6 < * o :i NEW ZEA LA NB*E«N IST MAGAZINE FOURTEENTH YEAR OF PUBLICATION D i m , A Y MARCH ISSUE 137 $2.80 _aRARY AUCKLAiv

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WHAT YOUR I.U.D. COULD DO TO YOU KATHERINE MANSFIELD POSTER

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CONTENTS

FEATURES MAORI SOVEREIGNTY RACIST? 12 lUD’s — A PAIN IN THE WOMB 14 USING GROUPS 19 WOMEN IN PALESTINE (IT’S DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN) 22 WOMEN IN NEPAL 27 WHEN INDIAN WOMEN ARE NOT (CANADA) 30 WOMEN IN CRICKET 36 COALITIONS AND COLLISIONS (HLRB RETROSPECTIVE! 39 OBJECT LESSON (SHORT STORY BY HELEN WHITE) 41 REGULARS LETTERS AND FRONTING UP 2 BEHIND THE NEWS (Waitangi Protests/NFIP Conference/Minding the Employers/ Childcare and labour/Abortion, 4 HIT_ _LIST _ _ _ _ Video Nasties 11 WHAT’S NEW 32 ON THE SHELF 40 CLASSIFIED 48 ARTS QUEER PICTURES ON TOUR 45 THE DOLPHINS REVIEWS Sexual Wilderness'Drawing Together/Mind That Child ___46 Cover Illustration by Sharon Alston BROADSHEET COLLECTIVE Sharon Alston, Peta Joyce, Claire-Louise McCurdy, Heather McLeish, Jenny Rankine, Pat Rosier, Jesvier Singh, Athina Tsoulis THESE WOMEN WORKED ON THIS ISSUE: Jill Segedin, Jess Hawk Oakenstar, Leonie Child. BROADSHEET is published by Broadsheet Magazine Ltd, PO Box 68-026 Newton, Auckland; Registered Office: 485 Karangahapoe Rd. Auckland 1; and printed by Wanganui Newspap­ ers Ltd, 20 Drews Avenue, Wanganui. H H BROADSHEET annual subscription $NZ27, overseas surface $33, overseas airmail Europe $51 America and Asia $43.50, Australia and South Pacific $38. 10% discount for students and beneficiaries Permission must be sought before articles may be reprinted. Broadsheet is on file at the Women’s Collection, Special Department, Northwestern University Library, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA. ISSN 0110-8603 Registered at the GPO as a magazine. LETTERS CHANGING CLASS relevant). It is not something I was particularly moved by gnant women are given ECT Dear Broadsheet individuals “have” or are re­ the Rongelap article, and Shock Treatment, and large The term “classism” has prog­ sponsible for. It refers to though horrified by its con­ daily doses of tranquillisers, ressively crept into feminist economic and social relation­ tents, felt proud that Broad­ and that this has resulted in discourse such that now we ships between groups of sheet is continuing its tradition birth defects in the baby. must not only be anti-sexist, people, which make up the of publishing facts no other Also, that in some hospitals anti-racist, anti-ageist, anti­ economic organisation of media seems to see the im­ patients do not have any kind heterosexist. Also anti-classist. New Zealand society. These portance of, and ones of such of medical check, ie blood (I won’t mention able- are complex and exploitative relevance to our membership pressure, heart examination, bodiedism). relationships, with some in the Pacific community. My brain scan before having an The uncritical proliferation groups controlling economic, admiration and deep respect anaesthetic or ECT. This of these terms in the name of and cultural or symbolic (eg to Bunny McDiarmid. could have resulted in deaths. feminist political activity is, to prevailing values, style, know­ Warm best wishes, in sister­ Would any person who has say the least, unhelpful and ledge) capital in their own in­ hood. first hand knowledge of these confusing. I’ll just focus on terests, and against the in­ Sandi Hall happenings, please write to ‘classism’ here... terests of other groups. Auckland Access Radio, Aurora House, There is little debate about This is not something which The Terrace, Wellington, or class in New Zealand, though can be “worked on” via a RESPONSE TO REVIEW the Mental Health Collective, the term is used freely by purge of class prejudice, mid­ RESPONSE PO Box 2254, Rotorua. feminists. It is usually used to dle class values and so on. Dear Broadsheet, Marjorie Morgan refer to socio-economic status Exploitative class relations 1 was startled at the vitupera­ Rotorua (SES) which is based on in­ form the very basis of the way tive tone of Sandi Hall’s letter come and occupation. “Work­ in which our society is or­ (Reviewing a Review Jan/ MORE PALESTINE/ISRAEL ing class” equals low SES, ganised. Any significant Feb issue) about my review of LETTERS manual work. “Middle class” change will result only from an Stephanie Dowrick’s Run­ Dear Broadsheet, equals high SES, professional economic and social re-or­ ning Backwards over Sand. 1 On a recent Access Radio work. There are values as­ ganisation. This is most likely had thought I’d written a mildly program the Lesbian Jewish sociated with these groups — to be initiated by people who positive and amiable review of Feminists claimed that Broad­ for example, middle class recognise their interests are a novel which has many de­ sheet was printing anti-Semi­ people are considered to be not being met — it’s they who fects. tic letters. I strongly object to typically individualistic, ac­ need to fight. Think of middle Sandi ends her letter saying, them making this claim about quisitive and emotionally up­ class Pakeha women’s strug­ “in the wake of Keri Hulme’s the only magazine that has de­ tight. In this context, ‘classism’ gles and gains (made by and international recognition by bated Zionism Palestinian means (I think) prejudice for that group) in New Zea­ the literary community 1 find human rights etc. against an individual or group land. As capitalism actually sentences like ‘there are a lot Emotions aside I cannot let on the basis of their (lower) does benefit (on one level) of novels waiting to be written Linda Kaye’s statement that class, also the use of power middle class women in New and read and one of them will “... not only did 400,000 Is­ over (lower) class groups. Zealand, it makes sense that be the one we’ve all been wait­ raelis demonstrate against the Hence, within the egalitarian most feminists in this country ing for’, both cliched, trite and Lebanon invasion but after the and moralistic ethos which (being Pakeha and middle thoughtless.” In the light of this massacres (at Sabra & pervades contemporary class) either fail to understand comment Sandi might be in­ Shatila) heads rolled...” go un­ feminism, classism like what is meant by class or terested to know that I was challenged. sexism, is seen as a “bad capitalism and dismiss debate judge for the fiction section of Firstly there were no de­ thing.” It should be “chal­ about these things as irrelev­ the National Book Award in monstrations against Israel’s lenged”: middle class women ant to feminism, or else talk 1984, which gave The Bone invasion of Lebanon in June should challenge the domina­ about “classism.” They have People it’s first public recogni­ 1982 — it was only after the tion of middle class values; not made it clear why a “class tion. And 1 wrote what was, I massacre of hundreds of middle class women should struggle” is in their interests. believe, the first full length re­ Palestinian and Lebanese civi­ attempt to include working Understanding class as view of The Bone People back lians that the Israeli public took class women in the feminist structural does not need to in April ’84, when 1 said of it, “1 to the streets. The Christian movement, and so on. Like mean middle class political ended knowing that this, for Forces that carried out the ac­ anti-racist rhetoric, it sounds paralysis. But neither does it me, was the most important tual killing were armed and very worthy. mean understanding class as book yet written in New Zea­ trained over the preceding But like much anti-racist another -ism to be fought land.” However this does not eight years by the Israeli De­ rhetoric, it is empty. It implies against. Being anti-classist is preclude my waiting, and hop­ fence Forces. As D. Bernstein that the way to fight class without radical significance ing, for the next one. commented in the Jerusalem domination is to “work on” and easy. Not difficult like un­ Aorewa McLeod Post (Sept 21 1982) they were classism. If we as (middle derstanding the structure of Auckland Israel’s creatures. class) political activists capitalism in New Zealand, Secondly on what does Ms change our values (and our how it might act against one’s PSYCHIACTRIC Kaye base her statement jobs), challenge our pre­ interests, and how to attack it. TREATMENT ‘heads rolled?’ General Ariel judices and ways of doing Best wishes,Alison Jones Dear Broadsheet, Sharon is today a Cabinet things, class domination will Auckland We are investigating some as­ Minister and on the powerful diminish. pects of the administration subcommittee dealing with This is fundamentally mis­ BOUQUET and treatment given to women Defense and Foreign Policy. guided thinking. “Class" is not Congratulations on the “Fat in New Zealand psychiatric Chief of Staff Eitan is now a merely income, occupation or Phobia” issue, which con­ hospitals. Knesset member. Brigadier values, (though these may be tained so many good articles. We understand that, pre­ General Amos Yaron who was

2 Broadsheet, March 1986 in command in Beirut at the only 1.98% of the national ag­ How can Rebecca Judd and the one to blame. Those truly time of the massacre was ricultural water consumption. other Jewish feminists assert responsible have vanished, given a higher level appoint­ In the name of Zionism, that Zionism is not racist when somehow, into the mist. ment as Head of Army Man­ Arabs are subject to collective all the evidence is so readily It seems to me that Israeli power and Training. Major punishment, Jews are not. available. politicians and soldiers are not General Amir Drori, the senior In the name of Zionism, Ruth Gold worse or better than any other Israeli commander in Leba­ Arabs are subjected to arrest Hamilton part of the patriarchy, espe­ non still holds a powerful posi­ and detention without charge cially where there is tion. It would appear that not and deportation, Jews are not. Dear Broadsheet, longstanding feuding about one head rolled and Linda’s In the name of Zionism, the I have been reading the cor­ who owns what bit of land as in statement had no factual indigenous people are denied respondence on anti-Zionism Northern Ireland. It is true that basis. full or automatic citizenship and anti-Semitism, and it some cultures do de­ Finally how can Ms Kaye rights in Israel while it is au­ amazes me how within a gen­ monstrate more care and re­ compare Morm Jones with tomatically conferred on a eration, well known events can spect for the earth than do Rabbi Meir Kahane. Norm favoured category of new­ become submerged, and at­ others; in a short space of Jones is not calling for the ex­ comers who have never seen titudes consequently time, the Jews in Israel cer­ pulsion of all Maoris from New the country in their lives, nor changed. I wonder who be­ tainly “made the desert Zealand, a ban on mixed mar­ have had any historical nor nefits when all the available in­ bloom”. But no culture that 1 riages and aggregation of all hereditary connection. formation is not made known know of is pure, and such care educational institution — In the name of Zionism, — well, I don’t wonder really. and respect is always relative. Rabbi Kahane is calling for Arabs have no vote in the trade When Israel was established If some of the correspon­ these things in Israel. Norm union. Arabs were only permit­ as a Jewish state, and some dents on this issue in Broad­ Jones’ popularity is not in­ ted trade union membership Palestinians were disposses­ sheet who criticise Israel and creasing — Rabbi Kahane’s is. in 1966 after pressure from sed, I was finishing high champion the Palestinians How many votes does Meir the International Labour Or­ school here in New Zealand. who left their land in 1948, re­ Kahane have to get before one ganisation. The days of Nazi concentra­ ally believe what they are say­ should openly oppose him? In the name of Zionism, tion camps were fresh in our ing about Palestinians being Frances Sulliman Arabs are not permitted to minds and though the phrase the tangata whenua, perhaps Mangere form their own political par­ “tangata whenua” was not they should look at their own ties. Arab members of the heard then as it is now, there pakeha heritage here in NZ. Dear Broadsheet, Knessett are members of was little public argument Much of this sort of argument In the January/February issue, Jewish parties. about the diaspora, the 2000 seems to me to be quite Rebecca Judd stated, in a fit of In the name of Zionism, years of persecution, and the simplistic. pique, that she has cancelled workers from West Bank and need for Jews, the tangata When I listen to people ex­ her subscription because she Gaza who commute to Israel whenua of Israel, to have at last pressing feelings for land, and objected to people writing, for work, are not allowed to their ancient home. see what men do to each other and you publishing, that stay overnight (shades of From the day that Israel was and to women and children Zionism is racist. I’ve reread all South Africa) nor are they al­ returned to the Jews, dire because of land, it is rein­ the letters on the matter and I lowed any trade union protec­ warnings were made by many forced for me now as it was in have done a lot of homework. I tion nor welfare benefits al­ and varied commentators, re­ 1948, that nationalism is inhe­ find that anti-Zionism is NOT though they pay the same peated and re-iterated — to rently destructive wherever it anti-Semitic, so many promi­ taxes to the Israeli govern­ the effect that the camps is. And it seems to me that we nent Jews (not in Aotearoa) ment. Such restrictions do not where the dispossessed Pales­ have a lot of work to do to speak out against it. I find that apply to the illegal settlers in tinians were dumped were clarify our ideas and to change Zionism is racist; it is a political the Occupied Territories. eventually going to be a threat our ways of reacting and act­ movement for the benefit of In the name of Zionism, to the peace, often tenuous, in ing around the two sides of the European (Caucasian) Jews health and education budgets the “Middle East”. It was said coin — nationalism and “tan­ and achieves its aims by over­ are considerably lower for that the children growing up in gata whenua”. riding the rights and aspira­ Arab communities than for those camps, denied a home­ Anne de Lacey tions of the tangata whenua Jewish. land either new or old, consti­ Wellington whose land the Zionists, with­ In the name of Zionism, tuted a “time bomb”. But the out any justification, claim as legislation ensures that Arab greater, and lesser, powers their own to the exclusion of all villages and towns receive continued their dangerous others. I find that: lower government financial games which prevented any In the name of Zionism, the budgets per capita than re-settlement; games which LETTERS POLICY Jewish towns and villages. For culture of the indigenous have periodically erupted in Broadsheet does not necessarily people, the Palestinians, is ac­ example Shara’amar (Arab), war over all recorded his-story. endorse or agree with views ex­ tively repressed. Some deny population 15,000, budget per For their own reasons no pressed in letters. We have printed its existence. capita $1 213; Azatah (Jewish) country that could have done letters that contain racist and In the name of Zionism, population 5,500, budget per so, brought pressure to bear other attitudes that we disagree over one hundred Arab vil­ capita $1 3,100. or contributed to the re-settle­ with because we believe the ex­ lages in Israel have been de­ In the name of Zionism, ment of those people, al­ pression of these ideas should not stroyed to make way for 90% of Israel land is owned by though there was no serious be subject to our censorship but put out front where they can be Jewish only areas. the Jewish National Fund, part doubt expressed that it could challenged. Nearly all the letters In the name of Zionism, of the World Zionist Organisa­ have been done. It was said at we are sent get published. Those Arabs are moved from their tion. 80% of that land was con­ the time that there were ad­ that are not published in full are ancestral homes and lands for fiscated from the refugees vantages to various powers, to considered by the whole collective “security reasons,” Jews are who were not allowed to return maintain that explosive situa­ and edited in consultation with the not. to reclaim it. Under Zionist law, tion. It was perfectly obvious writer. W e do not publish personal In the name of Zionism, no Arab may buy, lease, or then that Israel had its hands attacks. Letters from men are Arab villages which, despite work that land. full and that it was the respon­ published only when they correct matters of fact. We particularly confiscation of over two thirds In the name of Zionism, the sibility of the “larger powers” welcome letters about the content of their cultivated land for the Zionist entity, Israel, maintains to help those Palestinians who of the magazine. benefit of Jews, still cultivate close economic and moved, or were moved. 22.6% of the cultivated area of philosophical ties with South And now in the 1980's, sur­ field crops but are allowed Africa. prise, surprise, it is Israel that is

Broadsheet, March 1986 3 renew. Women who are finan­ We have put up our adver­ over 60. We would like to hear cially better off may like to tising rates too. Classified from the 75 year old woman fund those subs; any women stays at $3.80 per column in who wrote to us from “A rural FRONTING interested please write to us. It cm. Quarter page now $80, town in NZ” on Christmas day. helps if readers subscribe, or half page $160, third page UP buy from Broadsheet book­ $100; full page $300. We will UNITED WOMEN'S shop, as we have to sell the continue to offer generous CONVENTION MONEY discounts for contracts ads of magazine to other bookshops We are ran an In Brief item on WHERE WE ARE at a loss. Women who find $27 five months or more. the winding up of the Conven­ too much to pay at once can BOOKSHOP AND tion Society in the last issue. A The magazine and the book­ subscribe for six months at a shop are at 485-7 Karan- BOOKSTALLS full statement of the closing fi­ time, or share a sub with a nances of the society can be gahape Road, Auckland. We The shop continues to offer an friend. got from Elsie Neil 1/42 are open from 10am to excellent selection of books by Speight Rd Auckland 5. 5.30pm Monday to Friday and BACK ISSUES and for women; we have ā Thursday until 9pm. Leonie large selection of'badges, t/ opens the shop from 10am to Bundles of back issues up to shirts, jewellery, posters and APOLOGIES lpm on Saturday. The December 1983 are available cards. Call in and browse. We We got some names wrong magazine’s phone number is in the bookshop for $30. offer 10% discount to stu­ again! 794-751, and the bookshop’s Complete sets of available dents, beneficiaries and lib­ In the December issue the is 398-895. Our box number is back issues are $50 — it’s a raries. caption on the photo on page 68-026, Newton, Auckland, solid cubic foot of feminist We welcome the opportun­ 42 should have read “Danna N.Z. herstory and ideas. ity to show what we stock in Glendinning with the cake at DEADLINES the bookshop, and of course, the Herstory launching.” PRICE INCREASES it also helps us. If you are hav­ In the Jan/Feb issue we Deadline for April is 24 Feb­ ing a seminar, workshop or spelt both Alison McCulloch’s ruary and for May is 24 March The harsh reality of rises in printing and other costs meeting, please get in touch names wrongly in the intro­ STUFFING means that from the April with us. duction to Feminists On Air. Also in that issue (p8) we said Stuffing of the April issue will issue Broadsheet will cost $3. be on Thursday 27 March. Not Subs will become $29, sus­ POETRY the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Saturday, because it’s easter taining subs will remaining at We are accepting poetry weekend. Come any time dur­ $40 (more if you wish!). Over­ Women offered the Equal Op­ again. portunity Award (remember? ing the day or evening if you seas prices will be: surface can help. Stuffing will be fol­ mail, $33; airmail to Europe, Broadsheet got one.) When OLDER WOMEN AND actually it was Kerry Burke, lowed by stocktaking in the $53; to America and Asia SEXUALITY minister of employment. Bookshop. $47.50; to Australia and South Pacific $40. We always hate We are planning an article on SUBSCRIPTIONS putting the cost of the this in the future and are look­ Some of our long-time sub­ magazine up, but we want to ing for ideas and experiences scribers cannot afford to survive. from women (more or less)

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4 Broadsheet, March 1986 BEHIND THF NFWS K K WAITANGI PROTESTS

Peta Joyce and Jenny Rankine compiled this report from accounts by Louise Morland, Charmaine Poutney, Karen Brown and Sandra Nevezi.

IN WELLINGTON about 55 ament buildings on Waitangi Foundation tried to interrupt, guests for the official celebra­ people from People Opposed day. A forum, attended by calling Maori Sovereignty a tion. They were removed brut­ to Waitangi (POW ) in Auck­ about 250 people, was held in marxist idea. At 4.30 about ally by the police. The protest land linked up with the Wel­ the afternoon, featuring 300 people marched from then moved to Bowen Street, lington pakeha coalition, local theatre, songs and speeches. Parliament buildings along outside the banqueting hall, Maori people and Te A small right wing group cal­ Lambton Quay to Molesworth and made a great deal of noise Kotahitanga to protest at Parli­ ling themselves Freedom Street to block the arrival of with pot lids and car horns ac-

Broadsheet, March 1986 5 companying the speeches of women looked at a fac­ On Sunday 2 February, sev­ two marae near the site and this year protestors were wel­ and chanting. Eight people simile of the Treaty of eral bands took part in a Rock comed on to the Tini Ara Pata got inside the hall, and two Waitangi, examining the word­ Against Racism concert held marae, by Hori Brennan. women managed to ask from ing, its history and legal status. at the Youth Centre. Unfortu­ About 500 people had the stage what there was to The group included women nately, a pakeha band called, come to watch the celebra­ celebrate before being hustled from a Jewish feminist group, appropriately, No Idea, caused off. Three of the protesters in­ a feminist theory group and disruption and removed the tions. Sixty protestors, led by five Maori women, came down side were arrested. “It was a the Medical School Support PA sytem after they had very successful protest,” said Group. They also looked at the finished playing, leaving later the hill to the bay, carrying banners in a peaceful protest. Louise Morland, of POW. “The proposed Bill of Rights and bands without enough equip­ They were careful to observe government admitted the how it would affect the Treaty. ment. Concert goers also had the tapu of the site. The group celebrations were shifted to Each group decided to take an to put up with some white sup­ was moved away from the Wellington to defuse the pro­ aspect of the Treaty and work remacist abuse. canoe landing place and tests. Ironically, moving the through the year to get it en­ On Tuesday night, WALC stood on a mound singing celebrations to the pakeha forced. Another meeting has held a workshop for protestors “People of Aotearoa” and seat of power motivated been arranged for Sunday 13 with roleplays and discussion other waiata. When the pakehas to act and enabled us April to anyone wanting to of what was planned for canoeists landed, led by Hori to take our own initiatives.” work on the Treaty. Waitangi day. On Wednesday Feminist lawyers will be at a night, more than 300 people Brennan, they went to the meeting about the Bill of attended a forum, whose mound and stood facing the Rights which has been or­ panel included Tim Shadbolt, protestors. When the protes­ IN AUCKLAND a group of tors didn’t move, they women who have been dis­ ganised for Sunday 9 March at Atareta Poananga, Pat the Grey Lynn Community Hohepa, of Auckland Univer­ charged, knocking over cussing anti-racism regularly people in a seeming effort to held a Waitangi Day seminar Centre, at 10am. For details sity, Garth Cant, of the contact Sandra Nevezi, ph Methodist Biculturalism com ­ get to the Maori women or­ at Auckland Girls Grammar ganisers. The police stopped School (AGGS) for people in­ 817-8438. mittee, and a WALC spokes­ woman. They talked about the the shambles after five mi­ volved in education. Invita­ nutes, and arrested one of the tions, sent to all Auckland treaty and the relationship bet­ IN CHRISTCHURCH, the ween pakeha and Maori in protestors, but they did no­ primary and secondary thing about the canoeists’ as­ schools, drew eight people Waitangi Action and Learning Aotearoa. Waitangi celebrations in sault. from all levels of the education Coalition (WALC) organised Christchurch are organised by The protestors have not laid system. several events leading up to the Okains Bay Maori and Col­ any charges, preferring to deal The meeting drew up a re­ Wantangi day. Over 100 people on a silent march on onial Museum Trust Board, in with the issue through their source list for people working kaumatua. Hori Brennan said in primary schools on anti-ra­ Friday 31 January went in conjunction with the Ngai single file from outside the Tahu trust board. The signing the canoeists were on the cist issues, which the group in­ mound to lift a tapu, but the tends to publish. It also worked police station past the Justice of the treaty is usually re­ Department to the square. enacted in the museum protestors were not told this at on suggested policy state­ the time, were unaware that ments for school prospecti, to The marchers carried a rope grounds, and as the highlight symbolising picking up the of the ceremony a Maori war the mound was to be part of present to school boards and the ceremony, and would have teachers colleges, stating a threads of history, and listened canoe comes down the river to land in Okains Bay. There are moved had they known. □ committment to a bicultural to speeches along the way. future and anti-racist action. Wellington. Tanya Cumberland from POW with protester Frances Olsen (in wig) who was removed from the official They want to include a monitoring procedure for checking progress. The group is sending letters to the Ministry of Education urging Maori involvement in selection procedures at all levels. It also sent letters to the media about Waitangi cover­ age. Charmaine Poutney said “Our responsibility as pakehas is to acknowledge that the education process is a taonga; therefore we must give Maori people all support in getting the money and resources to maintain Maori knowledge and learning practices on their own terms. We must also en­ sure that pakeha young people are educated to re­ spect Maori people and their knowledge.” A meeting to report on progress and develop a net­ work for bicultural education will be held on 13 March at 4pm in the AGGS jubilee lib­ rary. Ring Charmaine Poutney at AGGS, phone 774-229, for details. Also in Auckland on Waitangi Day, another group

6 Broadsheet, March 1986 CONFERENCE FOR NUCLEAR FREE AND INDEPENDENT PACIFIC

Sigrid Shayer writes about the first national women’s conference in England to support N.F.I.P.

