

the price of speaking out

i know we talk about freedom of speech a lot in this country, but we're lucky that we don't have very serious issues in this area. not that there aren't some - the release of personal information by the minister of social development in an attempt to silence beneficiaries speaking out against cuts to the training incentive allowance is one serious example.

i'd like to give details of some serious harassment happening to an activist in india at the moment. many of you will have heard of arundhati roy, the award-winning novelist of "the god of small things". also widely read was her opinion piece published in the guardian, back in 2001, against the invasion of afghanistan.

she has been a vocal activist for many years, often taking controversial positions - such as her defence of maoists which caused quite an uproar.

lately she has been in the news for a speech she gave regarding the situation in kashmir (see here & here for video of the speech). in the speech, she outlined opinions which she had voiced before. the indian government responded by considering sedition charges against her:

This morning's papers say that I may be arrested on charges of sedition for what I have said at recent public meetings on Kashmir. I said what millions of people here say every day. I said what I, as well as other commentators have written and said for years. Anybody who cares to read the transcripts of my speeches will see that they were fundamentally a call for justice. I spoke about justice for the people of Kashmir who live under one of the most brutal military occupations in the world; for Kashmiri Pandits who live out the tragedy of having been driven out of their homeland; for Dalit soldiers killed in Kashmir whose graves I visited on garbage heaps in their villages in Cuddalore; for the Indian poor who pay the price of this occupation in material ways and who are now learning to live in the terror of what is becoming a police state.

thankfully, the government thought better of it & didn't go ahead with any charges. however, the matter hasn't rested there. she is now being subject to harassment from another quarter:

A mob of about a hundred people arrived at my house at 11 this morning (Sunday October 31st 2010.) They broke through the gate and vandalized property. They shouted slogans against me for my views on Kashmir, and threatened to teach me a lesson.

The OB Vans of NDTV, Times Now and News 24 were already in place ostensibly to cover the event live. TV reports say that the mob consisted largely of members of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha (Women’s wing).

After they left, the police advised us to let them know if in future we saw any OB vans hanging around the neighborhood because they said that was an indication that a mob was on its way. In June this year, after a false report in the papers by Press Trust of India (PTI) two men on motorcycles tried to stone the windows of my home. They too were accompanied by TV cameramen.

What is the nature of the agreement between these sections of the media and mobs and criminals in search of spectacle? Does the media which positions itself at the ‘scene’ in advance have a guarantee that the attacks and demonstrations will be non-violent? What happens if there is criminal trespass (as there was today) or even something worse? Does the media then become accessory to the crime?

This question is important, given that some TV channels and newspapers are in the process of brazenly inciting mob anger against me....

The Bajrang Dal and the RSS have openly announced that they are going to “fix” me with all the means at their disposal including filing cases against me all over the country. The whole country has seen what they are capable of doing, the extent to which they are capable of going.

i can't imagine how frightening it must be to live with this kind of pressure. regardless of how anyone feels about ms roy's view of the world, it's impossible not to admire her courage & determination, or her integrity.

in a week where we have celebrated the freedom of another courageous woman, aung san suu kyi, i hope that ms roy is kept safe. because it would be truly tragic if a voice like this one is silenced.

hat tip to verpal singh for posting a couple of these links to aen.

Ladies I struck a blow for the working classes:* In Praise of Robyn Malcolm

I haven't watched Outrageous Fortune for three seasons. Last night I came in half way through the finale. And I cried.

The episode was well written, everyone did a fantastic job, but a good 75% of why that episode was so powerful was Robyn Malcolm's performance as Cheryl West.

Cheryl West has always been a part of a lifetime. She is what I think about when I wish there were more strong female characters** on TV. I may like watching women kill their rapists on TV - but I'd prefer more Cheryl Wests. Women whose lives are shaped sexism and misogyny, by capitalism - by the power relationships in our society, who face the struggle with agency and strength.

Robyn Malcolm portrays Cheryl with warmth, strength and passion. But that's not why I want to praise her today. She fronted for the actors during the Hobbit dispute:

Malcolm says she has been accused of being little more than a loud-hailer. "But I really believe in this stuff. I believe in workers' rights.

"I could choose not to care. I could just very quietly not rock the boat. I am a working solo mother of two boys and I don't have a job. Outrageous Fortune has finished. I am looking for work. Would I really, in the words of Cheryl West, want to root my own industry?"

Union delegates often get attacked, but usually only by the boss. Brian Rudman made an important point about the way the women who fronted the dispute have been depicted in the media:

There they were, saying, "Tell us how long to grow our elven beards, and how hard to pull our forelocks, Sir, and we will do it. Straight after we burn those evil witches, Robyn Malcolm, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Helen Kelly, in the public square for disturbing the tranquillity of our feudal land."

[...]

I say womenfolk, because throughout the whole battle, the patronising sexism aimed at the union side - nice gals, but out of their depth, not up to it, dupes of Aussie svengalis - has been shameful.

In fact John Barnett, executive producer of Outrageous Fortune, went several steps further than that:

"The feedback has been quite vocal and critical of them. They've been pushed into the front row and are now earning the opprobrium of the public."

