Rallies mark International Women's Day

Issue 

Up to 1000 people marched in Sydney on March 8 to celebrate 100 years of International Women's Day. Many trade unions were represented as well as community and migrant groups, with some women coming from as far as Nowra on the NSW south coast to mark 100 years of women's struggles.

Millie Ingram from the Gadigal people welcomed the colourful crowd to country, and urged women to get involved in opposing the NT intervention. People clapped loudly when Ingram said that it was very disappointing that the new federal government of Kevin Rudd is continuing with the racist intervention.

The NT intervention was also highlighted at the rally of up to 150 people in Queens Park, Brisbane. Gracelyn Smallwood, a Murri woman from Townsville, spoke of plans to extend the legislation to Queensland, and called it "a return to the ration days".

Cait Calcutt from pro-choice group Children by Choice said now was a unique opportunity to push for abortion to be decriminalised in Queensland. She said the laws which can see women jailed for having an abortion date back to before women even had the vote. IWD was used to launch a pro-choice campaign in the state.

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