Over 70 women from Eng­ ranged the month-long tour in militarization of the Pacific and with racism and the environ­ land, Scotland and Wales, March 85 of 2 women from NFIP and Aotearoa. They pro­ ment; sending money to the considerably strengthened by the Pacific, including Titewhai vided scope for those who Pacific and developing re­ the recently created women’s Harawira from the Waitangi were new to the issues as well sources to inform other network, came to the confer­ Action Committee. With the as for those who wanted to people. ence. A few women from Au­ impact of that, the New Zea­ work in more depth. Money continues to flow stralia and New Zealand were land and nuclear ships ban The Sunday’s workshops into the “Pacific Fund” set up also there. Messages of sup­ issue, the almost never-end­ successfully attempted to explicitly to arrange tours by port were received by the ing media coverage of the prise some commitments to Pacific women and to send French and West German net­ Rainbow Warrior affair and the action and to move the net­ money to the Pacific. Five works, from Campaign for more recent visit by two work forward. hundred pounds was sent to Nuclear Disarmament (CND) women from the Saipan citi­ After some organisational the people of Rongelap who Aotearoa and NFIP Sydney. zens group against nuclear difficulties, committments were recently relocated by The weekend conference, waste dumping, the issues of were made on BP and Roxby Greenpeace. which was held in Bristol in the the Pacific and its implications Downs, French testing and At Greenham during the west of England on the 2nd are being widely taken up. The medical aid to the Marshall Is­ weekend of actions on De­ and 3rd of November, pre­ recent annual national CND lands, with Waitangi Day, cember 14 and 15, to “com ­ sented a wide range of printed conference approved giving March 1st 1986 and Kanaky memorate” the 6th anniver­ information, 13 videos and practical support to the NFIP confirmed as campaign areas sary of the NATO decision to three exhibitions on issues movement. A national church but with no ideas at that point. site GS cruise missiles on that until recently were rela­ body has also given the Pacific A regular bulletin is being or­ European soil, the Pacific will tively unheard of. Showings in­ priority. Negotiations are tak­ ganised by Manchester be strongly represented in the cluded Merata Mita’s Bastion ing place for a tour by people women who have built up a many varied workshops to be Point, Islands of the Empire, a from the strategic country of strong working group, and held at several of the gates — video documentary of New Belay in Micronesia to be other individuals and groups the theme being ‘widening the Zealand’s military relations hosted by this country’s Nuc­ would act as coordinators of web'. with the United States and op­ lear Free Zones steering com ­ information on specific areas. Copies of the conference re­ position to it, and the BBC mittee. The brainstorming of ideas as port are available from Bris­ documentary, Maori — the The 17 workshops at the to the function of the network tol, N.F.I.P. support 82 Col­ New Dawn. conference included British included responding to initia­ ston Street, Bristol /, Eng­ The network (initiated by responsibilities in the Pacific, tives from the Pacific; linking land. women), has grown rapidly racism, the Philippines, black Europe and the Pacific in our since it first funded and ar­ and white working together, heads; linking nuclear issues LYNDHURST OPENS, THE PROTESTS GO ON ....

Lyndhurst Hospital, Christ­ Every now and then a small pleted the array of props for The question for feminists is church’s new abortion facility group crossed defiantly to the anti-abortionsts, a collec­ going to be how to prevent opened on Monday January stand amongst those with an tion that obviously hadn’t been what few “rights" we have 20 to an anti-abortion "guard opposing point of view. put together for just one day of fought for and achieved being of honour” from six that morn­ The result was a mingling of picket duty. eaten away by the activities of ing ... the beginning of a twelve placards and banners, vari­ Having exhausted much of this extremely well organised hour duty. Pro-choice suppor­ ously proclaiming: "Abortion their energy in the fight to pre­ and funded group. Right now ters arrived for an hour of pic­ kills babies painfully"... and "A vent the Homosexual Law Re­ it is abortion thats the issue, keting about eight and re­ Woman's Choice" ... while form Bill from becoming law, but it won’t be long before a turned again that evening for men in white lab coats carry­ New Zealand's conservative more public attack is another hour or so to de­ ing plastic buckets and vac­ and fundamentalist forces launched against women on a monstrate their opposition to uum cleaners stood beside seem to be gathering their broad front. the anti-abortion stance and women with posters crying strength for an onslaught on It will be vital that we are able their support for the staff at "Leave Lyndhurst Alone". A women's rights. Their im­ to respond to the tactics of the Lyndhurst. black painted coffin and a mediate goal appears to be to “new right" or whatever label is The two groups of de­ large bus covered in banners prevent any induced abortions appropriate in ways that are monstrators stood on either inviting women to come in from being performed in this not purely reactionary, not just side of Durham St, directly and talk before going into Lyn­ country. And right now their copies of their own tactics. We outside the former rest home. dhurst for terminations com ­ focal point is Lyndhurst. must not allow issues that

Broadsheet, March 1986 7 have many dimensions to be achievements is for us to be we must continue to move as these. However, there has reduced to the monochrome clear in our own minds about women in a positive direction been no indication of when picture that is such a feature of our views... to not just respond and that is vitally important. So this might happen. Geoffrey the conservative viewpoint. in a certain way because "thats we can recognise that counter Palmer, Minister of Justice, in Abortion is one such issue what feminists do", but to be pickets outside abortion a letter to the women’s Natio­ where the opposing groups aware of the reasons behind it clinics are not the complete nal Abortion Action Campaign have been labelled "pro" and all. There is a danger of mak­ answer to the “anti’s”, and we (WONAAC) 10 December “anti" by media and by each ing too many assumptions can go on to find some of our 1985: “Mrs Hercus tells me other. This is a distinction that and getting out of the habit of own solutions. We cannot af­ that no decisions have yet does not represent the views having our own opinions be­ ford to forget that we live in a been taken as to when the re­ of all those involved in the de­ cause its all so familiar and we society that holds attitudes to­ view will take place and what bate. And one that does more know what we’re supposed to wards women that prevent format it will take.” to confuse than clarify. be thinking. every child conceived from The Abortion Supervisory It seems to me that one way If we can keep producing being cause for celebration. □ Committee, set up under the for women to hold on to our fresh ideas, fresh energy then CS&A Act, suggests in its 1985 report that the law be changed to make all doctors consultants (that is, able to certify that a woman “qual­ ifies” for a legal abortion). This .. AND THE GOVERTMENT would be a positive move and would ease the situation for women in areas where there is PROMISES BUT DOES a desperate shortage of con­ sultants. WONAAC’s view is that the NOT ACT entire CS&A act and the sec­ tions of the crimes act must be repealed so that women can (CS&A) Act, and sections 182 abortion. The Labour govern­ Abortions in New Zealand are make their own decisions — 187A of the Crimes Act, ment has said that it is com ­ covered by the Contraception about abortion. They feel that, which sets out the grounds for mitted to reviewing both of Sterilisation and Abortion in considering only the shor­ tage of consultants, the Abor­ tion Supervisory Committee “conveniently ignored the fact that consultants do not inter­ pret the law uniformly al­ though it is required by law to ensure consistent administra­ tion. The clearest evidence of the lack of uniform interpreta­ tion is the enormous discre­ pancy between the number of abortions performed in Inver­ cargill and Whangarei (whose hospital board areas serve similar numbers and who have identical number of con­ sultants). We know Invercargill women have to travel because the consultants there are ex­ tremely conservative, and that the situation is quite the re­ verse in Whangarei. Look at the satistics for the numbers of abortions performed in 1984: Northland Base Hospital, Whangarei, 145; Southland Hospital, Invercargill, 19. “There is no such thing as equality before the abortion laws: where you live and how much money you have seem to be the main criteria. Figures from the Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRANZ) show how uneven services are in the South Island, where 74.9% of abortions in the south are per­ formed in Christchurch, which has 49.7% of the population and 1.1 % of abortions are per­ formed in Southland, which has 12.7% of the pupulation.” Information from WONAAC newsletter Nov/Dec 1985. □

8 Broadsheet, March 1986 MINDING THE EMPLOYERS A new bill improving parental leave provisions will be introduced to Parliament before May this year by the Minister of Labour, Keriy Burke. Alison McCulloch reports.

The bill will seek to extend force on January 1, 1978. Labour Opposition tried to need for payment for the leave the provisions of the present They provide for 12 months amend it in its early stages so period is vital. Maternity Leave and Employ­ maternity leave for women that all its provisions applied A recent survey of 13 west ment Protection Act, 1980 who have got a minimum of equally to men. This, and ef­ European countries (in “Euro­ “equally, as far as possible, to 12 months service and six forts to have the leave period pean Industrial Relations Re­ men and women". months for women with less extended and improvements view”, Oct 1985) shows ALL It's useful to look back at the than 12 months service (leave in eligibility for leave, failed. west European (not just the 13 history of parental leave in also applies to women adopt­ Fifty-one of the 60 submis­ surveyed) ensure financial New Zealand to put the new ing a child under 12 months of sions on the Bill called for pa­ support for eligible women bill in perspective and to out­ age). Again, leave is unpaid, al­ rental rather than just mater­ taking maternity leave. line the inadequacies of the though after a woman has re­ nal leave provisions. But the In parts of the public sector present law. turned from maternity leave National Government coun­ in France, Greece and Italy, The situation at present is and worked a further six tered criticisms that the Bill women continue to be paid that in 1980 the Maternity months, she is entitled to a was, for a start, sexist, by their full salary, but most often Leave and Employment Pro­ payment equivalent to 30 claiming it was a baseline for they receive reduced earn- tection Bill became law for all working days. Men are entitled maternity leave and that ings-related remuneration non state employed workers. It to 14 days unpaid paternity employers and trade unions paid either by the relevant sets minimum standards leave after the birth of the were completely free to branch of social security or the which are negotiable within in­ child. negotiate for conditions above employer. dividual union awards. State In its submission on the that line. Many unions and In all cases except the GK, fi­ workers had their own mater- 1980 Bill, the Federation of employers have negotiated — nancial support is given for the nity/paternity leave provisions Labour described it as a “man­ in 1980, 200 of the country’s entire duration of the mater­ introduced in 1978. ual protecting employers 708 industrial awards con­ nity leave, including possible The Act allows for up to 26 against pregnant women”, tained maternity provisions of extensions. In the GK, for the weeks of unpaid maternity while employers argued that some sort. But in most cases first 18 weeks after the birth a leave for women giving birth the Bill was “screwing the neck what they negotiated was little woman receives a minimal or adopting a child under five of the goose that lays the gol­ improvement on the law. lump sum maternity allo­ years of age. There are no pro­ den egg (Canterbury Joanna Beresford, who’s in­ wance. For the first six weeks, visions for paternity leave. The Chamber of Commerce)”. volved in work on parental this is made up to 90 per cent woman must have worked for “If the Bill were passed it leave and child care within the of weekly pay by her employer the employer for 18 months would be another blow to the PSA, says in reality employers and for the remaining period before the birth for at least 15 commercial sector.” have shown no willingness to she receives no pay at all. hours a week. There is some In its arguments, the provide provisions in excess of The laws of all the 13 coun­ security of employment for the Employers Federation made that minimum line. tries surveyed do protect woman but also provisions explicit its treatment of women The Bank Officers Union, women to some extent against enabling the employer to get as expendable slaves in stating which has a record of hard dismissal during pregnancy, out of his/her obligations to that “female intensive indus­ negotiation for women bank but as it is here the degree of hold the woman’s job open for tries will (also) be seriously af­ employees, did manage to protection varies. Also, as is her. An example of such a pro­ fected, particularly the apparel secure better maternity leave the case here, paternity leave vision is if the employer can manufacturing sector which provisions. They include an rights in Europe are rare. prove the position is a key one employs 17,850 women in a extra three months making The report says in many in which s/he cannot practica­ total workforce of 21,000 the total leave available nine countries these rights simply bly put a temporary worker. In people. months, with more secure re­ do not exist on either a statut­ this case if s/he does not hold The disruption of the pre­ tention of seniority rights on ory or negotiated basis. the job open, s/he must give sent flow of women in and out return to work. But still no pay The new bill is called the Pa­ the woman preference for six of that labour force will be dif­ and parental leave. New Zea­ rental Leave and Employment months after maternity leave ficult to manage because of land is in the dark ages on Protection Bill. The Depart­ ends to any vacant position the size of the affected group”. both state and private sector ment of Labour outline of it “substantially similar” to her The Act forces the mother parental leave provisions ac­ gives, firstly, some definitions former position. There are of the child to be the parent cording to Joanna Beresford. of terms used in the Bill. other ways out too, including who must care for the child. It “In the state sector the most Maternity Leave is the period the employer claiming that the ensures that mothers are the men can get is two weeks un­ of leave about the time of con­ woman's job was unavoidably only people taking time out of paid leave. That puts no re­ finement necessary for the lost. All maternity leave is un­ the work force for child care sponsibility on the father of a birth of the child and for the paid. and reinforces women’s child to take any care for that mother’s recovery. Paternity The 1980 Act was New Zea­ economic dependence. child at all." And Joanna said Leave is the period of leave av­ land’s first legislative attempt One group of employers abuses of the provisions occur ailable to fathers around the to give pregnant or adopting even submitted that an daily. “It is an area of tremend­ time of the woman’s confine­ women job security. But employer who re-employs a ous work for unions in just try­ ment. though it does offer minimal woman after she has been off ing to keep the employers on Parental Leave refers to an security, it strongly reinforces work to have a baby should be the line. Neither in the public extended leave period follow­ both the role of mother as the given some sort of recom­ nor the private sector is there ing Maternity and Paternity main or only parent and holds pense — a tax benefit or absolute security". leave which is available to down the status of women as perhaps a guarantee of service While security of employ­ either parent to care for an in­ child bearers and the child from the woman for a set ment and the need for paren­ fant up to one year of age. bearing role. length of time. tal, not just maternal, leave are The stated purpose of the Maternity leave provisions in Women pushed for areas of gross inadequacy Bill is to extend the provisions the state sector came into changes to the Bill and the under the present law, the of the present act to both men

Broadsheet, March 1986 9 and women. the father about the time of the ments of Labour, Social Wel­ ers bodes badly for its stance According to the Depart­ birth. All the provisions apply fare, W omen’s Affairs and the on the Bill. ment of Labour, “effectively to adoptive parents also, and T reasury. While the leave provisions the present Act precludes men employment protection will be Predictably, it’s been re­ would be an improvement on from fully sharing responsibil­ extended to either parent tak­ ported that the Employers the present enforced long ity for the care of infants”. ing leave. Federation has reservations term “motherhood”, the lack The new Bill would extend While the extensions in the about the new leave provi­ of commitment to financial leave from 26 weeks to one proposed Bill respond to sions, and since the Dept, of support can only perpetuate year, and enable either parent many of the criticisms levelled Labour has not commented women’s economic depen­ to take the leave or share it bet­ at the present Act, details are on possible payment, neither dence and the low status of ween them. totally inadequate as far as have the employers — though women’s reproductive role. Maternity leave of up to 14 payment during leave is con­ it would not be difficult to pre­ And, even with the introduc­ weeks will be reserved for the cerned. The Department of dict their response to sugges­ tion of adequate parental mother, and up to six weeks of Labour says a working party is tions that it is their responsibil­ leave, in the absence of free it may be taken before the “considering options for and ity as employers (and oppres­ quality child care the women birth of the child. This period is implications of any payment sors) to financially support are again left holding the included in the 12 months pa­ for parental, maternity and women taking maternity leave babies. □ rental leave period. Paternity paternity leave". and women and men taking leave of two weeks will be pro­ The working party consists parental leave. Labour’s re­ vided separately to be taken by of officials from the Depart­ cord so far in supporting work­

neither do they want to be exploited themselves. CHILDCARE AND LABOUR Yet right at the beginning of the forum, participants learnt that the report of the joint Anne Else reports on the beginnings of a closer relationship ministerial working party for the transition of administra­ tion of childcare from the De­ The forum on Early Childhood gether, and all their prior sub­ dergartens offer stability and partment of Social Welfare to Care and Education (ECCE), missions were published in a usually better “quality control”, the Department of Education held in Wellington 4-5 De­ booklist for participants. One but they are inflexible or ex­ was to be completed by 1 July, cember 1985, set out firstly to of the most controversial pap­ pensive. Neighbours, relatives not 1 April as promised! It was draw attention to the impor­ ers was presented by the New and “family day care” here that the value of all ECCE tance the Labour Government Zealand Institute of Economic schemes are used for their services speaking with a cohe­ attached to this area. The Research. It discussed in more flexibility and cheapness and rent, co-ordinated voice be­ forum was also to examine the detail than ever before in this because for children under came obvious — by the end of extent of early childhood care country the approach of put­ two, there is no alternative); the forum, it had been agreed and education; make sugges­ ting money into the hands of they may also be seen as the that subject to legislation, at tions for future development; families to help them pay for closest thing to the child’s own least some of the aspects of identify ways of ensuring qual­ care, compared with funding home. But they are often unst­ the transition would go ahead ity and equal access to ser­ centres. This was not well re­ able and there may be little or by 1 April. vices; and formulate strategies ceived as an option by those at no quality control. These ar­ The forum also showed for greater coherence and co­ the forum, mainly because rangements may also exploit clearly, perhaps for the first ordination of ECCE services. child care centres are in finan­ carers, who are forced to ac­ time, just what a vast range of That’s a tall order for a two- cial crisis and need more help cept the low wages and poor groups are involved in provid­ day forum. Anne Meade, the to give quality care. working conditions because ing or supporting childcare co-ordinator, felt that on the Some of the most interest­ no other paid work can be un­ outside the “family of origin”. whole the first objective was ing and potentially useful re­ dertaken. This diversity can be seen as a achieved. However, she points search looked at what goes on The forum concentrated on strength, in that it is able to re­ out that though the govern­ in people’s (usually mothers’) ways of improving the service spond to differing needs, but it ment certainly “nailed its col­ heads when they “choose” offered by all kinds of centres, was not wholeheartedly en­ ours to the mast”, the media what form of child care to use. because unlike informal care­ dorsed by the forum; one was not terribly interested. The Of course, often there is little givers they form an identifiable strong opinion which Listener ran a cover feature on real choice, given lack of and therefore reachable emerged was that there child care, but never men­ money and lack of a range of group. It concentrated on im­ should be more diversity tioned the forthcoming forum services. Many women often proving equity of access to within services, rather than a at all. TVNZ showed what it resort to complicated “patch- centres (which includes mak­ proliferation of more and thought of ECCE by running work” arrangements, where ing them more responsive to more separate services. only some “cute” footage of children are cared for partly by diverse needs), and also qual­ Not many parents would the PM and other adults join­ a kindergarten or a child care ity. come right out and say they ing kohanga reo children in a centre, partly by neighbours or Sonja Davies, in her ad­ believe it is better for their child Maori song during the open­ relatives. Such arrangements dress, pointed out that the to be cared for some of the ing. It didn’t cover any of the can be very stressful both for forthcoming shift of childcare time by other people. But speeches or do any investiga­ parents and children, and can from Social Welfare to Educa­ through their use and support tive interviews about the actual easily fall apart if just one link tion — that is, when it stops of the services available, pa­ concerns of the forum. Says breaks down. Yet the forum being labelled as a welfare rents are saying that parenting Anne Meade, “Early childhood concluded that unless the es­ necessity only — helps is a social task an they see services are just not seen as tablished childcare agencies women as well as children. value in “social parenting”, in­ exciting news”. can become more flexible, to However, there is still the prob­ volving a variety of people. The The forum provided one of suit the widely varying (and lem of how low-paid women government deserves praise the first opportunities there also rapidly changing) needs workers can buy quality care for recognising this; what is re­ has been for all the diverse to parents and children, these for their children. Childcare quired now is tangible evi­ groups concerned with ECCE patchworks will continue. workers don’t want families to dence of its commitment to to express their concerns to­ Child care centres and kin­ be deprived of care — but do something about it. □

10 Broadsheet, March 1986 ferring videos that a person or Although it is not set down women, drawn from a wide group thinks is “indecent” to a in the law the process for sub­ range of organisations such as one-person authority: This au­ mitting a video will probably the Mental Health Foundation HIT LIST thority will classify referred vid­ be similar to that required and The Ministry of Women’s eos on similar grounds to when sending a book to the In­ Affairs. Any group having a those used for films. Any per­ decent Publications Tribunal. special interest in a particular VIDEO NASTIES son other than courts, cus­ This procedure is daunting. video could apply to sit on the toms or the labelling authority One woman sent us a copy of panel that was classifying it. requires the permission of the the reply she received from the Auckland Women Against We would also like to see Minister of Internal Affairs to Department of Justice, re­ films and videos treated in the Pornography examined make a complaint. Once the garding the referral of a book. same manner. We want an proposed legislation about authority has given a classifi­ The letter explained how she end to screenings of nasties videos. cation it will be an offence to must first apply to the Minister like, “Friday the 13th”, “Cen­ hire or sell the video con­ for permission, then must ad­ trefold”, and the “Electric cerned in contravention of the vertise her intention before the Blue” series, whether on video The government is making a decision. Classifications will Chairman (their usage) will fix or film. law, the Video Recordings Bill, be in terms of indecent, inde­ a date for the hearing and Well, that’s our fantasy. If to control the hire and sale of cent under a certain age, and notify the relevant parties, in­ yours is similar write to your videos. And they have pro­ so on. Unlike the film censor cluding the publisher. These member of parliament, and duced a video retailers’ dream. this authority will not have the parties may appear at the pro­ join your local Women Against The bill was introduced into power to make cuts — a video ceedings, call evidence and Pornography group. □ the house in December and must be classified in it’s en­ make representations. the closing date for submis­ tirety, “as is”. The same letter admits that BRIEFLY: sions on it set at 8 February. If a large number of videos “the procedures to be followed SPYGLASS, a new tabloid soon (Could it be that the holiday are referred there could be appear to be somewhat prot­ to be released by Video Publi­ period was used to make sure long delays before decisions racted”. Women Against Por­ cations was described by their there weren’t too many sub­ are made, although there is nography in Wellington can marketing manager as “Being missions?) Under the bill the some provision for appointing vouch for this. It takes months distributor or producer (yes, dressed up with undressed those in the industry) must women The phone number label each video. Labelling will is 393-676.

oFAtfluLY U g E R A t E D \ WOMAN

VWLD0E y e s , M A W » it s !