He said anyone should be free to express their views but producers would be reluctant to hire them because public perception was a huge factor in casting.

John Barnett may be able to executive produce a good TV show - but he is an better Pontius Pilate. "As a producer it may be in my best interest to persecute and black-list any actress who shows an interest in collectively organise for wages and conditions. But that's not the reason I'm threatening to do so in a national newspaper - it's because the public demand it."

John Barnett is also wrong. Anyone who watched the last few episodes of Outrageous Fortune, even those with an underdeveloped sense of solidarity, is not heaping opprobrium on Robyn Malcolm, quite the opposite. Go to her facebook page if you want to join in the praises - or send some solidarity.

I will just say thank you Robyn Malcolm for Cheryl West, and more. All any of us can do is play our parts in the struggles around us - and you have been amazing.

EDITED TO ADD: In the original draft of this post I had confused James Griffin with John Barnett. I have fixed the error, and I'm very sorry for maligning James Griffin in this way.

* If you don't recognise this quote, then you haven't watched enough Outrageous Fortune. It is from the second episode - and it was the moment I decided the show was the best New Zealand television show ever.

** Gratuitous Joss linking

sophie elliot foundation

after an appalling panel on tuesday afternoon, when graham bell & jim mora ripped into heather henare of women's refuge, it seems that afternoons were trying to balance things out a little by interviewing sophie elliot's mum on wednesday. the tuesday session really was appalling, with mr bell deciding that qualitative research isn't real research, and that people who report what happens to them via research projects should have their experiences summarily dismissed for reasons unknown. i could only listen to part of it before switching off in disgust.

the interview with lesly elliot was a gem though (afternoons, 6 october, 14.22). she talked about the work she's doing with for the sophie elliot foundation, which has just been launched. basically involves an education campaign for young women and their mothers, making both aware of the signs of an abusive relationship.

what courage this woman has, to be doing the work she's doing after having lived through such an awful tragedy. the thing is that she is able to put forward the issues that so many of us having been talking about for years, and be received a much more sympathetic hearing. while it's extremely sad that it takes such an awful event to give her the platform to do this work, the fact that she is able and willing to do it will benefit many people, men & women alike.

i've had a quick look around the website, and it's looking great. i've just signed up to the facebook page, and see that there are already over a thousand others. i wish mrs elliot and the foundation every success.

awards for feminist geographers

spotted in a small paragraph in a sidebar on page A9 of saturday's waikato times:

Waikato University feminist geographers have been presented with achievement awards from the National Geographical Society. Author of the book "Place, Space and Sex: Geographies of Sexualities", Robyn Longhurst won the Distinguished Geography Gold Medal for ourstanding and sustained contribution and service to geography. Lynda Johnston received a Distinguished Service Award for her significant contribution to New Zealand geography and its community over the last five years.

and here is the uni of waikato press release on scoop:

The Geographical Society’s Executive Manager June Logie says it’s great to see them rewarded for many years of strategic and important work. “They are significant feminist New Zealand geographers who’ve made enormous contributions in their area of research. Their work has received much acknowledgement here and overseas and it’s great to see them.”

congratulations to these two, good to their work being recognised. just wish it could be recognised more widely in the MSM.

honours for women

so i recently got the email below from the ministry of women's affairs. it seems that the last honours list was pretty obviously lacking women, particularly at the top. i'm not particularly impressed with the changed honours system, which i wrote about last year here. nonetheless, there are plenty of wonderful women out there making a huge difference to their communities and their professions. so if you know of someone, feel free to encourage them. i helped someone through the process a few years ago and it was great to see her successfully awarded.


The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is seeking your assistance to identify and nominate women for the 2011 New Year Honours List.

In the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, only 31 percent of the 172 recipients were women (53 women). It is important that worthy women are brought to the attention of the Appointments and Honours Committee who decide on the list, and so we are asking for your assistance.

How you can help If you know of a woman deserving of an Honour, please submit a nomination form identifying her to the Honours Secretariat. You can find everything you need to know about the nominating process here.

From the Honours Secretariat website: “It is important that you provide as much information as possible about your nominee and the reasons for which recognition is sought. You should state how your nominee has contributed to the community and explain how they have made a difference to their community or field of work, whether they have demonstrated innovation or entrepreneurship, improved the lives of others, or exemplified selfless voluntary service.”

It is important that you, or someone even closer to the nominee, fills out the nomination form. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs can only provide publicly available information at best, which does not always give a complete enough picture of the nominee to be awarded an Honour.

The closing date for nominations for the 2011 New Year Honours List is 1 August 2010. We realise this deadline is not far away, but applications submitted after this date will be considered for the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. More information on Women on Boards is on our website.

Save the Suffrage Memorial petition now able to be signed online

In addition to the physical petition forms which you can download from the National Council of Women site, there is now an online petition you can sign to show your support for retaining the Suffrage Memorial on Khartoum Pl in Auckland.

Deadline for signatures, to both petition formats, is August 17th, so now's good. 

You can find out more about the campaign to save this important monument to a vital part of our democratic history here.