Gearing up to reclaim the night
By Kerryn Williams
CANBERRA -- Kamini Junankar, a Resistance member involved in organising this year's Reclaim the Night march here on October 25, told Green Left Weekly that the theme of the event is to reclaim not just the night but also economic security, reproductive rights, cultural freedom, health services, freedom of sexuality, children's rights, jobs, strength, feminism, legal aid, free education and freedom from rape and domestic violence.
"Violence is not just physical", she said. "Women still don't have economic equality with men, and facilities for women are declining, especially given Howard's attacks against women."
The march is for women only, but the rally will be open to men to show their support for the demands.
This is the first time there has been an open organising collective in Canberra for some years, allowing a range of activists to come together and build the rally from the grassroots up. Women working in domestic violence services, student and trade union activists, and Resistance have been centrally involved.
Junankar said: "We want to have a loud, bright and energetic march involving a broad range of women. The rally will be chaired by an Aboriginal woman, and topics to be covered by the speakers include why be a feminist today, and guns and country women. We'll also be having a self-defence display."
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