Illustration: Nicole Hollander

probably recommend an age extra people. It may be, also, for the complaints process to Due to protest action, Lion suitability, but only as a that a member of the public be completed and in that time Breweries owners of “Ye Jolly guideline. There is no require­ wanting to complain about a the “adverse” publicity boosts Farmer Inn” Drury, scene of ment that all videos be viewed video will have to buy a copy of sales of the publication. It is a many wet t-shirt competitions, — they could just use the dis­ it (at $100 plus!) to do so. And no-win situation. This is the will be writing into their appli­ tributors’ labels that many as videos have high publicity sort of law we will be protected cation for entertainment li­ have already, such as PG (pa­ when they are first released by when the Video Recordings cences a clause prohibiting rental guidance) and M (ma­ many people will have seen Bill is passed. any amusement which de­ ture). There is no requirement any that are classified as “inde­ What Auckland WAP would grades or humiliates women. to display these prominently cent”, before the decision is like to see is a classification of FILMS ACT: Did you know or explain them, and who made. videos based on outlawing the general public have no would know what PG stood In New Zealand all films violence against women and right of appeal against the for? So, if you understand the must be seen by the film cen­ the degradation and humilia­ Chief Film Censors decisions? labels you could avoid — or sor before they are screened. tion of women, but not con­ The distributors and the pro­ find — the pornography more Books go before the Indecent cerned with “immorality”. ducers can appeal prior to easily. Publications Tribunal only if And it would be wonderfu exhibition of the film. Once a There will be a procedure they are referred by customs if all videos were classified by a film has opened there is no (not specified in the bill) for re- or a member of the public. panel of people, mainly stopping it. □

Broadsheet, March 1986 11 MAORI SOVEREIGNTY

The Race Relations Office has found that Maori Sovereignty, written by Donna Awatere and published by Broadsheet, contains “matter likely to excite hostility or ill will against or bring into contempt or ridicule Pakeha people.. Peta Joyce and Pat Rosier examine some of the issues raised by this finding.

The first of Donna Awatere's (January/February ’83). In should be changed. cles. So the decision was Maori Sovereignty articles them Donna explored a vision The ideas that Donna was made to publish the book. was published in Broadsheet for the Maori people, and the writing about and the vision Donna wrote a final section, 100 (June 1982). It began, as need for that vision. (The first she expressed have important “Exodus”, which had not been does the book, “Maori article ended, “It is not implications for all New in the magazine, and the book Sovereignty is the Maori ability sovereignty or no sovereignty. Zealanders. Members of the Maori Sovereignty was pub­ to determine our own destiny It is sovereignty or nothing. We Broadsheet collective felt that lished in 1984. Manuhuia Ben­ and to do so from the basis of have no choice.”) She wrote in they should be as widely avail­ nett, Bishop of Aotearoa, said our land and fisheries.” There detail about the effects of col­ able for discussion as possible of the book, were further articles in issues onisation on Maori people, and in a more permanent “Maori Sovereignty be­ 103 (October 82) and 106 how that continues, and how it form than the magazine arti­ came an issue im-

12 Broadsheet, March 1986 mediately the first mus­ written matter which is tions Act 1971, I am of the haven’t, why bother with a ket shot over the acquisi­ threatening, abusive, or opinion that the question of an RRA? — wouldn’t the purpose tion of land was heard. insulting, or to broadcast appropriate settlement is best of any legislation be to redress There have been at­ by means of radio or left until the Proceedings the imbalances? Surely that tempts in nearly every television words which Commissioner of the Human would include protecting generation to re-estblish are threatening abusive Rights Tribunal has deter­ minority groups from abuse “Maori Sovereignty'. No­ or insulting; or (b) To use mined current complaints de­ and hostility from the majority thing in the past has in any public place..., or aling with the same issues. group (which after all has the been presented with within the hearing of “Once that determination power and resources) and such clear articulation persons in any such has come to hand I will contact allow space for the compara­ as Donna has done... It public place, or at any you again. Thank you for your tively powerless minority challenges the rest of meeting to which the cooperation.” groups (in this case Maori New Zealand to either public are invited or We were appalled at this de­ people, the tangata whenua) put its house in order or have access, words cision. It has no immediate im­ to criticise the effects of the to vacate. Strong stuff— which are threatening, plications for the sale and dis­ present system for them and too strong I fear for many abusive or insulting, — tribution of Maori Sov­ to express their own visions? on either side of the being matter or words ereignty — only the Equal The Treaty of Waitangi, house. ” likely to excite hostility Opportunities Tribunal can maybe New Zealand’s first And Eva Rickard, or ill will against, or rule that it cannot be sold, and piece of race relations legisla­ “Maori Sovereignty to bring into contempt or it has not even been referred to tion, has certainly been used many may seem an im­ ridicule, any group of that yet. However, some im­ to promote pakeha values. possible dream, but I see persons in New Zealand portant isues have been Brian Rudman wrote, in an in­ it as the only way Maori- on the grounds of the raised. terview with Donna, dom can emerge from a colour, race, or ethnic or Other books that have re­ “On February 6 1840 Gov­ vacuum created by col­ national origins of that cently been found to offend ernor Hobson and 50 Maori onialism — to emerge group of persons. ” under section 9A are Pro­ chiefs signed a treaty which and spread its wings. I Two members of the tocols, International Jew, endeavoured to join the Stone believe that Donna Awa- Broadsheet collective visited and The Hoax of the Twen­ Age Maori with the Steam Age tere's work spells out the RRO and found that two tieth Century. These are right intruder. The site was called MAORI SOVEREIGNTY RACIST?

what this dream is all complaints had been made, wing anti-Jewish books, distri­ Waitangi — the waters of about. It is a challenge to by pakeha males. The collec­ buted only through the lamentation. Maoridom to change the tive had decided that there was League of Rights and Zenith “The Governor was trying to dream into reality. A nothing to be gained from put­ Applied Philosophy (ZAP) in reach a compromise between people without dreams ting a lot of time and effort into Christchurch. This shows up two irreconcilable forces. The will perish. ” “disproving” the claims — it the problem with laws that are clamouring for cheap land on was hard to see how they evenhanded: a pro-Maori the part of the white settlers could be taken seriously. So book is treated in the same and the desire of the British The calls on talk-back radio, the matter was left with the way as anti-Jewish books. In Government to provide pro­ the letters in the papers, ig­ RRO. the first case it is the group in tection for the endangered in­ nored the information that On 23 December 1985 power that is being criticised digenous civilisation.” (Auck­ Donna gave about how the Broadsheet was sent a letter, and in the second it is a minor­ land Star 5 Feb 1985). Leav­ education system fails all signed by Hiwi Tauroa, Race ity group. How can the same ing aside the insult to the Maori people, the justice sys­ Relation Conciliator, which criteria apply? Maori people in the assump­ tem is discriminatory, the so­ read, Is the law in fact the best tion that their future should be cial welfare system is based on “1 am writing to inform you agent for protecting minority decided between an English pakeha values, and so on. that our investigation of the groups? It is firmly based on a Queen and English migrants, They suggested that if Maori complaints concerning the tradition of evenhandedness even these limited aims were people could only get things book ‘Maori Sovereignty’ has and lack of bias, but always not achieved. Donna expres­ “right” (pakeha style) we could concluded. within the value system of the ses some of the outcomes of all live happily ever after in “I have considered the com ­ lawmakers, the people in this failure: New Aotearoa. A lot of hostility plaint in terms of section 9A of power. Ideally Maori people “The bottom line of being and hatred towards Maori the Race Relation Act 1971 would be self-determining, white in this country is that it people was expressed. and am of the opinion that the based on their own values and does bestow benefits. To The book sold well, and complaint has substance in the law would take both begin with it’s a lot safer being went out of print in six months. terms of that act. frameworks into account. This a white. In November 1985 Broad­ “In determining whether the certainly does not happen. For “From birth the benefits sheet reprinted it and it is now complaint has substance it is example, the fact that there are build up; twice as likely as any available again. necessary to establish that the different Maori and pakeha at­ Maori child not to die; pre­ On 8 May 1985 Broadsheet written matter that is pub­ titudes towards ownership of school, primary, secondary had a letter from the Race Re­ lished and distributed is and relationship to the land, and tertiary education with lations Office (RRO) saying threatening, abusive or insult­ and completely different un­ people of like colour and cul­ that a complaint against the ing being matter likely to ex­ derstandings about spiritually ture; seven times more likely publication and distribution of cite hostility or ill will against or is fairly widely accepted, but to get GE, four times less likely the book had been made and bring into contempt or ridicule laws are always made on the to appear in a children’s court, that it was being investigated Pakeha people in New Zea­ basis of pakeha values. and if convicted, twice as likely under section 9A of the Race land on the grounds of colour, When one is setting out to to be fined rather than sent to Relations Act (RRA) 1971. race, ethnic or national ori­ offer some protection to borstal. You will be 31/2 times This section reads, gins. In this instance I believe minority groups, are evenhan­ less likely to be registered un­ “9A Racial disharmony - the criteria have been met. dedness and lack of bias the employed, twice as likely to (!) It shall be unlawful “Because of the wider impli­ most suitable criteria? If you own your own home. for any person — (a) To cations of finding books to be have accepted that discrimi­ “You will be as an adult, six publish or distribute unlawful under the Race Rela- nation exists — and if you times less likely to be arrested continued on page 29

Broadsheet, March 1986 13 A PAIN IN THE WOMB Sandra Coney, organiser of Fertility Action, gives us the history of lUDs and brings us up to date on what’s happening in New Zealand.

school kids worried about it as they cian and gynaecologist, Jennifer Wil­ It would take a desperate woman to now worry about nuclear war. We son, last year on being asked what bare her vulva for an KID right now. she’d learned at three international And there must be many a woman contraceptive conferences she’d just wondering just what she is harbour­ “Perhaps the individual attended: “I learned how over-popu­ ing in the private recess of her womb. patient is expendable... lated and polluted the world is.” ICIDs (intra-uterine contraceptive Particularly if the Around 23 major population con­ devices) are news. Suddenly trol organisations were operating in­ everyone has realised that they’re not infection she acquires is ternationally by the mid-70s, most the engineers’ answer to a woman’s sterilising but not lethal” based in the CIS. prayers. Feminists have been saying DR ROBERT WILSON The most intrusive methods of it for a long time. But no-one takes contraception are their favourites — any notice of feminists unless they’re were all doomed to eventual starva­ ICIDs, Depo Provera and sterilisation tying men to trees. Now the law courts tion and extinction, we were told, as — for over these the individual and “empirical science” have the world’s dwindling resources were woman has least control. Of the 1.7 “proved” what women knew all along. consumed by the brown and yellow million Daikon Shields which left ICIDs are a pain in the womb. races of the world. (The reality of the America (many unsterilised), at least situation is that affluent western 145.000 went to South Africa, and countries are parasitically siphoning 156.000 to Mexico (by some time in WHY lUDs? off Third World resources). Large 1974; sales continued overseas till Almost every history of ICIDs starts poverty stricken communities were 1975). with the tale of Arabs putting stones in seen as a potential breeding ground Within nations the same methods the uteri of their camels to prevent for revolution and for communism, of contraception are used to control pregnancy. Dr Ron Jones tells his stu­ and thus a threat to Western democ­ undesirable breeding populations, dents at the Post-Graduate School of racy and multinational commercial particularly solo mothers, black Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Natio­ interests. women and the “dissolute” poor (as nal Women’s this reassuring piece of Said John D. Rockefeller III, foun­ opposed to the hardworking poor folk history. He repeated it again at a der of the powerful Population Coun­ who are considered acceptable seminar on the Daikon Shield at Au­ cil: “The problem of unchecked breeders). ckland Medical School last year, to population growth is as urgently im­ A recent study of black women in which the women present asked: portant as any facing mankind today South Africa showed that 65.5% used “How many camels died?” ... It becomes a central task of our contraception and 80% of these were ICIDs were not developed to give in­ time, to stabilise this growth soon using Depo Provera. A study of gen­ dividual women greater contracep­ enough to avoid its smothering con­ eral practitioners in Hamilton showed tive choice, but to achieve greater sequences.” that 53% of “ex-married” patients re­ control of the fertility of large popula­ Such views have not died out. Mass ceived Depo Provera, as opposed to tions of women. fertility control is still a central con­ 14% of married women; and 20% of From the 1960s, the so-called cern for the top brass in the con­ Maori women were given Depo “population explosion” loomed in the traceptive world, the makers and Provera, but only 4% of Pakeha public imagination as the greatest shapers of what we, the consumers, women. At December 1984 the New threat to the future of mankind. Even end up using. Said Auckland obstetri­ Zealand Contraceptive and Health

14 Broadsheet, March 1986 population. Two new developments made a re­ think on IGDs possible. Antibiotics could stop pelvic infection spreading through the abdomen, and plastic was now being used within the body in heart valve transplants. But while this might reduce the infection rate, doctors saw unwanted pregnancy in wearers unaware their device had fal­ len out as the major problem. It was Dr Jack Lippes who experimented first by adding a tail to an Ota Ring (Japanese device): “Friends and col­ leagues warned me not do this — not to bridge the gap between the sterile uterine cavity and the infected vagina. However, I have now done so 271 times. All these patients are clinically well.” BLAMING THE VICTIM The “advantages” of IGDs were so at­ tractive doctors chose to overlook the fact that the problem of infection had Study had enrolled 5001 women. Al­ protecting against pregnancy was a not been solved. When it started sur­ though Maori women were only major problem. IGDs fell out of use facing in their practices, they also 10.5% of the study population, 65% and GS physicians actually believed chose to overlook it. Three deaths were users of Depo provera as op­ that fitting a woman with an IGD con­ from pelvic inflammatory disease (P1D) posed to 30% of Pakeha (these rates stituted grounds for malpractice. in IGD-users occured in 1967, and should not be taken as a true usage But in 1962 the First International several studies in the late-60s showed rate in the population, but it does Conference on Intra-Cterine Devices increased rates of PID in users, but show that it is easier to find black was held. Ron Jones called it “an ob­ the rates were judged “not unduly women users of Depo than Pakeha. jective evaluation of IGDs”, but it was high” or put down to the economic Sixty percent of Polynesian women in sponsored by the Population Council, and sexual status of the participants, the study were Depo Provera users). the Rockefeller organisation aimed at usually poor, black women. No figures exist for 10D usage in PID had historically been a disease New Zealand as no-one keeps re­ of poor, minority women and prosti­ cords. The nearest we have is a study When it comes to IUDs tutes. Previously caused primarilly by by Ron Jones at National Women’s of gonorrhea, PID has never shaken off 490 Daikon Shield users. Twenty-six women have virtually the stigma attached to its diagnosis. percent were Maori or Pacific Island. no protection This explains the frequent accusation (There is some prejudice against to even contemporary IGD-using using lODs with Polynesian women limiting Third World populations, and women with PID, that their "sexual among family planning personnel, it took place within the prevailing habits” not their IGD are at fault. Jen­ based on a belief that contraception genocidal climate of the day. Two nifer Wilson recently told a NZ Times for such women must be “invisible" doctors, one Israeli and the other reporter "It’s not IGDs that cause in­ because Polynesian men do not want Japanese, presented their favourable fertility and, stress this, it’s very impor­ their women to use contraception results with over 10 years of using tail­ tant. It’s who you sleep with. You’ve and will pull ICJDs out.(Racism works less IGDs. got to advocate one partner. Not in many ways.) Said Dr J. Robert Wilson of the Gni- promiscuity." Dr Margaret Tillott, versity of Michigan School of Medical Director of Auckland Family SAVIOURS OF THE (WHITE) WORLD Medicine: “If we look at this from an Planning (FPA) also says “most re­ IGDs have been around since the overall, long-range view — these are cent studies have identified one of the 1920s when a German physician things I have never said out loud be­ main reasons for developing PID and used silkworm gut with a silver wire fore and 1 don’t know how it is going posible later infertility as being multi­ dangling into the vagina. This device to sound — perhaps the individual ple partners ...” and says that FPA’s caused infections, and, in those days patient is expendable in the general “primary responsibility" lies in pre-in­ before antibiotics, peritonitis and scheme of things, particularly if the sertion counselling on “risk factors” death. The tail string as a highway for infection she acquires is sterilising, and “how lifestyles may effect the risk bacteria was indentified even then, but not lethal.” of infection.” leading to the invention by Dr Earnest Doctors at the 1982 conference By 1970 another development af­ Grafenberg of a tailess ICJD, the were convinced, said one later, that fected the popularity of IGDs. The Grafenberg Ring. The lack of a tail to IGDs could “change the history of the honeymoon with the Pill was over. check the device was still in place and world” by ending the threat of over­ Cases of thrombosis and strokes in

Broadsheet, March 1986 15 young women using oral contracep­ uterus. A cross bar was added next The litany of deaths and disease tives were making newspaper head­ and a plastic bag covering, but these with the Daikon Shield is well known. lines, sending women and doctors only aggravated the problem. Finally, The problem was the one presaged looking for alternatives. but only after some unknown women by the experience and research on And thus the contraceptive de­ had submitted their uteri to this tor­ IGDs for the past 50 years — bacteria signed to control Third World popula­ ture, the device was abandoned. infiltrating the uterus using the mul­ tion in a master plan in which the gen­ tifilament tail as a ladder. erals were prepared to sacrifice some of the troops to win the battle, got to The “advantages” of DEJAVU be used by large numbers of white IUDs were so attractive But by the time the Daikon Shield women of every class. “The philosphy doctors chose to came off the market, women were of most KJD advocates is more im­ confronted with yet another “genera­ personal and population-control- overlook the fact that tion” of “safe” IGDs — the Copper 7 oriented, and a high complication the problem of infection (Gravigard) and the less-used Copper rate may be more readily acceptable had not been solved T (Tatum T). Copper wire wrapped if their goal of reducing pregnancy on around the device gradually dissolves a global basis is accomplished. Be­ By 1970, the market leaders were in the uterus, acting as a spermicide cause of the predigious flow of re­ the Lippes Loop and the Saf-T-Coil. and allowing a smaller device to be fit­ ports by population planners, Ameri­ But IGDs were within the range of ted. Early Daikon Shields actually can physicians in private practice ap­ anyone with an imagination and a few contained copper added to enhance pear to have unwittingly become par­ bits of machinery. The Mazjlin Spring its effectiveness in preventing pre­ ticipants in a great experiment in was developed by Anka Research, a gnancy. When Robins realised that population control, utilizing as experi­ serving machine manufacturer. Its this claim would bring the Shield mental subjects patients for whom protruding stainless steel wire ends within the ambit of regulations, it the IGD was not even the prime pierced the uterine wall causing hor­ switched its position, maintaining the target.” Dr John G. Maldry, O & G of rific injuries. In 1973, the FDA seized copper aided radiopacity so that Florida at 1973 hearings of the House and destroyed 9000 Mazjlin Springs “lost” Shields could be detected by X- Inter-Governmental Relations and and by the time Anka went bankrupt ray.) Human Resources Sub-Committee. in 1974, lawyers were fighting over By the late 70s the Copper 7 (Cu7) the remaining $750,000 liability in­ was the market leader. Four million BAUBLES BANGLES AND BEADS surance. IGDs were sold by 1984 in the Gnited Scores of 1GDS had been invented States alone. Then, in something re­ untrammeled by regulation by health THE BIG ONE sembling a repeat of history, news re­ authorities. Named after their male The Daikon Shield came onto the ports of court cases for damages inventors or given disarming names market in January 1971 with a slick began to appear in the media. By such aā the Heart, the Bow and the promotional campaign using words March 1982, Searle had been sued Butterfly, in actuality they all too often like “superior”, “modern”, and “sec­ 344 times; currently, around 742 new caused rivers of blood and crippling ond generation” which doctors would suits have been filed. The problem is cramps. The Gynekoil or Marguilies repeat to trusting patients. The device once again bacteria entering the Spiral, sold by Ortho and the first was aggressively advertised, claiming uterus from the vagina. The Cu7 is plastic IGD marketed, had a 50% a low 1.1% pregnancy rate which un­ packed with a folded tail string. Some complication rate. Its long beaded tail dercut all rival IGD rates. In fact, Ro­ doctors say the tail string has a descended down the cervical canal, bins knew the rate was false within “memory”, so that when the IGD is in­ on occasion, says one book, “giving days of purchasing the device, (The serted in the uterus, the string returns rise to penile agony”. (Women’s pain true rate was 4-5%.) Without ever test­ to its original position, pulling bac­ with IGDs is described as “discom­ ing it, Robins then marketed a scaled teria up into the uterus. fort”, “cramps” “dyspareunia” and down model for “nullips” (women In October 1985 the Lippes Loop “pain,” but never agony). who’ve never had children), opening came off the market; in January, the Many of these devices were tested up a Pandora’s box of hitherto untap­ Copper 7. With one eye on A.H. Ro­ on an indeterminate number of ped sales. Other IGD manufacturers bins litigation problems, GS IGD women. rushed in behind, literally snipping manufacturers were bailing out of the Few inventors followed Dr Mar­ comers off their IGDs in the hope of market fast. There is now no major guilies’ example in testing it on his capturing a share of the nullip market. manufacturer of IGDS left in the GS. wife. Many were modified, retried and Even feminists succumbed to the (The newest of new generation IGDs, then abandoned because of serious extravagant claims. IGD earrings were the Multiload and Nova T, come from problems. The Heart, developed by a a joke way of proclaiming oneself a Europe.) director of the Pathfinder Fund, ap­ “liberated woman”. Respected In April 1985 the results of several propriately called Dr W. Gamble, was feminist health writer, Barbara Sea­ major studies were published in the hard to insert because of its shape. man, had Hugh Davis, Shield inventor prestigious New England Medical Barium was added to increase the write a foreword to her book The Doc­ Journal providing empirical evi­ rigidity of the plastic, but the device tors’ Case Against the Pill (1969), dence of what the women with the tended to disintegrate. Spokes were and in her later book Free and “pelvic cleanouts” (removal of uterus added to the Heart to prevent strangl­ Female (1972), Seaman devoted a and ovaries) had instinctively known. ing of the bowel, a problem where full page to Davis’s ideas on “mod­ All IGDs can cause raised rates of in­ “closed” devices perforated the ern” IGDs. fection and infertility. The plastic de-

