March 8 marks International Working Women's Day (IWD) and a special screening of award-winning documentary Women of Steel is being held in nipaluna/Hobart on March 8, to celebrate. The film documents a historic fight by women in Wollongong for jobs and justice.
The gender pay gap still exists in Australia, and a woman dies every week from domestic and family violence. The unpaid workload imbalance hasn’t changed in decades, and patriarchy undervalues women's contributions and abilities. If women speak up, they are deemed too emotional, and if they keep quiet it only maintains the status quo.
Local Socialist Alliance activists, in collaboration with filmmaker Robynne Murphy, have put together an inspirational event, hosted at KickstART Network Centre, in Moonah, at 5pm.
Following the screening there will be a Q&A with Robynne and a panel of local speakers. Proceeds from the event will go to the Huon Valley Domestic Violence Service.
Women of Steel follows the story of a small group of mostly migrant women who took on BHP in 1980 to fight for employment at the Port Kembla steelworks — the largest company in Australia at the time.
This resulted in a 14-year battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court and changed the landscape for working women in Australia forever. Described by one Supreme Court judge as “as important as the basic wage case” it’s a tale of collectivism, determination, unadulterated militant unionism, and unapologetic feminism.
I spoke with co-organiser and Socialist Alliance activist Sally Atkinson about the event. Sally is a single parent with indigenous Australian and indigenous American heritage, who grew up in Ngunnawal country/Canberra and now lives in nipaluna/Hobart. She got involved in through the local Mutual Aid Community Kitchen, which is run out of Mathers House on Sundays, from 12-3pm.
“Having lived the working class struggle, I saw politicians come and go and none came close to acknowledging the systemic changes necessary to improve the lives of the working class. Matt and LSA [Lutruwita Socialist Alliance] comrades walk the walk. I was impressed and have been a member ever since.”
Sally met Robynne during a snap response to the illegal bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro.
“I found out about her story and that she had produced an award winning documentary about it and was immediately inspired to collaborate with her on this special IWWD screening.”
The panel features Fiona Strahan, a disability rights activist, advocate and textile artist; Sharon Soo Kit a community activist and presenter on Edge Radio; and Gaby Jung, an environmental activist “and the heart and soul of Source Eco Hub, who rode her tricycle from nipaluna/Hobart to takanya/Tarkine (540km) to fundraise for the Bob Brown Foundation at the age of 72”.
“They are each strong, impressive and inspirational women in their own right with many stories and much hard-earned knowledge to share.”
For more information and to book tickets, visit Humanitix.
See the Green Left events calendar listing for further details.