16 Broadsheet, March 1986 vices were worse than the copper de­ doors. vices and the Daikon Shield led the “Why should we be the There is an inherent and insupera­ field. While doctors are protesting “we ble problem in the whole concept of didn’t know before”, these studies ones to say no when the intrauterine contraception. Despite only confirm what numerous other rest of the world still subjecting millions of women to ex­ studies in the 1960s and 70s had also sells them” perimentation on a horrific scale, de­ shown and what the surgeons of hos­ spite hundreds of 1CJD designs and pitals like National Women’s must DR BOB BOYD OF NZ HEALTH DEPT. modifications, no-one can tell an indi­ have seen as they cleaned and vidual woman the IUD she wears is patched the shattered bodies of safe. □ women wheeled through their theatre THE STATUS OF lUDs IN NEW ZEALAND PLASTIC AND OTHER N0N- tion and advice. Since IUD manufac­ MEDICATED lUDs turers have a reputation for inflating There is no statutory regulation of claims about safety and downplaying plastic ICIDs. A doctor needs no per­ complications, this is a biased and mission to insert a metal or plastic de­ unreliable source. Neither have the vice in a woman’s uterus, even one he department’s gynaecological ad­ invents himself. He can quite legally visors served it well. The Daikon come back from an overseas confer­ Shield stayed on the market in New ence with a suitcase full of samples to Zelaland after the cessation of sales in try out on his unwitting patients. the United States on the advice of the There are documented cases in New department’s consultants. Zealand of the use of the Gynekoil, In general, gynaecologists (and Mazjlin Spring, the ancient Grafen- many others working in the con­ berg Ring as recently as the early traceptive field are prone to “con­ 1970s, and the Inhiband, a stainless traceptive overkill” giving more steel ring with a high complication weight to effectiveness than safety rate. and comparing contraceptive com­ When Fertility Action wrote to Au­ power. On January 15, Dr Bob Boyd, plications (euphemistically called ckland Family Planning Association Deputy Director of Clinical Services, side-effects) with deaths from pre­ in November 1985 about its con­ said that though plastic devices “had gnancy. tinued use of the Lippes Loop, FPA been historically left behind” and Under the Official Information Act, revealed that the Saf-T-Coil plastic were “relics of the 1950s and 1960s”, the department’s file on the Mutliload device was still offered to some the reintroduction of plastic devices Cu250 IUD was requested. A letter clients, illustrating the freedom doc­ was legally permissible, and further, from the department containing the tors have to use devices without any that “There is no clinical evidence for name of the manufacturer dis­ recourse to official approval. The this department to go rushing out tributor was returned. The informa­ Health Department had no idea the saying you must not have an inert tion supplied by the distributor in sup­ Saf-T-Coil was still being used in New plastic ICID inserted. Why should we port of its application to market was Zealand. be the ones to say it when the rest of withheld under Section 8(c) of the Of­ In November, Fertility Action wrote the world still sells them”. (Bay o f ficial Information Act. No research or to the Minister of Health asking him to Plenty Times) correspondence with doctors was re­ remove the Lippes Loop from the trieved as part of this file. The depart­ New Zealand market (the Lippes COPPERlUDs ment grants approval to market on Loop came off the OS market in Oc­ The Department of Health regards all the basis that the device is used over­ tober 1985, but the makers, Johnson copper ICIDs as medicines “subject to seas. However, the department’s lack & Johnson, continue to sell it over­ the same controls as any other of action over discredited lUDs like seas); subsequently, the department medicines, including the notification asked the New Zealand distributor to the Daikon Shield and Mazjlin Spring, of any change in the product and any shows that it does not follow the lead remove the device and on 24 De­ change to the labelling. The man­ cember Ethnor wrote to all New Zea­ of overseas governmental health ufacturer or importer also has an obli­ agencies (and they are slow enough land doctors supplied announcing gation to report any substantial unto­ to act). It takes its lead from the man­ the end of Lippes Loop sales and re­ ward effects from their use, whether ufacturers. the Health Deparment has calling stock. Had the company not in New Zealand or elsewhere.” It has continually cooperated with A.H. Ro­ complied, the Director General has recently been stressing that it has bins over any plans that company has powers under the Medicines Regula­ “strict controls” of medicated lUDs. for New Zealand. (The Ministry of tions 1984, to “prevent the marketing In practice, the department exer­ Women’s Affairs is just as compliant. of medicines or medical devices cises negligible control, and relies on It recently issued from its office a which can be shown to be unsafe.” It the manufacturers and its notice on Daikon Shield claims with­ is unlikely it would have exercised that gynaecological advisors for informa­ out identifying that its source was ac­ tually A.H. Robins and that it was paid ous cases, and several of women with In 1985, a Wellington woman was for by Robins). previous cone and wedge biopsies for awarded $12,450 damages for Mul­ In asking Ethnor to remove the Lip- cervical cancer having lGDs inserted. tiload Cu250 injuries resulting in hys­ pes Loop from the market, Dr Bob Some doctors do not even follow the terectomy. This award was made on Boyd was at pains to convey that this manufacturers very liberal guidelines. the basis that the embedding of her step was not taken for “clinical IGD occurred because of perforation reasons”, but because it was “inap­ ACCIDENT COMPENSATION of the uterus at the time of insertion. propriate to continue marketing Several claims for IGD injuries have Her ACC file records five other previ­ something no longer being made”. been turned down by the Accident ous similar cases (which ACC could (The same logic was not applied in Compensation Corporation (ACC) on find when it needed them). The date January when the Cu7 was taken off the grounds that there is a “known of accident was deemed to be the the GS market, but continued to sell risk” of IGD use and therefore injuries date of insertion. in NZ). This was just about word for are not “medical misadventure." The In January this year, the Pal­ word the manufacturer’s own state­ “known risk” does not have to be merston North woman (whose case ment. known to the woman, or even her was substantially similar to the previ­ If medicated lGDs are medicines, doctor, it just has to be generally ous one) also had her case accepted one could expect that serious compli­ known in the medical community. on appeal but on different grounds cations (septic abortion, hysterec­ Yvonne Van Dongen writing for the (she had previously been turned tomy, infertility etc) would be reported NZ Times was told by Auckland ACC down on “known risk” grounds). In to the Medicines Adverse Reactions that up to 1980 claims were some­ this case, the review officer decided it Committee. However, the committee times accepted, but in 1980, ACC was a case of medical misadventure. replied to a request from Fertility Ac­ consulted a group of doctors and He accepted the definition of medical tion for 1GD complications in the past gynaecologists and from that time all misadventure established in a previ­ five years, that "we do not have any claims were rejected. ous high court decision, which said adverse reactions reported for any in­ that though the risk was known trauterine device”. The letter went on (though unlikely), the consequence to say that “many doctors may not Scores of IUDs had proved to be so “grave”, it was a realise that these particular lGDs are been invented “piece of bad fortune”, that is medical classified as medicines”. misadventure. The Health Department does not untrammeled by This success was hailed as open­ tell doctors to report complications, regulation ing the way up for women to present doctors do not report, and then Dr claims for ICb injuries other than at John Phillips, Director of Clinical Ser­ the time of insertion. However, ACC vices, announces he sees no reason compensation controller, Harry to act on banning the withdrawn Cu7 Lynch, quickly stepped in and stated because “there had been no com­ publicly that many women injured by plaints about it”! lGDs will not be eligible for compen­ In the past year, and without mak­ sation. He denied that the Palmerston ing any effort to seek cases, The North decision set a precedent, reiter­ Health Alternatives for Women and ated that there were “known risks” of Fertility Action have had over 40 seri­ IGD use and that only injuries at inser­ ous copper 1Gb cases reported to tion would be accepted. them. Two women have had success­ This completely contradicted Mr ful Accident Compensation Commis­ Oliver’s previous insistence that ACC sion (ACC) claims in the past few did not have “a blanket policy state­ months for hysterectomies following ment" on IGDS. embedment of Multiload Cu250s. Taking a case to ACC for IGD in­ Neither of these cases has been re­ juries is a minefield. Nevertheless, ported to the Medicines Adverse Fertility Action is helping a number of Reactions Committee. When Fertility Action wrote to ACC women take claims to ACC, particu­ What this adds up to, is that when it head office asking which doctors and larly Multiload cases, as this is cur­ comes to lGDs women have virtually why, it received the inadequate reply rently the only avenue of compensa­ no protection. Neither have any of the that the writer (J.A.L. Oliver) was "not tion for injuries by this IGD (the Mul­ professional medical associations aware that the corporation asked a tiload Cu250 is manufactured in Swit­ taken a position or issued any group of doctors and gynaecologists zerland, was never marketed in the guidelines on any lGDs. Some doc­ for their opinion regarding IGD GS and taking a claim appears daunt­ tors ignore or discount overseas re­ claims.” Neither could he report on ing). □ search, or if they are very pro-lGD, claims accepted or denied because cling to questionable research which “the corporation does not retain this type of separate statistical informa­ “proves” that lGDs are safe (You can Fertility Action, P.O. Box 46-148, tion”. Because of this, when a Pal­ even find research that “proves" that Herne Bay, Auckland. Ph: 764-893. the Daikon Shield is “as safe as any merston North lawyer wrote to ACC other IGD” if you want it.) There are for precedents to assist in preparing numerous cases where woman have an appeal, he was returned only his had lGDs inserted after P1D with previ­ own clients case!

18 Broadsheet, March 1986 USING WOMENS HEALTH GROUPS Ever wondered why your local

women’s health group does work the

health system should be doing,

but with no funding or paid staff? Christine Bird goes into the reasons.

In 1985 the work at the South Island’s health centre The less. We advised women that they pressure their doctors Health Alternatives for Women (THAW) increased sud­ to find exactly what was causing the infection, and whether denly in two critical areas. the treatment was correct. Frequently we “lay people” The abortion crisis in Christchurch (and therefore for diagnosed PID for women who had been given painkillers, most of the South Island (see Broadsheet Dec ’85) meant tranquilisers and lectures. Our diagnosis was confirmed that we were contacted by large numbers of desperate by doctors who took time to listen to what the women said women and people concerned on their behalf. THAW and to investigate without prejudice. Directly and indi­ compiled a report of what actually happened to women rectly we worked to prevent infection-caused infertility. who contacted us directly or through social workers and We discovered that puritanism distorted the informa­ doctors. We spent a lot of money and a huge amount of tion and help women received for pelvic infection. Some time attempting to find places for these women to go, as doctors say that multiple sex partners are the cause of PID. the backlog of women with abortion referrals transferred Though the risk is statistically higher with multiple from centre to centre. We publicised and organised a pub­ partners, many of the women we were seeing were in long lic fund for poor women whose doctors couldn’t get them term single partner heterosexual relationships or had had into their local hospital and who were unable to find only two or three partners in their lives. money for travelling. We informed doctors, health offi­ A July 1984 article in the Southern Medical Journal lists cials, the public and politicians about the effects on 16 types of bacteria that can cause PID, and to this list can women of abortion restrictions, harassment of doctors by be added two others, including the increasingly common right wing groups and of those practices that, in effect, chlamydia. Vaginal and cervical swabs don’t always pick deny women access to legal abortions. them up. Pelvic infections (P1D) and Daikon Shield injuries were IGD s can be used when you are sure your partner the interrelated second area of increased work. Some hasn’t had and won’t get an infection, that a previous part­ women with pelvic infections had had pain and other ner hasn’t given you an infection, and you don’t intend to symptoms after having surgery, some women had prob­ have children in the future — and even then you stand lems from the time they started using an IGD or from the twice the risk of infection than from other contraceptives. time they had one removed, and some women had simply In other words, most women risk side effects from IGDs. begun to feel that something was wrong but they couldn’t Along with Fertility Action, THAW pressed for a Daikon get it diagnosed. Over and over we heard the same stories Shield removal campaign, and one that would be effec­ of pelvic and back pain, problems with digestion and sex tive, that would inform women of the side effects of re­ and urinary/bowel problems. Some doctors were telling moval, advise them of the safety measures to be taken as these women that their IGDs hadn’t caused infection and well as looking at the health problems that the Shield infertility but that unstable sex lives do. But the facts show caused. We took our case to the Ministries of Consumer’s that a woman with an IGD has twice the risk of an infection, and Women s Affairs, who sent information to women’s and in the case of the Daikon shield, five times the risk. groups about their rights to make a claim, who to contact Doctors were putting women onto any antibiotic with­ for information and advice on removal. Eventually the out bothering to identify what type of bacteria was Health department accepted the Daikon Shield manufac­ causing the infection. With some strains of bacteria unre­ turer s funding and wording of the removal claim advertis­ sponsive to some antibiotics, this was worse than use­ ing.

Broadsheet, March 1986 19 THAW and Fertility Action discovered that many first request to them was made when we discovered that women were not tested for infection, or given antibacterial there were many basic women’s health problems for cover, and that some women had their ICIDs wrenched out which the department had no, or very scanty, printed in­ without anaesthetic even though they were sometimes formation for consumers. We asked for some funding aid embedded in scar tissue. We formed support groups in for photocopied information but the local Health Depart­ Auckland and Christchurch so that the physical and em o­ ment turned us down. The medical officer said that there tional traumas the women had experienced could be dis­ were many consumer health groups and if they helped cussed and hitherto repressed feelings shared. one they would have to help them all — which they could The usual work of THAW continued during the year as not do. A request from Fertility Action in Auckland for a well. We kept our office open 32 hours a week, answering grant to print pamphlets on the Daikon Shield and pre­ calls for information on a huge range of women’s health venting infertility was turned down. A later request for topics. Some required visits to medical libraries and letters wages for a part-time worker to help with the hundreds of to other consumer-based health centres. We organised women who had contacted the group needing help, was public meetings and workshops. We participated in a co­ also refused, as was their application to the Ministry of alition concerned with improving standards and choices Women’s Affairs for financial help with their bi-monthly for maternity care and birth. Shocked at discovering that newsletter. On being told that the Health Department had there was nowhere for the single homeless women who a scheme expressly for funding support groups, THAW contacted us to go, we took part in agitating for and or­ also asked for a part-time worker for the South Island net­ ganising a shelter for them. We did what we could but work of IGD-harmed women, and guess what — we were there was always much more to do, especially when many refused, of course. of the actions we took revealed inadequacies in health Not only have we been refused help every single time care. we asked for it, our existence, and certainly our problems, Where and how did we get support and help during the have been ignored. The doctor who said last year that any year? From the women who came to us or who cared woman with a Daikon Shield in place must be stupid, was about women we got great emotional support and, when later given the job of liaising between the Health Depart­ they could, donations. Three agencies gave us grants, in­ ment and those involved with the Daikon Shield issue. He cluding $1000 from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. The has not contacted THAW in any way for information or grants partially covered the costs of running the centre suggestions. and payment of one part time wage. In one instance the department has even worked to op­ There is no specific funding for women’s health pose THAW’s involvement in women’s health care. Fol­ centres. In fact, until this year’s single part-time wage, the lowing a Broadsheet article last year on THAW preventa­ few Voluntary Organisation Training Programme (VOTP) tive and self-help initiatives a Christchurch specialist com­ workers at THAW were the only workers to receive wages. plained to the local medical officer of health that we were As a valuable community organisation, THAW is used to sending women directly to the laboratory for early pre­ train women who need actual experience of community gnancy tests, and, trained by a general practitioner, were health work, but we get no payment for this and no recog­ doing swabs and PAP smears for women. Though the lab nition officially of our role and skills. There is a Social Wel­ was satisfied with our standards and happy to accept our fare Department neighbourhood support group scheme forms and tests, the medical officer rang THAW saying which funds work that covers much of what we do, but we that what we were doing was both illegal and unethical and can’t apply because we aren’t a neighbourhood group. that should we continue we would wind up in court. After We are contacted by women from all of Christchurch and consulting a lawyer and medical rgulations we discovered the South Island, and sometimes by women in the North that we weren’t doing anything illegal. The medical ser­ Island. vices division has since told us that only doctors can cor­ In our five years of hard slog we have never had the rectly interpret pregnancy test results. One imagines a GP slightest help or support from the Health Departm^Rt. Our telling a woman, “Yes, you are 33% pregnant”. In fact there

O K , IM P'S a re . S A F E , ,

20 Broadsheet, March 1986 ! h 'S W0*A£W u>k> art are three possible results — positive, negative and have executive powers. Perhaps this is as well, since only equivocal. In the last case the woman musf return a week three of their members represent consumers. Seven of later for a clear result. Then we were told that it wasn’t likely the 16 members work directly or closely with the Health that taxpayers would agree to subsidies being paid when Department and a further five are health professionals. women directly approach labs for the tests, though the Three were members of the Maternity Services Commit­ subsidies are now paid to the doctor who sends the tee which recommended the closure of small hospitals, woman to the lab, and to the lab for doing the tests. In restrictions on GP and domiciliary midwife involvement in other words it is paid twice instead of once. birth, and increased centralisation of maternity services in In all this fantastic mix of bureaucracy and sector in­ machine-dominated and drug-happy maternity hospitals. terests, women’s need for private, confidential, accessible Why are the people who must withstand political and and early pregnancy tests, as well as the link between early bureaucratic pressure, and pressure from those with spe­ testing and improved maternal and foetal health, appears cial interests, people whose careers in most cases are al­ to have been forgotten. We are careful to tell the many ready firmly within the health system and its official heirar- women who contact us for these tests exactly why we are chy? not allowed to provide them, and who is responsible for Why indeed. Goddess forbid that the Health Depart­ that. ment should work directly for women’s community health Women’s health groups share a strange conviction that groups. Instead we are expected to make submissions, their work is necessary for women. When last year the and are told that the committee’s powers have been over­ Health Department was initially reluctant to run the Dai­ estimated by consumers and that they don't have any kon Shield removal campaign, THAW and Fertility Action funds to distribute. What women’s health groups most insisted it was necessary, and we presented our case to the need is funding and the power to make changes in Ministers of Women’s and Consumer’s Affairs. The de­ women s interests. What we get is another committee to partment had said that only three, then five, or at most tell our troubles to. fewer than ten women would still have the ICID in place. In Because of their distance from women’s lives and ac­ fact after the removal campaign was run, up to November tual health needs, the heirarchy cannot discover for them­ 85, 53 women had the Daikon Shields removed. We were selves the loopholes and the inadequacies in women’s right and the department was wrong. We had said that health care. Because we are part of, and passionately women would suffer certain problems in getting the IGDs committed to women’s health experience, we know what removed and that information needed to be given to they are unable to comprehend. When they have a use for counteract these risks. Our proposals were ignored by the our knowledge then we are consulted, as long as we don’t department and subsequently we had many women con­ get direct recognition, tip and down this country there are tact THAW and Fertility Action with pain, infections and unpaid women often too poor to consult doctors or de­ complications caused by the problems we had foreseen. ntists themselves, who grind out these facts in submission During the recent abortion crisis in Christchurch (see after submission to politicians and health officials who Broadsheet December ’85) there was literally no one else build their careers on this rubble of misled expectations. for many women, doctors, and social workers to turn to for |The drones tell their grisly stories of injuries and are sur­ help when certificated women could not get onto hospital prised when no flicker of compassion appears, and they lists for their abortions. are told instead to do a lot more work for a pat on the back I believe that it is precisely because our work is so and tuppence. necessary that we are ignored and denied resources. The public health system crumbles while the private Time and time again we have illustrated how this health health system makes profits, and those too poor to com­ system fails women. Support or consultation by the medi­ pete for good health care flock in their thousands to com­ cal establishment would therefore become a tacit munity health groups. In its grabbing of resources and acknowledgement that this is so. power our health system mirrors our economic and politi­ But what about the establishment of a Women’s Com­ cal systems. It is when women are in most need, with drug mittee of the Board of Health? Doesn’t this show that the companies, health officials, vested interests and moralis­ department wants to hear from women and make tic woman-haters ranged against them, that our health changes? Well, when you have women’s comunity health system totally fails them — and this is no coincidence. groups throughout the country who are only too aware of Only women’s health groups put women and their experi­ their problems and those of the women they represent, ence first, not that of “experts ”, hospital efficiency, or pro­ naturally you turn from directly approaching them, and fit. We don t wait ten or 20 years for side-effects to surface appoint a committee to “identify needs”, “establish in research studies, we just listen to women. Every time I priorities , and advise on health services for women". hear doctors talking on the superiority of the scientific- Then you expect these groups, still unfunded and over­ method and professional approach I think of doctors who worked, to inform and keep informing this committee. In­ left Daikon Shields in 53 women, of the woman who had a stead of the Health Department directly consulting with, septic abortion with a Daikon Shield in July last year, and and being accountable to consumer groups, they have of the hundreds of women whose ICID injuries were never added another ring to the ramparts we must break reported by their doctors. through. Those in control of this health system may want to pla­ I believe that it is precisely because groups such as cate us, or they may want to divert us. But we know that THAW know the grim reality of how this health system there’s only so many rats to the race, and that we’re out of treats women, especially those without status and re- the running and trapped — by our committment to sourses, that we are denied recognition and assistance. women. It s becoming glaringly obvious to everyone just The committee has a purely advisory role and they are who does represent women’s interests, and it’s not those at pains in their first report to point out that they don’t in power. □

Broadsheet, March 1986 21 IT IS DARKEST BEFORE THE ©AWN

Women from the Palestinian Home for Muna is a tiny piece of land 30 miles long and 5 miles wide; Human Rights Campaign in there she lives with her family in a two Auckland write about the lives roomed house made of breeze o f wom en in Palestine. blocks and corrugated iron. Sharing this small strip of land with Muna are 600,000 other people; the vast major­ ity of them live in conditions of ex­ treme poverty and overcrowding and yet their most deeply felt grievance is not the lack of water, electricity and medical care. The tragedy is that they | he petrol station is lit by a are all refugees in their own land. * single lamp. Out of the They are all Palestinians living under darkness several vans can Israeli military occupation. Today the be seen approaching the Palestinians are scattered throughout station; one by one they the Middle East; the majority live in 59 stop at the entrance and refugee camps. unload their cargo of wor­ Getting arrested in the Gaza Strip, kers. Everyone is half asleep and no where Muna lives, is not very difficult. one feels inclined to start a conversa- The collection of rubbish, the sinking tion; it’s too early. The time is 3.50am. of wells, the planting of trees are all Sitting in a corner with the other punishable offences and the Israeli ■women is Muna. At eighteen, she is by law of “collective punishment" states no means the youngest worker here; that a whole family or community some of the others are only twelve may be liable for the misdeeds of one years old. Should she not find work of its members. As a result, hundreds today Muna will barely be able to pay of Palestinian families have had their her way home. Every day Muna homes destroyed by bulldozers. Fre­ spends 2-3 hours travelling in order quently they are refused permission to find work; from one day to another to remove what furniture and belong­ she has no idea where she’ll be work­ ings they have inside. Everything is ing or how much she will earn. simply reduced to rubble. After years of international media Winter at Baqa a emergency camp near starvation and Israeli military press Amman, Jordan. This is the largest of censorship relatively little is known the East Bank emergency camps, with about the conditions under which 40,000 refugees. The weather varies from summer dust storms to torrential Palestinians live in Israel and the oc­ rain in winter. cupied West Bank and Gaza Strip — Photo: Odd CIhrbom (UNRWA) the last remaining parts of Palestine

22 Broadsheet, March 1986 El Buss camp, Tyre, Lebanon, after the Arif was 23 when she was first ar­ to Israeli law, it is an offence to use Israeli invasion in June 1982. The rested. Born in the Palestinian town of red, green, white and black as domin­ woman s home has been destroyed and two o f her sons are missing. CJmm-al-Fahem, which is now part of ant colours in any painting, weaving the state of Israel, the crime that Arif Photo: George Nehmeh (CINRWA) or other art form. Why? Because they committed was embroidering a are the colours of the Palestinian flag. Palestinian flag in the local village Intissar was not so lucky — she was yet to be formally annexed by Israel. nursery and teaching pupils on the never told the reason for her deten­ In the words of one woman, to be subject. Not only is it illegal to display tion. Her interrogation lasted for three Palestinian and live under Israeli oc­ the flag of her country but, according weeks and during this time she was cupation “is like death.” Recently held severely beaten on both thighs with in jail for three weeks without trial, she Gone are those we love rods in an attempt to force her to give One eagle after another defines her reality and the reality of the names of others in her school vanished into the darkness. hundreds of thousands of Palesti­ who had participated in demonstra­ One by one they were nians in a few simple words. “1 am not tions. At the age of 15 Intissar’s ex­ allowed to read the books of my slain for having towered above the clouds. perience has left a deep impression. people, sing its songs. I am only al­ Motherland “Even if you try to forget the occupa­ lowed to eat and sleep.” for your sake tion and lead a normal life the Israelis Everyone engaged in resistance their blood was spilled won’t let you. A woman taking a sick against the Israeli authorities knows like rosary beads of rubies slip. child to the doctor is stopped at a bar­ that their families will suffer if they are Gone are those we love. ricade, people are beaten up for no­ caught. Mothers are often jailed along thing.” with their children who have been ac­ Sorrow had no voice, behold The cases of Arif and Intissar are cused of stone-throwing or the like. Sorrow flowers silence to my lips not in any way exceptional; there are Other mothers are detained for refus­ and words few Palestinian women who have not fall ing to tell of the whereabouts of their gone through similar traumas, larger much the same as their bodies fell children or for feeding them. Cases of or smaller. Coping with occupation corpses administrative detention are generally on a daily basis leaves them with “very distorted. not reported in the press though de­ little time to think about ‘women’s lib­ tention may last for a year or more what else could I say? their blood is smearing my vision. eration’. When you are under military and the inevitability of interrogation is Gone are those we love. occupation, you don’t ask for equal taken for granted by most Palestinian rights with your husband because he women. Fadwa Tuqan — bom in Nablus, Palestine. 1917. does not have any rights either,” says

Broadsheet, March 1986 23 one young Palestinian woman. “For way. This authority will not give me you in the West, women’s cir­ any reason for this denial, nor provide cumstances are a luxury to investi­ me with means to defend my case or gate. Here we’re fighting for our lives.” to challenge the denial.” Samiha was And what about Israeli women? “Is­ not only barred from travelling to raeli women helped take our country! Nairobi but she has also been refused The Israeli woman is oppressed be­ permission to visit her children. De­ cause she herself is an oppressor. spite repeated efforts made since Exceptions do exist however. Felicia 1980, Samiha has only been given Langer and Galia Golan are two such one week’s travel leave; no reason has exceptions; both are Israeli women ever been given by the Israeli au­ who staunchly support the Palesti­ thorities for their actions. “I continue nians’ right to an independent state to ask why; why am I denied permis­ but they work against enormous sion to travel? I hope it is not the aim odds. of the military authorities to block the The psychological strain of occu­ normal wish of a mother to see her pation is difficult to measure but ac­ children,” says Samiha. cording to a United Nations report, Another outspoken Palestinian that was presented at the recent Un­ nationalist and a leading figure in the ited Nations International Conference women’s movement is Zahira Kamal. on Women, the mental well-being of Being refused permission to travel to Palestinian women has deteriorated Nairobi was no surprise to Zahira. For markedly since 1967. Mass arrests, the last five years she has been prohi­ collective punishments, detentions bited from leaving Jerusalem — the without trial and deportation had led city of her birth — and at night she directly to an increase in mental dis­ must remain inside the four walls of eases. With regard to employment her house. She is not even allowed to the report stated that Palestinian stand on her verandah or outside her women receive a maximum of 50% of front door. “Rather than go out to the movies the wages of Israeli women doing equivalent work, and unlike their Is­ or the theatre and leave me by myself, A refugee for 24 years waits her turn at the members of my family have taken raeli counterparts they receive no job the United Nations Relief and Works it upon themselves to share my house security, unemployment benefits or Agency (UNRWA) distribution centre at illness compensation. As prisoners, Baqa’a camp. She had previously lived arrest. The worst thing is then the door bell rings in the middle of the as wives of prisoners, as mothers for 19 years in a refugee camp on the whose children are all in prison, or West Bank. night and it’s the police coming to dead or deported, as women and as Photo: George Nehmeh (CJNRWA) check up on me. And it hasn’t been Palestinians their isolation from the going one for only a year or two. I’ve rest of the world has had serious con­ been living this way for the past 5 years. It’s a nightmare.” sequences. “THE STRUGGLE OF As a teacher in a nearby town, Zah­ Attempts by Palestinian women to PALESTINIAN WOMEN IS ira has been granted permission to expose Israeli practices against them travel to her school every day on the in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have A N INTEGRAL PART OF OUR condition that she signs in at the frequently clashed head on with the police station before she leaves in the Israeli authorities. The latest example PEOPLE S RIGHT TO SELF- morning and she signs in again in the of this was the United Nations Interna­ afternoon. This concession was DETERMINATION, AN tional Conference on Women which granted after pressure from interna­ was held in Nairobi in July last year. INDEPENDENT STATE, AND tional organisations eg Amnesty In­ Ten Palestinian women, who were of­ ternational was applied to the Israeli ficially invited to attend the confer­ THE OPPORTUNITY TO authorities and also as a result of Zah- ence, were barred from leaving the ira’s steadfastness — for 45 days she country by Israeli authorities. They RETURN HOME TO continued teaching physics by cor­ had no recourse for appeal or legal respondence. defence and no reason was given. PALESTINE” Much of Zahira's time is spent Samiha Khalil was one of the ten working for the Palestinian Women's women. For the last twenty years she been imprisoned 6 times and for two- Work Committee. The movement’s political and social programme has headed a women’s organisation and-a-half years she was forbidden to called the Family Rehabilitation Soci­ travel outside of the boundaries of her centres around the struggle of Pales­ ety which provides literacy classes, town al-Bireh. None of her five chil­ tinian women which it believes “is an maintains daycare centres, takes care dren live with her; of the five, two were integral part of our people’s right to of children whose parents are impris­ deported and one was imprisoned. “I self-determination, an independent, oned or have died in demonstrations, am in the inhuman situation of endur­ state, and the opportunity to return» and maintains a museum of Palesti­ ing a denial of my freedom from a home to Palestine." nian craft and dress. Samiha has power that is not accountable in any “We have a refugee camp defence

24 Broadsheet, March 1986 committee which organises women Shatila camp, Beirut, 20 September before International Women’s Day in the camps to stand up for their 1982. but they still failed to avoid the Israeli rights and we have a prisoners’ de­ Photo: Courtesy United Nations (UNRWA) authorities. A police cordon was fence committee that tends to the placed around the building which need of women prisoners eg lawyers, housed the display and “everyone books, clothes. Another committee is "WHEN YOU ARE UNDER who attended had to present their ID active in trying to stamp out illiteracy cards or be photographed.” Zahira among women and we have a cul­ MILITARY OCCUPATION calls this “democracy Israeli style.” tural group and a dance troupe.” Palestinian women believe that the The political reality of occupation YOU DON’T ASK FOR EQUAL hardships they face stem largely from however is never far away. On 8 RIGHTS WITH YOUR the political reality of Israeli military March, 1984, International Women’s occupation. These same women rec­ Day celebrations were held in many HUSBAND, BECAUSE HE ognise the fact that problems of sex­ Palestinian towns, the largest of which ual stereotyping and the general di­ was sponsored by the Palestinian DOES NOT HAVE ANY lemma of women in a male-domi­ Women’s Work Committee in nated society must be addressed but Jerusalem. Hundreds of Palestinian RIGHTS EITHER" it is clear from their activities that they women travelled to Jerusalem only to believe those problems have to be ad­ find their way blocked by an Israeli Travel restriction says Zahira “are dressed within their struggle for natio­ military blockade. The purpose of the only one more link in a long chain of nal liberation, not as separate issues, blockade was to prevent all Palesti­ oppressive measures used by the Is­ and that the liberation of the whole nian women, young and old, from raeli authorities to deny Palestinians must precede liberation of the parts. reaching Jerusalem and participating basic freedom of expression, move­ “How can we demand equality, de­ in the celebrations. While they may be ment and travel.” velopment and peace from a society liberated as women, as Palestinians Last year the movement opened an perplexed by oppression and aliena­ they are still oppressed. exhibition on February 22, two weeks tion?”

Broadsheet, March 1986 25 Muna, Arif, Intissar, Samiha and Zahira all have two things in com­ Where The Palestinians Are mon; they are all women but they are Palestinians too. “As Palestinians we Today there are approximately 4.5 have no government to defend us, no million Palestinians. legal system to protect us, and no na­ 40% live within Palestine’s historical tional travel documents to give us of­ boundaries. ficial status as members of a state.” 25% live in neighbouring Jordan. Whether they are women or men, all 30% live in other Arab countries. Palestinians want to return to their 5% live outside of the Middle East eg homes and live in Palestine in Australia, Europe. peace.D In 1948 Palestine became Israel. The 1.3 million Palestinians of Palestine Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip. had their homeland taken from under This woman has been a refugee for 33 their feet and designated by the years, since her family left their home in United Nations a homeland for the Palestine as a result of the first Arab!Is­ raeli war in 1948. She lives in a two- Jews from any part of the world. room shelter in one of eight refugee While Jews were coming to live in camps in the Gaza Strip, with three gen­ Israel, the indigenous Palestinians erations of her offspring. who were forced out in 1948, set up Photo: Munir Nasr (UNRWA) home in refugee camps. In 1967, the remaining parts of Palestine were Gaza embroidery centre. Many refugee seized by Israel. women earn money in this way. Tradi­ tional Palestinian embroidery patterns are reproduced on modem table linen, blouses, shirts, dresses, cushion covers and aprons. Photo: Courtesy United Nations (UNRWA)

British Mandate 1922-1948 1967 War 1922 2,365,000 Jews now in control of the 668.000 Arabs owning 98% of the land. whole of Palestine (as well as parts of 84.000 Jews owning 2% of the land. Egypt and Syria). 2,525,000 Palestin­ ian Arabs dispersed: Recommended reading: 1946 □ 313,000 under alien rule in Israel 1.237.000 Arabs owning 94% of the 1. “My Home, My Prison” by Raymonda Tawil, Ū 640,000 in their homes under Zed Press, 1983. land. 608,000 Jews (two-thirds immi­ Israeli occupation 2. “We Shall Return” by Ingela Bendt and grants) owning less than 6% of the land. □ 540,000 refugees under Israeli James Downing, Zed Press, 1982. occupation 3. “The Untempered Wind: Forty Years in Palestine” by Christina Jones, Lonqman, □ 1,032,000 refugees in exile. 1976. Syria's Golan Heights 4. "Palestinians and their society 1880-1946" annexed by Israel in 1981. by Sarah Graham-Brown, Quartet, 1980. Egypt's Sinai Peninsula v.v returned by Israel in 1982. :::::::

26 Broadsheet, March 1986 NNEPAL

Photo: Sand Hall

induism, the ancient culture In most countries it is assumed and religion which has that the law will play some part in existed for more than 2000 HINDUISM... HAS protecting women against crimes years and is still like rape. But the national civic code predominant in Nepalese LIKENED WOMEN of Nepal (Mulki Ain) not only fails to society, has likened women give protection to women, it also to a drum and a donkey — each TOof A DRUM indirectly encourages offenders. The Hwhich has to be beaten to be useful. national code states that the rape of It has been said that a woman should AND A DONKEY — a woman who has lost her chastity not be allowed to live independently or loyalty to her husband or is and that she should be ruled over by EACH OF WHICH supposed to be a prostitute is to be men from birth to death — by her punished less severely than that of a father in childhood, her husband in HAS TO BE BEATEN chaste and honourable woman. And her youth, and her son in her old it is not difficult to understand that in age.______TO BE USEFUL a society dominated by a feudal tradition, it is very easy to falsely Adapted from Asian Womanhood, the publi­ charge a woman with having “lost cation of the Asian Students Association Women Commission, Kathmandu, Nepal. her character" in order to protect the

Broadsheet, March 1986 27 male offender. This has happened in many rape cases. Nepal is a kingdom in South Asia. It The national code contains a has a population of 15 million (1981), IF THE provision for divorce that apparently 94% of whom live in rural areas and gives the right to both men and 48.9% of whom are women. Elec­ FEUDAL CONCEPT women. But a divorced woman loses tions are held at a local level for mem­ the right to any share in her bership of the 140 member National OF A WOMAN IS A husband’s property, and the home Panchayat, which chooses the prime of her father does not have any minister. The king is an active leader SLAVE IN DISGUISE, obligation towards her once she has and can declare a state of emergency married. In practice the right of a and suspend the constitution and civil woman to a divorce is undermined rights. There are seven women in the THE COLONISED by the lack of any way she can National Panchayat legislature and support herself. four in the Raj Sabha (privy council). CONCEPT In rural areas divorce and In 1980 women were 10% of village remarriage from choice are not and town panchayats and 7.1 % of dis­ IS THAT OF A uncommon, especially among the trict panchayats; in areas where the labouring classes. But the local law does not require at least one FLOWER IN A VASE gentry (including the panchas), who woman member, women comprised are the pillars of the autocratic and 0.4% of village and 0.7% of district OR A TOY dictatorial panchayat system, make panchayats. use of the laws to threaten and exploit The minimum legal age for mar­ IN A SHOWCASE the people, generally making free riage (with guardian’s consent) is 16 choice in marriage difficult. for women and 18 for men. These Hindu culture is very strict about ages are rarely enforced, although female sexual morality and very child marriage is decreasing. The av­ erage age for marriage for women is lenient about it for males. And the the law on partition of property. In law supports this discrimination. 17. Based on 1970-78 figures the numbers of women “in union” for fact women seldom dare go to the There are countless examples of courts to seek justice in this regard. women who, bullied beyond each age group were: 20-24 years 92%; 15-19 years 60.7%; 10-14 years The real purpose of the laws is to endurance, are forced to leave their protect the feudal customs and husband’s homes and, without any 13.4%; 6-9 years 2.4%; and overall 15-49 years, 84%. traditions, which are stronger than other means of support, are forced the law itself. There are traditions into prostitution. Since the In 1980 the average per person in­ come, in United States dollar equiva­ that mean that the birth of a female government consolidated its position baby is lamented, the presence of a with a referendum in 1980 the lent, was $140. Fifty two percent of the population lived below the subsis­ girl beyond puberty in her parent’s incidence of crimes like rape, murder home is a burden, and encourage and the kidnapping of girls has tence level and 10% of the population controlled 60% of the land. the parents of a boy to get a wife for increased sharply. him because it is better for them to After one recent incident involving Information from Sisterhood is Global, edited have a daughter-in-law than a servant the rape and murder of girl students by Robin Morgan, published by Anchor Books. who demands to be paid. in Pokhara the All Nepal National A daughter-in-law, the buhari of a Free Students’ Onion (ANNFSCI) family, has to get up at dawn, clean arranged demonstrations all over the the floor and staircases, carry water country demanding investigation and cook. She must wait until every and punishment of the men involved. other member of the family has eaten The incident was hushed up because before she can. In some higher caste the men were from upper class families the first thing a buhari does families. after carrying water is to wash the Another example of discrimination feet of her husband, mother-in-law against women is the law regarding and sister-in-law and ingest the dirty bigamy. Bigamy is supposed to be water. This is to show her respect for illegal, but in practice it is illegal only and loyalty to her husband, who is for women. If a husband marries a like a god. All day she will be busy second wife, and this is not with domestic chores, she will cook uncommon, he can escape his first and clean up after the evening meal, marriage by paying a sum of money often in appalling conditions, and as a fine to the court, while the life of maybe do some massage for her the deserted woman is spoiled for mother-in-law. It is likely to be ever. The law also allows for a man midnight before she goes to bed. to marry for the second time if his She will bear children regularly every wife has leprosy; has incurable 18-24 months. This description is of venereal disease; becomes incurably and unable to walk; becomes blind the life of a young bride in a typical insane; has no live child after ten in both eyes; lives separately after middle class family. Variations do years of marriage; becomes lame (maybe) obtaining her share under exist according to different castes,

28 Broadsheet, March 1986 races, religions, regions and poverty. economic conditions. Among the The combination of feudal lower rungs of society, the labouring traditions and colonisation by masses, real love between husbands western culture has made the status and wives exists in spite of the force of Nepalese women that of a slave, a of tradition, but the typical picture is lifeless sex object. And this process the one described. is directly and indirectly supported by the law and the governm ents Nepal is a semi-colonised country and has suffered imperialist modernisation like so many others. In mid-1985 Laxmi Shrestha married The once-proud Gurkha tradition, Prayag Raj Shrestha, in what was for example, has been corrupted by thought of as a “love marriage”. But powers outside Nepal, with the from the time Laxmi went to her hus­ cooperation of the Nepalese band’s home in Kathmandu she was government, into a mercenary soldier ill-treated by family members. One service. Young men go away as day, three months after her marriage, soldiers to fight others’ wars and her father-in-law tried, unsuccess­ those who are not killed or seriously fully, to rape her. He dowsed her with wounded return with an alien culture. kerosene and set light to her. She was Their black leather jackets, rescued and taken to hospital but wristwatches and transistor radios died a week later. are very attractive to the young village The Women’s Commission of the women of a poor country. There is Asian Students Association in Nepal an obvious difference between a is concerned at the lack of action on peasant boy in the village and a the case by the Nepalese govern­ lahuray (soldier) returned from A Potters' town near Kathmandu Photo: Peta Joyce ment. They see this as symptomatic foreign lands on leave. Tales of Prostitution is not legal but it of attitudes to women and the protec­ “heavenly foreign lands” make the certainly exists and is a major social tion of men, particularly those of the young women easy prey to those problem. A woman may be forced ruling castes. They have protested to engaged in luring or kidnapping into prostitution if her husband the prime minister of Nepal and beautiful girls and selling them to rejects her and she is left homeless, asked for immediate punishment of men in the cities. if she becomes a widow without any those concerned, compensation, and In the cities the impact of support, if she loses her social for all the facts of the case to be made colonisation by other cultures is prestige through being raped, if she public. They are asking for support by even stronger. If the feudal concept falls into the hands of men engaged way of letters to the prime minister, of a woman is a slave in disguise, the in selling young women to Council of Ministers, Singh Durbur, colonised concept is that of a flower prostitution centres, or simply Kathmandu, Nepal. □ in a vase or a toy in a showcase. through the conditions of sheer

from page 13 for anything and if in court you Pakehas have shown “hostility uhiri (visitors) and should between race relations and are seven times less likely to and ill will” towards Maori leave, that is a provocation and freedom of speech issues.” be found guilty than any people for more than 150 a challenge, but it is not a ( Herald 15 January 1986) Maori... “...We’re 75% of the years, yet when a Maori threat because they do not They feel that complaints women in prisons, 100% of woman challenges pakeha have the power to enforce it. It made under this section are the 15-year olds in borstal, culture and presents a Maori cannot be acted on in the lit­ forcing them to “act as Cen­ 85% of us haven’t got any edu­ vision it is suggested that it eral sense, because pakehas sors”. We also see this as a real cational qualifications at all.” danger. It is very easy for those If the Treaty of Waitangi had MAORI SOVEREIGNTY RACIST? in charge to see criticism in been upheld Maori people ways that allow them to dis­ would not have been oppres­ might be “unlawful under the have the power (unlike the so- miss it. Maori Sovereignty is sed as a race, robbed of their RRA”. It looks as though the called Samoan “overstayers”) critical of pakehas and pakeha land and culture, they would act is being used to protect to say, “No, 1 won't go”, and culture, it does challenge and be acting from a position of pakehas from Maori chal­ stay. So it’s a challenge to provoke. But to use the RRA strength. The RRA was actu­ lenges to our monocultural pakehas to look at the re­ against it, in favour of protect­ ally a token effort by Keith society. sources and power we have ing pakeha sensibilities is a Holyoak’s National govern­ The law recognises the got and how we are using travesty of the act. ment in 1971 to satisfy the re­ rights of all groups but fails to them. A defensive, knee-jerk, Maori people can act on quirements of the United Na­ acknowledge the power im­ “How dare they?” reaction al­ their visions for themselves (te tions International Convention balance between certain lows us to avoid actually think­ kohanga reo, for instance) but on the Elimination of all groups. If the government ing about the rest of what they have the “power” only to Forms of Racial Distrimina- says Samoans are allowed to Donna is saying. We can be of­ criticize and challenge pakeha tion. stay in New Zealand only fended and everything can culture and try to make it If the RRA is to protect indi­ under certain conditions, they stay the same. change itself. Legislation that genous and minority groups have the power to enforce that, Staff at the RRO are con­ can be used to prevent the against unfair treatment and as they have done. If a Maori cerned about the use of sec­ challenges being made is, injustice, why does it also says that New Zealand is Maori tion 9A of the act as its word­ simply, unjust.D function against them? land and all pakehas are man- ing tends to “set up a conflict

Broadsheet, March 1986 29 WHEN < • * INDIAN >•/*'* OHEN ARE F*/'#» i NOT Susan Grimsdell talked to Indian Women in Canada about B ill C-31

Nations Human Rights Commttee. The Committee agreed that she was being denied the right to enjoy her II ff n iinrnif nmnuinninni own culture by the terms of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. However, because was bom on an these things were not talked about.” Canada had become a signatory to JULIE Indian reserva­ Julie feels very bitter that her non- this Covenant only after Sandra had tion in British Columbia, Canada. Indian sister-in-law can live on the lost her Indian status, she again lost Her parents and all her ancestors are reserve and has a say at council her case. Indian. Yet by Canadian federal law, meetings on matters that affect At last, in June 1985 the Canadian Julie is not Indian because when she Indians, yet she, a native-born Indian government passed a new bill (Bill married she chose a non-Indian woman, cannot. C-31) to change this clause in the man. She lost her Indian status, she Indian women agitated for more Indian Act. A praiseworthy display of was denied the right to live on the than 20 years to change this sexually enlightenment on the part of federal reserve and to participate in the affairs discriminatory clause in Canada’s politicians? Hardly. Earlier in 1985 a of the band. She lost access to the Constitution Act. One woman, new Canadian Charter of Rights and special benefits accorded to Indian Jeannette Lavell, went to the courts Freedoms that had been in the people in the fields of health care, in 1970 in an effort to overturn the making for several years finally came housing, education and employment. decision to strike her off the band list into force. Immediately it became Julie is no longer an Indian. because of her marriage to a non- apparent that continued On the other hand, Julie’s brother Indian. She was successful at lower discrimination against Indian women who also married a non-Indian, court level, but on appeal by the would violate this charter. Most retained his status and his wife gained Federal Government to the Supreme embarrassing. Under this extreme Indian status with all its associated Court of Canada the lower court form of pressure the Constitution rights. decision was overturned. was changed and Bill C-31 was Julie described her reaction when In 1976 Sandra Lovelace went to passed. she realised her position: “I was the Supreme Court seeking The Bill permits women such as shocked to find I had no more rights. reinstatement as an Indian following Julie (and 16,000 others in the same 1 hadn't known that this would the dissolution of her marriage to a position) to apply for reinstatement happen. I was living with my sister in non-Indian man. When she lost her as Indians. First generation children another province at the time, and case she took the matter to the United of expelled Indian women also are

30 Broadsheet, March 1986 given the right to apply for status. rules (until July, 1987). discrimination against women many The Bill now prevents the gain or It is quite possible that the bands band councils may not accept that loss of status by the act of marriage. themselves will perpetuate the women who have newly regained On the face of it, it appears that inequality of Indian women by status should have full membership the struggle is over and the battle excluding them from band as well. Limited government grants has been won, but things are never membership. Ninety-eight per cent to Indian bands will have to be that easy. Deborah Jacobs, Co­ of chiefs and 90% of councillors are stretched more thinly. This will ordinator of the Professional Native male. A large majority of bands in inevitably cause resentment and Women’s Association, applied for the province of Alberta have declared resistance. and regained status as a Squamish themselves not in favour of The women whose rights are at Indian. “A house became vacant on reinstating women as band issue are widely scattered and, in the Squamish Reserve so I arranged members. comparison with male leaders, they to rent it. When I moved in with my The Cariboo Tribal Council (British are powerless. The P.N.W.A. and husband there were a lot of tremors Columbia) has said, “Unless we other women’s groups are fighting in the community. People said, “Look receive extra housing money it’s hard to inform all Indian women, in at her, bringing her non-native going to put quite a hardship on the the hope that by joining together husband to live here.” White women band if in fact we welcome these they will at last be able to take their were accepted in quite readily, but I people back.” The implication is place on an equal footing with Indian was resented even though 1 was a clear. men. Whether or not they succeed native-born Squamish woman. We Because of the accustomed remains to be seen. □ have this internalised prejudice to fight. It’s not so easy just to go back and join the band. “Recently we organised a meeting to show Indian women how to go about applying for reinstatement. At the meeting there was a raw, overwhelming feeling of being alienated and isolated on the part of these women, some of whom had lost their status as much as 20 years ago. The women were pretty morbid about it, knowing that they wanted to rejoin their families, but wondering, “will 1 really be Squamish again?”” Ardyth Cooper, President of the P.N.W.A. described the attitude of some Indian men. “If you have chosen to marry a non-native man the Indian men seem to resent you, perhaps because they feel you have rejected them, that you think non- Ardyth Cooper (left) and Deborah Jacobs in the offices of the Professional Native Womens Association. Indian men are better. 1 experience WHEN MY SISTER AND I At one time we were self-conscious and shy. We die put-downs all the time from Indian know what to do with our han men. 1 find this sort of thing very DANCE Too soon from the city, we cared more about the thir hard to combat because it’s usually When my sister and I dance with the drum, it is sacred to around us, not knowing the value of what lay dorm. us, so we take a long time to prepare ourselves. The insi in the form of glances, tone of voice, dresses that we wear are special, so we wear them only Our mother, so wise with age, so gentle with wor use of language — too subtle to when there are good feelings, when we are among our told permit confrontation.” own people. “Never mind who might be watching you — you i Hers is made of elk, by our grandmother, “Coupe" not there for them. Remember that when you dance, y Attitudes of Indian men will have smoked brown, decorated with iyute, shells and long are building your road. The circle that you follow is yc an important effect on the rights fringe. When she Wears that dress she carries the pride life. When you dance, pray for a good strong road ahe accorded to reinstating women. Bill of all our people, in the rhythm of her footsteps, when Pray for all the bad things to be taken out of your w she walks in time with the heart-beat of all our people. Dance hard — Napika likes Indians to dance hard C-31 grants status, but leaves the Mine is white, deerhide, made by my mother when I to sing loud. That makes the spirits happy and they question of membership in the band was just fifteen. We've been together a long time now. It’s answer your prayers. Never be ashamed that you are up to the bands themselves. There is the most beautiful dress I own. For years I never wore Indian — Be Prou that dress, when I ran away and carried it to the city. Now When my sister and I dance our feet barely touch- a difference between status and sometimes I feel as though I’m putting it on for the first ground. The only sounds we hear are the drums and membership. Status confers the time, still discovering bits and pieces of myself. heartbeat of our peoj right to federal assistance in health We decorate our hair with quilled and beaded Some songs are so powerful they make my heart flut ornaments and rabbit hair ties, each hair smoothed and want to fly away. Then I hold the feathers high, 1 f and education, but it is only straight over our heads — to clear our minds. the rush of the wind beneath the wings of the eagle, lift membership that gives the right to I wear the lovely shell that Derek made and the cape my spirit to that place beyond the sky. My feet bai and shawl of our grandmothers'. touch the ground when the sacred circle and 1 are o hold land on the reserve, to share in She wears our grandmother’s beads and always It is at these times when I truly know who I am, v the assets of the band and to borrows my winter shawl. there is life inside, where it flows and from where it car participate in the running of the We wear high-top mocassins, Kootney style and carry Then everything is me is a cry that echoes Thank y eagle feather fans. Carefully we inspect one another, Thank you Thank you for bringing me home, for bring band’s affairs. The bands have been then we are ready to dance. me back to life ag< given two years to decide their own Vera Man

Broadsheet, March 1986 31 2732, Auckland. All women Helke Sanders, West Germany WONAAC needs support to welcome. 1977. counter activities of anti-abor­ Patu! Dir: Merata Mita, NZ , AUCKLAND GAY-LESBIAN tion groups who are picketing WHAT'S 1983. clinics and hassling both staff WELFARE — require tele­ phone counsellors. Anyone in­ See Film Society programme and clients. PLEASE HELP. terested in applying for this for further details. Available at Contact Di, Wgtn 861-857, or NEW the bookshop. year’s training programme Helen, 848-541. Summer please write to P.O. Box 3132 meetings will resume in Feb­ WELLINGTON — VICTORIA or Ph 33-584. ruary. UNIVERSITY — WOMEN’S W ORKSHOPS MEETINGS STUDIES COURSES Issues in Women’s Health: SEXCIAL ABGSE OF CHIL­ April 5, An Overview from the DREN SEMINAR — is being Women’s Committee on — Barbara Brookes. held on 10 March 9.00am to Health 3.00pm, at Freeman's Bay May 3, The Politics of — Hazel Community Centre. Miriam Women's Health Armstrong. June 7, The Saphira will discuss issues of — power, control and powerless­ Health of Maori Women ness. Bring your own lunch. Elizabeth Murchie. July 5, Vio­ Contact Cornwall Park Recep­ lence and its Effects on tion Centre for further details Women's Health — Rosem­ — Ph 500-959, Auckland. ary Barrington. August 9, Self- help Groups for Women's — Panel. AUCKLAND WEA COURSES — FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS — two Health WOMAN ZONE, Wellington’s 5 mornings, Saturdays beginning in March: ordained priestesses of the feminist radio programme. 9.30am to 12.30pm. — Economics for beginners, Fellowships are planning a Access Radio, 783 kHz, Sun­ Monday 3, 7pm (8 sessions) centre for Aotearoa to guide For further information day mornings at 10, followed contact Beverley Morris 92 — Women and Work, Tues­ those interested in developing by the Lesbian programme at Fairlie Terrace, Wellington, day 4, 7pm (5 sessions) their spiritual selves via the 11. The Woman Zone collec­ Ph. 758-677. — Mathematics in Everyday path of the Great Earth tive needs new members, so life, Tuesday 4, 7.30pm (10 Mother, The Goddess of Pre- phone the Access office, 721- sessions) Christian times; the revival of 777, if you’re interested in — HZ Political Music Work­ her rites, worship and teach­ being involved. No previous shops, Thursday 13, 7.30pm ings. A healing centre is also radio experience necessary, (ongoing) proposed. Interested people to just lots of pro-women interest — Tutor Training I Basic contact Kate or Jan, SAE P.O. and energy. Women's Studies, Wednes­ Box 3089, Mahora, Hastings. day 5, 7.30pm (10 sessions) MAORI WOMEN’S HAPPEN­ SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON INGS. Contact Anaria, Wgtn — Women, Tramping and YWCA (AUCKLAND) — Sum­ WOMEN, Wellington branch. 887-842 Bushcraft, Saturday 15,10am mer Programme of Work­ Phone Kay Switzer, 766-468, (Day and Weekend Tramps to shops and courses is available for details of forthcoming follow) on request from the YWCA of­ HUI WAHINE’86 14, 15, 16 meetings. — Making Changes — Self fice, Ph. 778-763 or call in at March, Waipatu Marae, Hast­ ings. Contact Runangu Esteem for Women, Monday 10 Carlton Gore Road, Graf­ YWCA. Early in 1986 the Y is ton. 17, 7.30pm (6 sessions) Wahine ki Heretaunga, P.O. moving to its new office in Viv­ Box 5097, Flaxmere, Hast­ — Woodwork for Women ian Street. Activities continue WOMEN’S DANCE at Ponsonby (Beginners) Saturdays 8/15/ ings, phone Hastings 799- as usual — for information Community Centre, Auckland 102. 22, 10am (3 day sessions) — phone 850-505 or write P.O. on Friday 7 March, pm, to beginning in April. 8 Box 9563, Wellington. celebrate International — Screenprinting, Saturday Women’s Day. Alcohol free 19, 9.30am (one day work­ LESBIAN CLUB. Social night dance. All women welcome. shop) every Friday. Ring W omen’s — The Politics of Reproduc­ Place bookshop, 851-802, for AUCKLAND FILM SOCIETY of­ tion, Tuesday 29, 7.30pm (8 venue and information. fers a full programme from sessions) February 10 to November 19 — Issues for Men to do with “ALTERNATIVE” FESTIVAL, at Epsom Teacher’s College WOMEN AGAINST PORNOG­ Violence, Two Sunday Work­ WELLINGTON. 15-23 March, and the Art Gallery Au­ RAPHY, P.O. Box 475 Wel­ shops 20/27 featuring the Storm Sisters, ditorium. Benefits for mem­ lington. Contacts: Jennie Ful­ — Shattering the Myths — Reg and Shell (Lucy Sheehan bers include reduced rates for ton, 863-217, evening: Ruth Women and Violence in HZ, and Augusta McDonald), Vital students and unemployed, Charters, 847-963, day. one day workshop for Statistics, Debra Bustin, Helen participation in the Society's Women. Moulder. Enquiries to Arts activities including 70 films, a — Rogernomics — an Centre, 849-643, or check monthly newsletter and jour­ analysis two evenings pre­ newspapers. nal, and prearranged dis­ senting a variety of viewpoints. A YA \ m \ counts for the film festival in For full programme details July. Women’s films are: THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN’S contact WEA, 21 Princes St, A Girls Own Story, Dir: Jane AFFAIRS, 3rd floor, Com­ Auckland. Ph. 732-030. VISUAL DIARIES, artists’ Campion, Australia 1983. books. Two 2-day practical merce House, 126 Wakefield WOMEN AGAINST PORNOG­ Smartgransen (Beyond Sor­ workshops, 1 -2 March and 4-5 St, Wellington (opposite the RAPHY Meets every second row, Beyond Pain), Dir: March, Wellington City Art old Town Hall), 734-112. Monday at WEA 21 Princes St. Agneta Elers-Jarleman, Gallery, 65 Victoria Street. For information contact Sweden 1984. $35. Ring Gallery for informa­ RAPE CRISIS CENTRE. Train­ Denise 788-500 (h) or 765- Redupers — the All-Round tion, 720-230. Numbers li­ ing courses for telephone 266 (w) or write to P.O. Box Reduced Personality, Dir: mited. counsellors being held, ph.

32 Broadsheet, March 1986 730-110 for details. HAMILTON — UNIVERSITY OF raphical statement. Official WAIKATO — CENTRE FOR deadline 1 March 1986, how­ CONTINUING EDUCATION ever late submissions will be WOMEN’S STUDIES ASSOCIA­ offers five public women’s accepted. TION, Wellington branch. programmes. Contact Anne Else, 759-958, — Revolutionary Change: CARICATURE-COMPETITION about summer meetings. Moving Beyond Oppression, for Half of Heaven — Wednesday evening from Women’s everyday life in the MEDIA WOMEN, Contact Ally March 12. Ann Magee will men’s world. Interested Webber, 849-307, or Diane facilitate a four week series WOMEN’S REFUGES. Starting people are asked to contri­ Gilliam-Knight, 666-969 examining the subjugation of soon: training programme for bute. The 20 most interesting (work) for information. women and the possibilities new volunteers. If you have contributions will be chosen for and paths to liberation sometime and energy to spare by a jury and will be awarded from a socialist-feminist view­ and would like to help battered 300 DM each. By submitting CHRISTCHURCH — THE point. cartoons the participant con­ HEALTH ALTERNATIVES FOR women and children, contact — Women and the Law, your local refuge for details. sents to the showing of her WOMEN — NEW SUPPORT Tuesday evenings from March work in the exhibition and in a GROUPS 1 1 , introducing legal issues ARE YOU A PART-TIME catalogue. One or several cari­ that affect women. These in­ WORKER? The National Advis­ catures and cartoons are re­ clude family law, the law con­ ory Council on the Employ­ quested until 30 March 1986, cerning violence, sexual har- ment of Women is working to to EXILE — Office of Culture, rassment, the Bill of Rights, enhance the status of part- Niederstr. 5, D-4100 Duisburg wills, consumer law, contracts, time workers. Contact your 1, BRD/West Germany. tenancy, buying a house, the nearest Dept of Labour office law as it affects women on for a free pamphlet. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN AR­ their own and making the legal TISTS ARCHIVES requests in­ system work for you. formation on New Zealand — Post Natal Depression — Residential Weekend for women artists, particularly Group — Meets at 196 Col­ Women Tutors, on March 1/2 Maori and Polynesian women ombo Street on a weekly at Whale Bay, for women PART-TIME artists. Women are encour­ basis. Ph. 325-388 for further working with women in com ­ aged to establish contact with details. munity education. This is an the Archive themselves. — Compulsive Eating Group opportunity to network, share WORKER? Further details'can be ob­ — Meets on a weekly basis, skills and ways of working, dis­ THIS IS FOR YOU tained from the Archive, P.O. evenings, for a twelve week cuss the work we do and why Box 600, Hadley, Mas­ therapy programme. Women we do it, our role as feminists sachusetts 01035, C.S.A. are recommended to read Fat and replenish for the year is a Feminist Issue by Susie ahead. EXHIBITIONS Orbach. Ring THAW for de­ — Making it Work: Women in tails. On Friday Trade Unions, REAL PICTURES — “Som e­ — Risingholm Women s evening March 14 and Satur­ one’s Scheming” reflecting — Meets Mon­ Support Group day March 15, designed for concern for our city’s build­ days at Risingholm Commun­ women who want to become ings under Auckland’s rapid ity Centre, 1 -3pm. Crech avail­ effective in their unions. change. Eleven photo­ able, Ph. Jane at 327-359. For further information CONTRIBUTIONS graphers look at aspects of — Support for Women with contact Gillian Marie, Ph. 62- this rapid building develop­ Partners in Prison — 889 ext 4706. CONDITIONS: THE INTERNA­ ment. Women who have been in WAHINE TOA Fashion show TIONAL WOMEN’S ISSUE seek — “ 15 Minutes of Fame”, prison are also welcome. Reg­ by and for big women. Made manuscripts of Poetry, Short Maria Rolfe’s works in colour ular meetings offer emotional individually and with imagina­ Fiction, Novel excerpts, present the life of a local band support, information and tion by Hinewirangi Kohu. Fifty Drama and other creative behind the scenes and on practical assistance for garments will be auctioned, forms (Journal entries, ex­ tour. Real Pictures is located women involved. Ring Prison­ followed by a concert, and the cerpts from Correspondence, on 3rd Floor, His Majesty’s Ar­ ers Aid and Rehabilitation introduction of Screaming Translation, Interviews) as well cade, 171 Queen St, Auck­ 389-229 or Anna Thorpe 791- Moko, Hinewirangi's latest as Critical Articles on the land. 660 ext 526 for further details. book of poetry, to Waikato/ Women’s/Lesbian move­ — Daikon Shield or IUD?— If Maniapoto. Dancing, food, ments and institutions, issues FUNDRAISING you are having unexplained stay overnight. Held at Turan- involving race, class, age and pain, infection, cramps or gawaewae Marae. April 5/6. aspects of lesbian relation­ other distressing symptoms Phone Parihaka, Hamilton ships. Book review essays are and use or have used an ICID Maori Women's Centre, welcome. Photographers and contraceptive device, please 80341 for details. other visual artists are encour­ phone us at THAW 796-970. Price $30. Tickets and infor­ aged to submit any work ap­ — Support Groups — THAW mation from Parihaka, Maori propriate for an 8V2” by 5” WOMEN’S CO-OPERATIVE will take names of women who Women's Centre, Hamilton, perfect bound, black and BAKERY organised a famine want to join existing support Phone 80341 or Broadsheet. white format. Work in any lan­ relief concert with the Topp groups, or who want to start guage may be submitted if ac­ Twins. During the concert new ones. THAW also have companied by an English Linda Topp’s $900 guitar was contact numbers of women translation. Manuscripts stolen. The Women’s Bakery who have offered to talk with should be typed and double­ has organised a collection to other women on an individual spaced when possible. Send replace the guitar and would basis to offer support to manuscripts and artwork to: be happy to receive any dona­ women who have had hys­ Conditions, P.O. Box 56 Van tions at the Bakery at 401 terectomies, menopause, Brunt Station, Brooklyn, New Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn, Au­ abortions, IUD problems etc. York 11215, G.S.A. SAE to be ckland between 9-5 Thursday, Ph. 796-970. enclosed plus a-brief biog­ Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Broadsheet, March 1986 33 FICTION WHEN WOMEN WRITE IN one’s own rites, and shows bility of lesbians and of sub­ NORTHLAND how these rituals and excer- jects of concern to lesbians in This collection of short stores, cises are linked to psychologi­ the classroom. Here are per­ WAHINE KAITUHI — articles and poems is the con­ cal states. Goddess religion sonal experiences of lesbians WOMEN WRITERS OF tribution of Northland writers can become the means of ex­ in academia, stories of com ­ AOTEAROA to “Women’s Work, a Celebra­ panding awareness, tapping ing out to colleagues and to Compiled by Spiral tion of Women’s Creativity,” a creativity and encouraging students, as well as thoughtful This catalogue of books writ­ festival organised by the community. essays on what happens in the ten by women writers in New Whangarei Community Arts Harper & Row, pbk $31.95 classroom. A challenge to Zealand has been prepared by Council in October 1985 to THE POLITICS OF academic feminists to re­ Spiral who were responsible mark the end of the United Na­ examine their teaching and for the publishing of Keri WOMEN’S SPIRITUALITY tions Decade for Women. Edited by Charlene scholarship. Provides new Hulme’s The Bone People. It Whangarei Community Arts Spretnak material for classes. focuses on women who usu­ Council, pbk $9.95 The essays in this collection The Feminist Press, hbk ally write fiction (including $13.95. children’s fiction), poetry or trace the rise of spiritual power plays with particular attention within the feminist movement. The values and perceptions SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE to Maori writers. Each woman SPIRITUALITY PRIME OF LIFE contributed either a state­ presented constitute a holistic paradigm; "a dynamic model Dodici Azpadu ment, an extract of writing or “I can’t believe they’re going to information provided by pub­ THE SECRETS OF THE for the postpatriarchial era.” TAROT let one of us bury the other in lishers. Most Maori writers give The authors advocate collec­ Barbara G. Walker tive action fuelled by a strong peace.” A fiftieth birthday toast details of their tribal affilia­ by Neddie to her lover, Lindy. tions. This collecltion de­ Barbara Walker probes the sense of personal power and origins, history and sym­ its elemental source to enact And, as it turns out, they’re not. monstrates the variety and After twenty-six years balanc­ quality of creative writing by bolism of Tarot — the history change and lead humankind of its pagan roots and Christ­ beyond the patriarchal politics ing a carefully constructed, women in New Zealand. fragile world of their choosing, Spiral, pbk $4.50 ian adaptations to the modem of hierarchy and separation. implications of the Tarot. The Contributors include Margot the two women face a new relationship between the Tarot Adler, E.M. Broner, Judy hurdle. Concetta, the proud CAST TWO SHADOWS and aging Sicilian-American Joan Rosier-Jones and matriarchia! roots and Chicago, Mary Daly, Sally female sexuality is examined. Gearheart, Judy Grahn, Robin mother of Neddie, is making Emma’s mixed Maori/Yugos- motions of reconciliation after lav origins cause intense isola­ Barbara Walker provides new Morgan, Marge Piercy, Ad­ renderings of all the cards rienne Rich. Ntozake Shange, thirty years of rejecting her tion. This novel traces her life daugher and her lifestyle. from her traumatic childhood based on her research and in­ Starhawk, Gloria Steinem and sights. Each of the major sym­ many others. Aunt Lute Book Company, and teenage years to her adult pbk $11.95 strivings to be accepted as bols is examined in detail in­ Anchor Press/Doubleday, pbk white and middle-class, until cluding methods for laying out $37.00 the cards for personal medita­ GOOD FRIENDS, JUST the final crisis point in her life Ann Leaton when, as her marriage is dis­ tion and self-exploration. ASTROLOGERS Harper & Row, pbk $32.50. Maddy is in love with Geor­ solving and her sense ofiden- NOTEBOOK gina, but only with her neck tity is crumbling, she comes to 10 March 1986 - 21 March and shoulders, the rest of her terms with her dual heritage. THE SPIRAL DANCE 1987 Starhawk leaves a great deal to be de­ Cast Two Shadows is strong A Southern and Northern sired, particularly her pen­ and compelling. Hodder and The Spiral Dance is a highly Hemisphere play and work­ chant for the opposite sex. We informative, poetic, and ex­ Stoughton, pbk $17.95 book for sisters, witches, god­ encounter this less than per­ tremely readable overview of HEART ATTACK AND desses and students of astrol­ fect couple, with their Turkish the growth, suppression and ogy in all time zones of planet friends Gunzel and Melek, on OTHER STORIES modern-day reemergence of Joy Cowley earth. Includes: Aotearoa what is meant to be an idyllic witchcraft as a religion with Maori Lunar Calendar, Inter­ Joy Cowley is the author of five week’s holiday in Izmir. special relevance to the national Days and Times of novels and several children’s The Hogarth Press, pbk women's movement. Celebration, Maps of Planetary books, and has also estab­ $8.95. Starhawk, a priestess of the positions, aspects and moon lished a reputation as an excel­ Old Religion, makes clear that phases at autumn/spring PRISM lent short story writer. This col­ this is a sophisticated spiritual equinoxes, winter/summer Valerie Taylor lection of fourteen finely and psychological system, the solstices, solar ingresses, new Who said “Life begins at 40?” crafted stories represents the roots of which go back to the moons, full moons and other For Eldora it began at 60, best of the author’s work. Stone Age. The Goddess is special events. Moonsnake when she met Ann, a closeted Every story begins “with an at­ perceived as expressing the Publications, pbk $15.50. dyke who had retired from her tack on the heart. The impact wholeness of life, the Divine job and traded the hustle of may come from pleasure or made manifest in the world. pain, from self or other ... All LESBIAN big city life for the solitude of a Rituals described include cast­ small town to live out her re­ the stories in this collection ing the circle, raising the cone maining years. In her previous spring unbidden in response of power, invoking the God­ LESBIAN STUDIES: PRE­ novels Valerie Taylor de­ to emotion which could not be dess and God, and reaching SENT AND FUTURE scribed what it was like in our otherwise contained." trance states. The book also Margaret Cruikshank youth and middle years. Now Hodder and Stoughton, pbk gives spells, chants, invoca­ A collection that goes a long $16.95 she brings us a tender story of tions and advice on creating way toward ending the invisi­ two “mature" women who dis-

34 Broadsheet, March 1986 cover that love and sex and interviews, this powerful book Carmody Braque. And she what mothers of young chil­ dreams are not just for the describes black women’s knew there was only one way dren believe about mothering, young. celebration of their culture and she could save him: by chang­ how they experience it and Naiad Press, pbk $12.25. their struggle to create a new ing over — using her latent how the current ‘ideology’ of social order. supernatural powers. motherhood affects their lives HEAT LIGHTNING Virago, pbk $15.50. Magnet, pbk $5.95 and their roles in the family Heather and in society. In this new book, Heather at­ SINGIN’ AND SWINGIN’ THE CATALOGUE OF THE Allen & Gnwin, pbk $35.95. tacks the issues of mother­ Maya Angelou UNIVERSE hood, romance, sex, race, fat At twenty-one Maya Angelou’s Margaret Mahy DESPAIRWORK and work; weaving the poems life has a double focus — Margaret Mahy has succeeded Joanna Macy together to trace the story of music and her son. Working in in writing a psychological thril­ This book provides a tested the ups and downs of a a record store to support both, ler alongside a tale of ghosts structure for dealing with feel­ woman’s daily life. If you've she is on the edge of new and magic. The strange pic­ ings of despair for our future. ever spent a day going er­ worlds: marriage, show busi­ tures of the mind invade with “The greatest danger to rands, or washed dishes, or ness and a triumphant tour of terrible clarity the ordinary human survival is not nuclear worked an eight to five job, or Europe and North Africa. geography of daily life. And the holocaust or destruction of the fallen in love with someone There are setbacks and disap­ warm th and closeness that biosphere, but our massive you weren’t supposed to, pointments, but energy and a underlie the vigorous family denial of these threats, our you'll find your experience re­ profound confidence in her dialogues bare not race of blind immersion in business- flected here. ability to survive keep Maya sentimentality. Margaret Mahy as-usual, and our culture’s Black Widow Publictions, pbk bouyant. A joyful celebration has produced another rich taboo against expressions of $9.95. of music and dance, travel and story which is at the same time despair.” This work is a re­ friendship. This is the third vol­ medy for collective paralysis. TRACKING OUR WAY intellectually stimulating. J.M. ume of Maya Angelou’s au­ Dent & Sons Ltd, pbk $ 17.95. New Society Publishers, pbk THROUGH TIME tobiography. $7.00 A LESBIAN HERSTORY Virago, pbk $12.95. CALENDAR/JOURNAL NON FICTION Edited by Janet Soule SASSAFRASS, CYPRESS & MANUSHI 260 spiral-bound pages of: — INDIGO A journal about women and hundreds of lesbian facts — Ntozake Shange THE IDEOLOGY OF society in India. Single issues 100 lesbian photos — dozens Ntozake Shange has created a MOTHERHOOD available at the bookshop. An­ of lesbian quotes — myriad dazzling evocation of black Betsy Wearing nual subscriptions, (five is­ lesbian graphics American culture. This is the This book demystifies sues) $25.00. Dated by month and date story of three black sisters and motherhood by investigating only; not restricted by days of their mama from Charleston, the week. Full 6” x 9” size in South Carolina. Sassafrass, easy-to-handle spiral-bound the eldest, a poet and a weaver format for continuous use as like her mother; Cypress, the an engagement calendar and/ dancer; Indigo, the youngest, ORDER FORM or journal. has the gift of seeing the Please send these books: Sandpiper Books, pbk $ magic of the world. This first novel reveals the writer’s mag­ ical command of the storytel­ BLACK WOMEN ler’s art. Methuen, pbk $10.95. THE HEART OF THE RACE; BLACK WOMEN’S LIVES IN BOOKS FOR BRITAIN YOUNGER READERS Beverley Bryan, Stella Dadzie & Suzanne Scafe The Heart of the Race docu­ THE TROUBLE WITH MUM My name is: .. ments the lives of Afro-Carrib- Babette Cole My address is: bean women in Britain over A delightful story about the ad­ the past forty years. Here are ventures of an unconventional grandmothers drawn to the Mum. Fontana Picture Lions, I enclose (including $1.00 packing and postage per book) $ “mother country” in the 1950s pbk $4.95. by the promise of a new life, talking of what the reality has THE RED OVERALLS been; young girls describe Jane Buxton their schooling in a culture An enchanting children’s story SUBSCRIPTION which largely ignores their as­ about a young girl and her pirations; working women tell favourite possession — her I would also like a $27 subscription for myself o. for my friend o. to of their commitments to red overalls. families, jobs, communities. Concept Marketing, pbk sustain Broadsheet $40 □, other rates on the Contents page: ...... These women discuss their $6.95. treatment by the Welfare State, their housing situations, THE CHANGEOVER their health, their self-images. Margaret Mahy And central to these themes is Neither Laura’s mother, Kate, My name is: ... their confrontation with the ra­ nor the doctor could under­ My address is: cism they encounter and the stand what was wrong with her crucial role women play within little brother, Jacko. Only the Black community. Gsing Laura knew that he was being Send to Broadsheet, Box 68-026. Newton, Auckland, NZ. history and analysis as well as preyed on by the horrifying t

Broadsheet, March 1986 35 CRICKET Jill Segedin loves cricket. She plays as often as she can and follows the major women’s fixtures. She writes about the long, distinguished and generally unknown history of women’s cricket in New Zealand.

V l x r v i summer it is impossible to escape the ing test team from England came to New Zealand and hours of coverage of men’s cricket on the television and played one test. The experienced tourists beat the Kiwis by the radio — Benson and Hedges World series Cup, an innings and 337 runs. The war interrupted New Zea­ Rothmans Cup, Shell Trophy and so on. There is, how­ land’s test career and it was not until 1948 that tests were ever, little mention of the women's tournaments and played again when Australia toured here. Since then New series. In January the New Zealand women’s cricket team Zealand has played 29 tests, 31 in all. (As a comparison (captained by Lesley Murdoch) played Australia in a one- the New Zealand men’s cricket team has played 167 tests day limited over series for the Shell Rose Bowl. Wellington since 1948 and 173 in all.) As with the men, one-day li­ was the venue of the first two matches. Australia won the mited over matches have become an integral part of inter­ first by a very small margin, only four runs, and New Zea­ national women’s cricket. New Zealand has played 26 land won the second much more decisively by five wic­ one-dayers, having competed in the world cup hosted by kets. The third match, the decider, was scheduled for England in 1973, and in 1982 in New Zealand. One-day Christchurch but bad weather caused its abandonment. games are now also played alongside the tests, and the As it was 1-1 the Australians who won the series last year Shell Rose Bowl competition is solely a limited over series. retained the Rose Bowl. The two Wellington matches were In the last three years the New Zealand women have had both exciting games of a high standard of play indicative a feast of international cricket compared to the diet of the of how women’s cricket is developing in this country. previous years. In June of 1984 a young New Zealand Women’s cricket is not, however, a new sport in New team embarked on an extensive tour of England and a short time in Holland. It was captained by Debbie Hockley, who at 21 years old was the youngest New Zealand test THE FIRST RECORDED captain, in women’s or men’s cricket. Another interesting WOMEN S CRICKET fact for the record books is that the Signal twins, Elizabeth and Rosemary, are the only twins to ever play in a test to­ MATCH WAS PLAYED IN gether in all test history. The results from the tour do not 1886 IN NELSON look overly impressive, all the tests drawn and all the one- day matches lost, but the experience gained was invalu­ able. Zealand. The first recorded match was played one In 1985 the Shell Oil company sponsored three series hundred years ago in 1886 in Nelson. It was not until some of three one-day matches against Australia. The Rose years later in 1934 that the sport became officially or­ Bowl itself was contested before this in three tests between ganized with the establishment of the New Zealand the two countries in 1979, and in the world cup in 1982. Women’s Cricket Council. (NZWCC). In the same year the The first series took place in Melbourne- last February and annual first class competition for the Hallyburton resulted in a 2-1 victory to Australia. The New Zealand Johnstone Shield was initiated. In the early years only the team then travelled to India, where they played three tests, four centres — Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and all of which were drawn. They also played six one day inter­ Otago competed. In 1983 the first class tournament be­ nationals with the end result standing at 3-3. At the last came the Hansells Cup and six teams play for it — North match at Jammu there were 45,000 spectators. Then in Shore, Auckland, Central Districts, Wellington, Canter­ January of this year Australia and New Zealand contested bury and Southern Districts. The national second IX tour­ the Shell Rose Bowl again. nament has teams from every association in the country. Along with this International boom in the last few years, They are North Shore, Auckland, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, cricket at all levels in New Zealand has blossomed. Many Wanganui, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wellington, Canterbury more women are playing cricket now. All associations and Otago. have witnessed a great increase in both club §nd school­ A year after the NZWCC was established, the first tour­ girl cricket. This boom largely coincided with the media

36 Broadsheet, March 1986 push of the 1981 and 1983 men’s Benson and Hedges The other is Shell which sponsored the Rose Bowl com­ world series cup, and consequently the increase in men’s petition. This is a far cry from the sponsorship that men’s and boys’ cricket. In the Auckland association for in­ cricket gets. They are sponsored heavily by big com­ stance, there are now eleven teams compared with four panies like Shell, Rothmans, Lion Breweries, Metropolitan which played in 1982. This increase has caused the Life and others. NZWCC and the different associations a lot of headaches It was a big step when Shell offered to sponsor. They trying to find enough grounds for the teams to play on. In gave $22,500 for three three-match series; $7,500 for each series. Last season’s was in Melbourne, this season’s was here and the third will be held in Perth in 1987. The IN THE 1984-5 SEASON shell money did not cover all costs so money came from the NZWCC. Some of the New Zealand players have indi­ THERE WERE vidual sponsorship for bats and pads and other equip­ APPROXIMATELY 3,000 ment but they generally have to buy their own culottes and shirts and so on. The manager of the New Zealand team WOMEN PLAYING and former captain of the side, Trish McKelvey, and (OUTDOOR) CRICKET IN NZWCC Treasurer, Yvonne Taylor believe that support has a lot to do with winning, that wins would stimulate in­ NEW ZEALAND terest. This concept of winning to rouse interest applies to publicity as well. The press gives little attention to the 1984-85 season there were approximately 3,000 women's cricket compared to the amount written on women in New Zealand playing cricket (excluding the hundreds of women playing indoor cricket). The figure for the 1985-86 season is expected to be even higher. WOMEN S CRICKET IS EVEN with its long history and the recent marked STILL TREATED, LIKE increase in members, women’s cricket is still treated like most other women’s sport, as second rate. This prejudice MOST OTHER WOMEN S is more than evident in New Zealand schools. Girls are just SPORT, AS SECOND not encouraged to the same extent as boys. It is not so so­ cially important for girls to play a sport whereas if a boy RATE doesn’t play at least one sport he is considered something of a social outcast. There is much more prestige attached men’s. The newspapers were especially unhelpful for the to playing for the first XI cricket team if you are a boy than if Shell Rose Bowl competition. Trish McKelvey said that in­ you are a girl. More often than not less money will be spent formation from the matches was taken to them personally on girls’ teams' equipment than for boys’ teams’. but they returned very little in the newspapers. They co­ This lack of money in women’s cricket does not stop at vered it but only just. Television was even worse. They schools. There are only two official sponsors of women’s were approached yet they chose not to do any full ball by cricket. Hansells sponsors the first class tournament with ball coverage. They did do one small news item on the the Hansells Cup, and also funded a world cup limited sports news during the series but that was all. Radio was over series in 1982 — the Hansells Vita Fresh World Cup. considerably better, but again they had to be approached

Broadsheet, March 1986 37 and it was not something they took for granted like cover­ age of men’s cricket. Sports Roundup on the National Programme did a good job, considering they were cover­ ing the women’s softball tournament in Auckland and men’s Shell Trophy cricket matches at the same time. So perhaps if the New Zealand side does win a few more games more media attention will be given to them. After the last two years of quite extensive touring the outlook for the future is rather bleak. Next year is the third Shell Rose Bowl series and then in 1988 there is a world cup in Australia planned. There is no prospect, however, of any tours by the New Zealand team or by any other countries to play tests. This is because of lack of money both in New Zealand women’s cricket and in other coun­ tries which New Zealand could play. Even so, women’s cricket in New Zealand is on the way up. The increasing numbers are helping to raise the stan­ dard of play and with that will come more success for the New Zealand team. The Shell Rose Bowl series focused attention on our women in white, who we should be seeing more of in the future. □

NEW ZEALAND IN TESTS

YEAR OPPONENT RESULT 1935 England Lost by an innings and 337 runs 1948 Australia Lost by an innings and 102 runs 1949 England Lost by 185 runs 19.64 England L ost by 6 wickets 1954 England Drew 1954 England Drew 1957 Australia Lost by an innings and 88 runs 1957 England Drew 1957 England Diew 1961 Australia Drew 1966 England Drew 1966 England Diew 1966 England Drew 1969 England Drew 1969 England Lost by 7 wickets 1969 England Lost by 37 runs 1972 Australia Won by 143 runs 1972 South Africa Drew 1972 South Africa Won by 188 runs 1972 South Africa Drew 1975 Australia Drew 1977 India Diew 1979 Australia Drew 1979 Australia Lost by an innings and 74 runs 1979 Australia Drew 198-1 England Drew 1984 England Drew 1981 England Drew 1985 India Drew 1985 India Drew 1985 India Diew TESTS

PLAYED WON DRAWN LOST

E ngland 16 11 5 Australia 8 1 4 3 India 4 4 Debbie Hockley. Photo: courtesy The Neuj Zealand Cricket Player South Allied 3 1 2 TOTAL 31 2 2 1 8

ONE:DAY INTERNATIONALS MOST TEST RUNS PLAYED WON LOST TIED PLAYER RUNS AVE. HS

England 7 1 5 1 J.Doull 779 43 30 103 Australia 9 2 7 P. McKelvey 699 29.10 155' India 10 7 3 D. Hockley 468 36 00 107* A. McKenna 465 35.76 97' TOTAL 26 10 15 J. Stead 433 27.10 95

MOST TEST WjCKETS TEST CENTURIES

PLAYER WICKETS AVE. BEST P. M cKelvey 155' V England 1969 J.D o u ll 103 V England 1969 J L.ord 55 19.10 6 1 19 P. M cKelvey 117' V South Africa 1972 J. Saulbrey 35 25.30 5 32 B. Bevege 100' V India 1977 k Carrick 21 15.50 6-29 D. Hockley 107' V E ngland 1981 J. Bui ley 21 26.30 7 41 J. Coulston 19 17 90 4 38 'donates not out. S. Rattray 19 19.57 5-76 HS donates highest score.

38 Broadsheet, March 1986 COLLISIONS COALITIONS THE LESBIAN CAMPAIGN FOR THE BILL The Homosexual Law Reform Bill has not yet been passed, but parliament’s recess has given ac­ tivists the chance to assess the campaign so far. Lesbians from the four main centres take the first look back. AUCKLAND SUE FITCHETT December 1984. The Homosexual Law Reform Bill, What has it got to do with lesbians?. Anyway what have 1 got in common with all those apolitical homosexual men I have met over the years? A niggling doubt, though. There was a previous bill introduced and someone tried to bring in an amendment to criminalize lesbians. It might be a good idea to s o H f R s e discuss the bill at the community meetings. Not huge enthusiasm but we could send out a circular letter and organise a march, just a little march in support of the bill. February 1985. Home from work. Casually flicking through the suburban local weekly. Giant photo of Keith Hay (ex-Roskill mayor and benefactor of gleaming neon cross on Mt Roskill) and reasons why he has started a petition against the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Start reading with a sneer that turns into a knot in my stomach. I feel through me the vitriolic hate, homophobia, lies and myths. Not just against a piec e of legislation, against all of us, homosexual men arid lesbians. With that one-eyed thinking what about other minority powerless groups — who would be next? Prowl round the room — something has to be done. Some other lesbians think the same. The media laps up the outpourings from people like Hay, Jones, Braebrook, Lees and Read; Fran Wilde’s voice is faint in the deluge. What about us. What about us? We become a force. “Coalitions” we are called and it’s a buzz being

Broadsheet, March 1986 39 active politically again, doing Anonymous Groups. nothing about homosexuals, eroding something, fighting back. It does Our lives creak, crack under the myth through visibility. A speaking seem to be the same old faces pressure. Bleary eyes peer group is formed for the future. Good, though, the feminists, the coloured suspiciously at each other above a long-term strategy. women radicals and trade unionists. reams of paper, scratchy with our September 1985. We squeeze out Some lesbian women don’t want to differences. We hadn’t counted on a the last of our energy and we know — leave me alone, 1 will always long campaign. Overwhelmed by celebrate on the streets. Out of the be safe if I stay in my closet. tasks, we don’t take time out to think closets and into the streets. The The homosexual men bring back of the how, why and where we are strength of coalitions and alliances. similar stories from their community. going. We hurt each other, we cry, In Auckland escaping balloons shoot We meet with some younger men, we are sick again and our skyward telling the Queen city that once, twice, find ourselves smiling, relationships suffer. Coalitions we are. Afterwards our lavender whisper embarrassed to each other. turning into collisions we sneer souvenirs deflate slowly in our They are not so bad, I enjoyed that cynically. The same old story. Who houses. All round the country we are meeting. Young “gay” men with a wants to be in politics? But look at tired, too tired. Not superwomen or political consciousness, what a what we have done, rallies, marches, supermen. We lick wounds, relax contrast to the Gay Task Force. It’s a newspaper advertisements, kitsets, into summer and parliament’s dream, surrealistic; in the middle of stalls and what is at times a rearguard recess. Wonder if we will be able to the night sitting on one side of a action with the media. keep faith, talk to each other again polished rich conference table It is not that they give “them” more next year. looking across at the groomed, tight, space than us (Vicki and I carry out a December 31,1985. Part A of the evening tied and jacketed Task Force bees clustered round Fran — even touching. What am I doing here? Is this woman on our side, what’s her brief? She wants the campaign (campaign, yes 1 start using the word too easily) to be “nice”. She doesn't seem to like lesbians very much, meeting with us reluctantly at our request. You must hand it to her, though, she works hard, even though the bill is turning into a political nightmare for her. At least she comes to us for free. Sorry Marilyn this fight belongs to us all, everyone else is giving their time and skills free. We tell her in a letter from her sisters. May 1985: We will fight back, we will organise and succeed on the Auckland Sept. 1985. Photo: Gil Manly slimmest budget. High, high seeing all those glorious women, men and survey) its just they omit our victories, bill will probably be passed at age 18 children streaming into the town hall rallies, marches. Not news. What is but not the human rights part, my for the rally in support of the bill. All news? Rape, Star Wars and rugby. A MP’s electoral secretary tells me. Idly is worth while even suffocating inside slippery walkway, the media; only I wonder what that will mean for that terrible lion suit. Solidarity. They radio doesn’t make us angry. A tired lesbians? Marilyn Frye turns on a would never dare come for us. female subeditor reminds me. In the light. Lesbian women are invisible June 1985. But the bill was meant newspapers it’s a patriarchial because they dare to see other to be over now. Isn’t it, isn’t it? They heirarchy like everywhere else. women, who are only meant to be (1 don’t want to even give them the July 1985. Our manila folders grow. the backdrops on the world’s stage. credibility of the title “moral right") Notes on how to deal with the media, Will the men stick together, leave us keep rattling their sabres at their How to involve the trade unions, to fight alone again? Or will young unpublic meetings, keep producing and analysis of homophobia and how homosexual men help us write a Americans whose surnames all start to run stalls. We might not always whole new play, that is if we can ever with S....S. Funny how they alliterate succeed, but making resources is a learn to rehearse our parts in their organization names. Coalition good strategy.These can be passed harmony? for Concerned Citizens, CCC, with a onto younger sisters. “They” are hard sound (k) it reminds me of Ku going to be here for a while. I will be DUNEDIN Klux Klan. Some church leader calls passing on copies of mine to People for the death penalty for us. In a Opposed to Waitangi. YOKA NEUMAN democracy one has choice so we We read about overseas When the bill was introduced in are also offered quarantine on campaigns, wishing we had time to Dunedin there was very little reaction. Rangitoto Island or compulsory do what the people in Eugene, The only ones active from the treatment. The “hand of Oregan suggest. Going out to the beginning were two gay men and compassion ” in Homosexual suburbs, talking to people who know myself. We went to meetings in other

40 Broadsheet, March 1986 centres when we could afford it. wanted to lay a complaint with the lesbians were working in the Lesbian Most of the lesbian activists weren’t police against the organisers of the Coalition, and some within the Gay interested; they hadn’t been around public meeting, but the police said Task Force (GTF). When the anti in 1980, when the Freer bill was there was no way I could prove forces mobilised towards the end of mooted. Under the present Crimes assault. March, starting their petition against Act the age of consent for lesbians is A lot of women were involved in the bill, their public meetings and 16, so there seemed little danger. the campaign by then. We set up propaganda, more lesbians became Women were watchful about what stalls and an enormous number of involved in the campaign. Many was happening with the bill but the people took pamphlets, despite right attended pickets and action was going on in Wellington. wing people next to us saying don’t demonstrations, doing paste-ups, Dunedin lesbians got involved when take those pamphlets because you writing letters to MPs and it became clear that we would be might catch AIDS. They set up a stall newspapers, and a considerable included automatically in the outside the Women’s Resource number became involved in writing homosexual age of consent if it was Centre on my birthday, for people to submissions to the select committee amended to 18 or 20. sign the petition. Only two people which was discussing the bill. Other 1 visited the Salvation Army citadel signed it because we handed out our lesbians worked in campaign for in Dunedin, challenging them about pamphlets and told them the petition Homosexual Equality (CHE), a mixed taking the petition street by street was lying. We made sure we were six lesbian/gay activists group started in into the houses of people who didn’t feet away and not obstructing the March. understand the issues. 1 wanted to sidewalk. By July, other lesbians had know what their people were using HUG was set up in September, the become involved in the Coalition for as an argument when they same month as the pink and black the Bill, an umbrella organisation introduced the petition, and whether Friday march. That was an amazing which included trade unions and they wore the Army uniform manifestation for Dunedin. liberal groups. Others worked within collecting signatures. A woman Thousands came with great pink their own unions and other groups major and a male colonel said they banners, flowers, balloons and to get support for the bill, and we will couldn’t control what the people buttons. Very few of the pamphlets never know the countless others carrying the petition said; that was ended up in the trash bins. The march who worked privately with friends, left strictly up to the individual. The ended in the Octagon, where the families and workmates to try to major knew of one or two in uniform speakers competed with the Skaters counteract the vicious anti going round their neighbourhood. 1 Waltz, as rendered by the Star campaign. insisted they put my visit on paper, fountain. A march and a rally at the town The campaign has shown that it’s but their newsletter hasn’t mentioned hall were held in May, called by CHE vital for our activities in different it. and the Lesbian Coalition. A further areas to be coordinated. The way the We used the Dunedin Council of march was held in September, with a marches were organised Social Services newsletter, which rally held at the opera house, concurrently shows that it’s possible. advertises forums for community organised by the Coalition for the It’s very important for us to do things groups held in the public library Bill. Other public meetings, pickets toqether as a biq qroup. building. Hundreds of community and demonstration^ were called groups on their mailing list received throughout the year, including a Gay our pamphlet on the bill, and why it WELLINGTON Task Force stall at the Wellington was a positive step. The forum wasn’t ALISON J. LAURIE Trade Fair (highly contraversial — terribly well attended, but we received March 8 1985 saw the introduction the fair organisers tried to cancel it). publicity in the papers. of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. In February, CHE and GTF began About 90 percent of any mention Some lesbians had been involved preparing for the reintroduction of of the bill in the Dunedin media was since October 1984, however, the bill when Parliament opens in from right wing public statements. discussing the proposals. They were March. The rest was from Wellington or determined to avoid the absurdities The bill passed its first reading, Auckland gay men, rarely from of the Equality Bill, which was went into select committee, returned lesbians. Lesbians in Dunedin felt proposed in 1983 and killed swiftly to the house with a recommendation ignored entirely, by the media and by political lesbian and gay groups. that it proceed, passed second the Wellington Gay Task Force. The HLRB, in its final version, was reading and was in its committee I went with two gay men to a public a bill which we could all support. It stages — the committee of the whole meeting with Normal Jones for decriminalised male homosexuality house — when Parliament recessed people willing to carry the petition. from the age of 16, and by extension for the year. It will now continue the They weren’t saying where the removed considerations of committee stages, and have its third meeting was to be held, but we found criminality from lesbianism; and it and final reading. Amendments have out. There were only 28 there, provided for the inclusion of sexual already been proposed, more may including Keith Hay, Normal Jones, orientation in the Human Rights Act, be, and lively debates are to be and Barry Reid. Normal Jones thus protecting lesbians and bisexual expected. insisted that we be removed or he women from discrimination in For lesbians in Wellington, being wouldn’t talk. I wanted to take one of housing, employment and the geographically near parliament, we the pamphlets with me, but they provision of goods and services, have probably followed these took it off me and shredded it, and including access to public places. processes quite closely — certainly my wrist was all red and swollen. I At the introduction of the bill, many lesbians have attended the

Broadsheet, March 1986 41 debates from the visitors’ gallery. changed this. Firstly, the realization There were stalls in the square for Nonetheless, we do feel a cynicism that one clause of the bill did affect letter writing to MPs. We supplied about the value of parliamentary us; the addition of “sexuality” to the information, paper, pens, envelopes reform, though clearly this bill is Human Rights Commissions Act. and even posted the letters. Many essential if lesbians are ever to make Secondly, the widespread people wrote letters to their own MP, further social gains in this country. homophobia was not just directed at but it was hard to convince them of Most politically active lesbians are gay men, but at lesbians as well. All the importance of writing to every well aware of the links between the of a sudden we were sick, dirty and MP, and even harder to motivate different oppressions of perverted. We had been silent too them to do this. heterosexism, sexism, racism, long. We had to stand up and be A public meeting with Fran Wilde, classism and able-bodiedism. Many counted and be proud of what we in support of the bill was also very gay men are not; and this has created were. successful. There were five speakers, some difficulties within the various For some time in Christchurch, including Wilde, and time for coalitions, where lesbians have been there was only one group working questions. The other speakers were working closely with gay men. directly on law reform, the Gay Task a minister, a doctor, a unionist and a However, given the strength of the Force. Another group keen on action lesbian. The Christchurch New Right, it is essential that all formed — the Gay Rights Action Heterosexuals Unafraid of Gays oppressed groups co-operate within Group. It became the Lesbian and (HUG) network was formed from the coalitions, and deal with our Gay Rights Action Group (LGRAG) meeting. differences through political when lesbians joined, and it remained The Gay Task Force organised a education as part of the process of a predominantly lesbian group. With fundraising weekend with a dinner working together. If we fail to do this, hindsight, l think we should have on Friday night at which Marilyn we will be targeted and destroyed split and formed a lesbian coalition. Waring spoke, and a dance on one by one by a wealthy and well- Maybe more lesbians would have Saturday night which featured the organised opposition. It is important, joined then. It was often considered, Topp Twins. however, that lesbians operate from but who was going to start it? And There was a lesbian visibility week a position of aggregate strength any energy that was available was on the university campus. Activities within coalitions, by sending needed, so LGRAG continued to included an information stall, mostly representatives from lesbian groups exist. about the bill, a feature in the student to them. One successful action was the newspaper, a showing of the video In theory, we attempted to do this Teddy Bears Picnic, organised in Lesbians: As We See Ourselves, in Wellington, but in practice it was response to Norm Jones’ statement interviews on student radio, and in often individual lesbians working in that the use of teddy bears in the general an increased awareness of mixed groups, as the Lesbian AIDS poster was detrimental to the the problems lesbians face on Coalition found it difficult to find image of teddy bears. We gathered campus. enough women willing to attend in the square to have fun, share On 13 September, Christchurch mixed meetings and to report back. marmalade and honey, and distribute streets saw many lesbians, gays and There has been little discussion as pamphlets on the bill. Some of us supporters marching for lesbian/gay yet in Wellington as to how best to dressed up in teddy bear costumes. rights. The march was a grand mardi organise for 1986. We all brought our teddy bears along, gras, with streamers, pink balloons, There are plans so far for a Lesbian and sang songs in an atmosphere of clowns, speakers, and teddy bears and Gay Fair, an Anniversary Rally, gay pride. selling badges (yet again!) It felt and some demonstrations. Hopefully My teddy lies over the ocean amazing to march, knowing that these activities will create a burst of My teddy lies over the sea thousands of people were marching energy and the so-necessary My teddy lies over the ocean elsewhere in New Zealand. discussions about working in And my teddy’s the same sex as me. Unfortunately, by this time energy coalitions. The response of the public was was very low. Many were drained, generally one of interest (“Are you and the great success of the mardi really gay?”), and overall the picnic gras was a real credit to the two CHRISTCHURCH was considered a success. Teddy organisers. VICKI MUNRO Bears’ picnics will never be the So much was done in so little The introduction of the Homosexual same! time. Few people have any energy Law Reform Bill with its left, yet the struggle still goes on. accompanying wave of homophobia, Maybe it’s time that Christchurch has prompted a lot of changes in lesbians got together again (and Christchurch, as elsewhere. For a more of them) and worked on where start, there’s a whole new line of to go from here! badges, stickers and posters. One offshoot from this bill is the Lesbians are now more visible. Many new strength lesbians have gained. of us have been forced to come out We have had to become visible and to our family and friends. And the fight for our right to love. We have fight for our right to love goes on. had to stand up and be counted. We The bill was first seen as a gay have done so with lesbian solidarity. men’s issue. Many lesbians did not We do exist. We will be silent no want to get involved. Two things more! □

42 Broadsheet, March 1986 OBJECT LESSON

he must be female. She has that softness muscle at the top of my arm. It’s not that 1 mind her being about the edges and that strangely near my mouth or anything. It’s just that watching her anonymous gentle brown colour shared by makes me cross-eyed. the ducks that aren’t drakes, aren’t sleek and dark teal- But it’s all right. Just as I’m about to close my eyes she green, and by cock-less, tail-less un-splendid pea-hens. topples somehow — as if she lost her balance for no The forgotten class of the social farmyard. The non­ physical reason at all — and lands in the water, floating leaders. The ones you notice only when they’re not round flatly like a downed yacht in full rigging. That’s the around. end of that, I think, knowing that if however I do close my Not that I’ve ever seen a moth that was green, or eyes 1 will have uneasy dreams. 1 can’t relax with her there, splendid, or had anything as useless and showy as a tail. leaking her moth-dust into the water, making a faint oil- Let alone showed signs of leadership. Maybe there aren’t slick of delicate specks of gold. any males? They’re all samey and anonymous like this And, unfortunately, it is not the end after all. She flutters one. All female. Relative to mallards or monarchs, all a wetly — whizzing her wings while still prone, and I feel a forgotten class. faint distaste for her ostentatious desire to live. She’s She’s persistent though. I’ll give her that. She clings to upside down, after all. Looking pretty ridiculous actually. the hairs on my arm with a soft tenacity. And she’s Now she’s buzzing around flat on her back and finally understandable. Given the choice, anyone would prefer flips, so that she’s walking on water — treading water in such a resting-place to the precipitous sides of the bath. a way — getting ready to take off, although she doesn’t. Cold, dead-white sides, like a glacial moraine: they put me She swims rather wanly — dog-paddles only — to the off too, until 1 warmed them a little, gathering my coat of warm cliff which is my left upper thigh. Definitely water about me, making a lap of the valley where 1 lie. distasteful. She’s left bits of herself, it seems, in the tide: Heat flows from a hot body to a cold one. Consequently a dusty trail of the way of a martyr. What the hell is she 1 have warmed the bath more than the bath has warmed doing in the water anyway? me. But while she was resting there 1 felt reluctant to She doesn’t feel so good crawling up on to my leg. move, to disturb the universe. 1 decide and sit up in one Definitely second-best. Definitely not dry, or soft about clumsy motion, turning the tap on full bore and relishing the edges. A most unattractive brown. I'm glad she’s the hot currents erupting from the deep end. A warm such a long way away that I can view her dispassionately, torrent surges down the bath, making heat-waves where without getting misty-eyed. There she goes, lugging its two streams meet behind me. The climate has herself up the hill, looking a little the worse for wear. Nearly suddenly changed; consternation among the icebergs. I on top now, where she can presumably shake herself settle back. She’s still there. And so — rather more and think about getting airborne. Go and join the other comfortably — am 1. dun-coloured successes in the battle of life. She makes me smile, this one. Now she cleans herself But no! She treads damply up and over the brow of like a cat. Not much, just a little — around the neck and my leg and right down the other side. Hasn’t she got behind the ears. As it were. That wasn’t much, that eyes? Well no, she hasn’t, I suppose. She certainly hasn’t earthquake and tidal wave. Just a bit of a flurry. got any sense, because there she is in the water again, 1 don’t like it that she’s stepping her way now, up the upside-down, round-about and then sideways-on, flailing

Broadsheet, March 1986 43 about with her sail-wings awry and body vibrating with one very happy moth inside. frustration. She communicates anxiety very well. Then all This is getting silly. And I’m getting cold. She’s still of a sudden she’s broken through some barrier and whizzing, with all the signs of complete desperation — or she’s completely underwater. She’s gone to another abandonment. You never can tell. I will not — / will not world. offer her my arm to dry out her poor little body and raise I am rather surprised by this, for the water surface her quivering antennae to the light (or the music) and fly seemed so completely impervious, like a greasy big sheet away. I will not provide a happy ending. She’s perfectly of clear plastic, or like that skin you get on left-over varnish capable of re-writing the script seeing it’s her movie. in a large-sized tin. One moment she was skating out of Clearly there is more than one way she can go. control, sending her twisted body this way and that, and While I’ve been angry these last few minutes 1 have the next she was through. It must mean she’s really omitted to report that she’s done the whole circuit again, drowned now, and those frantic superficial efforts were through dramatic flip to underwater oblivion, rise to her last throes. Moths and water don’t mix. Do they? prominence above ground, persistent waddling in a They do. She’s in her element. There she is, suddenly, downward direction till she loses balance and belly-flops again. She has her wings beautifully folded upright, like again. I tell you, you’ve never seen anything like it. hands at prayer. And she’s walking with great dignity up I can’t take any more. 1 pull out the plug — the side of my leg once more. Towards the tip of the ostentatiously, you might say, although she (nor her iceberg. But she’s underwater. A veritable Jacques mothy friends and relations) can’t see. She’s doing a Cousteau. speed-boat trick, wings in a V-formation, zooming this This I’ve got to see. I watch transfixed as she breaks way and that — equally ostentatiously — upside-down. through the water barrier as if it wasn’t there, and marches I didn’t even get to wash myself. I feel covered in the straight to the top of the mound. And down the other remnants of her neurotic and selfish impulses. How she side. Plop, flutter, fizz and away we go again with the imposed herself upon me! How she impressed on me help I'm drowning and I'm not doing very well. that she was suffering — extremely, and at close range. Well all I can say is that when you deliberately march When it wasn’t necessary that she suffer at all. No down a steep cliff when you know there’s water at the difference between walking on a glacier and skating on a bottom, because you’ve been there, and you know that frozen sea. I wish to hell she’d never entered my life, with water gets under your feathers and up your nose, and her gross sensitivity, and her fantastical perceptions (I that it makes it impossible for you to breathe, then you mean, saying her prayers while marching upside down) are pretty damn stupid to go on lifting those knees and and her fine discriminations and preferences and putting down those toes. Right? And you’ve asked for all desires. the plopping, fluttering and fizzing you’ve got coming to 1 will her to zoom a little closer to the plug-hole and you. she does, to my secret and entire delight. She makes a And yet (I can’t get my head around this one) if it’s last fancy spiral twist and she’s gone. Down the drain. As such a breeze coming up from under... What does that if she had never been. do to the moral? Where’s the lesson there? And good riddance to her! — as I’ve been told some As I said, I can’t get my head around it. But 1 can’t just men do say. I almost say it myself. It’s understandable. ignore her either. She’s so damn thorough about this act Along with a pile of other things that spring unbidden to she’s putting on. I mean, there’s the gold dust, flying, and mind, like if you d on’t like the party then get off the ice, the impression she’s leaving some of her legs, or whatever and out o f the frying pan into hot water, and you ’ue bits and pieces (I was going to say her brains) behind. made your bed, now swim in it... And it’s all so unnecessary. Why can’t she just find her But I made myself cold by tossing in the towel. That space and be in it. Why does she have to be so busy if was overreaction, not initiative. I’m getting goose pimples she’s still alive and there’s no imminent danger of dying all over — the self-inflicted kind. Hapless and featherless by water. When all’s said and done it’s just like air. It's a I cry you women are all the same! This isn’t how it was gas, if you think of it as H20. You could put all the water supposed to end.D in this bath into a big balloon and fly it like a kite. With Helen White

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44 Broadsheet, March 1986 THE SEXUAL WILDERNESS could she have permitted her­ frigid fifties were not the same DRAWING TOGETHER Men and Women in self to be described at the front as the swinging sixties. Half the Marina Bachmann______of the book as “one of the men were aged 10 and up­ Janet Charman______New Zealand founders of women's libera­ wards when the traumatic ’5l By Sue Kedgley tion in New Zealand? No waterfront dispute occurred, Sue Fitchett______Reed Methuen women stirring till the 1970s and 1 wonder how many of Published by Spiral then? Cheeky! them were influenced by the 1985, $9.95 1985, $19.95 The book is in the form of bullying, anti-worker, right- wing views that prevailed then. rambling interviews of varying The cover of this attractively Anyway, this group as a Just call me Worried Mum. At interest. Of the dozen women, produced paperback has a whole seems to have had my age (64 V2) l belong to the 10 seem to hold professional Carole Shepheard design of above average educational producer generation of this jobs, one solo mother of three triangles laced (drawn to­ and job opportunities. How­ collection of 12 women, 12 attends university, yet another gether) with cord — an ap­ ever, the gossipy level of the men, plus author Kedgley, the is the full-time mother of two propriate image for a volume majority absorbed in suffering after about a decade of sup­ interviews and the superficial of short pieces by three commentary trivialise the age- from what seems to be Night porting the children and their women. Starvation (a title coined by the violent, alcoholic father. One old “woman question” and its Horlicks ads of my day). That man is unemployed, one a crucial effects on gender re­ is, likely lasses who have flirted full-time househusband and lationships. These flaws locate D raw ing father of three while, like their the book in the same com ­ T ogether female counterparts, the mon national culture as a lot of others are white-collar work­ talkback radio: there, too, ers. The Maori woman and angry and/or ignorant citizens Maori man are, respectively, a often lay down a law based on Wilderness 45 year old unmarried teacher false assumptions. Both book and a 44 year old married so­ and talkbackers have a vague Men and W omen In New Zealand cial worker with two children; notion that the booming two women describe them­ babies have “done” feminism, selves as lesbians and one which, says Kedgley, “is es­ n man says he is bi-sexual. sentially a point of view — a (Never let it be said that liberal way of looking at the world.” authors and publishers can t So what? So are religion and spot Trends). Four women politics. Marina Bachmann Janet Charman Sue Fitchett and three men live with The muddled viewers of the spouses and children, three world from Sexual Wilder­ women are solo parents, and ness and talkback are very Sue Fitchett’s four poem Sue Kedgley sequences and five single among them the women have keen on individual liberation. 16 children. There is no infor­ poems, collectively titled with feminist ideas but still Some of the former want free­ mation about whether the two dom from: emotional crippl- “When I Am Least Afraid”, look for a traditional trophy (a range over the society of divorced, two separated and ing/men/women/permanent male partner) and find they are Aotearoa, from Paremoremo over-qualified for the available two non-househusband men child care/feminism; some of do any child care or even how the latter from: sexual “de- to a January beach, from talent — uncouth, unreward­ home to classroom and de­ ing and unlikely lads who hate many children the 12 males viance’Vthe devil/com- have altogether. molition site. The strongest them in return. Certainly our munists/Maori activists/ feminism. Obviously, they poems for me are the chilling lot never expected much re­ This may seem nit-picking won’t stop being confused sequence “Give me a girl until turn from our guilt-edged in­ to someone bent on recording until they start analysing the she is seven", where Meriel is vestment in motherhood. Still, women’s monotonously social and economic systems trained to “draw clear right we kidded ourselves that the stated Emotional Needs and which link individuals, and in­ angles”, and “Being a matter pre-teen and teen years were men’s testy and testiculate re­ of definition (Waitangi 1984)” Just A Stage, and our adult sponses to them. Leaving fluence their attitudes and their life chances. where the Waitangi bridge in­ offspring would have edu­ these facts out, though, is ac­ cident is related in the imagery cated themselves out of their cepting a conventional divi­ What a shame there is no of Alice in Wonderland. The ignorance of anyone or any­ sion of labour in an unques­ such analysis of promising writer is involved to very diffe­ thing not immediately touch­ tioned world of couples. material here, which could rent degrees in each poem; ing the magic adolescent cir­ Another example of this have built on informed work she’s concerned with violence, cle of ME. stereotyping is the lumping to­ on feminism already done. deceit, manipulation, often One small consolation is gether of a range of ages into The apparent haste of author committed in the name of that this mostly unhappy, the “baby-boom generation” and publisher to profit from a order, as well as with her own navel-gazing bunch are not and not explaining why. Four fashionable topic gives the professional and personal typical of the general popula­ of the women are 36, five bet­ volume an amateurish look; struggles, and her poems tion, although the information ween 30 and 34 and three in boring illustrations; a bad repay repeated reading. given is not really good the mid 40s. The men are cover painting; sloppy editing. Marina Bachmann’s four enough to make true com ­ (“naturally”?)senior: nine are Unfortunately, it sheds little stories (“If You Didn't Laugh”) parisons. Kedgley apparently between 39 and 49 and only light on the lives and loves of are chiefly about childhood, believes that she and her three between 32 and 36. Dif­ one small segment of the adolescence, love, and female “baby-boom” generation are ferent histories produce diffe­ population. □ images. Snatches of verse beyond compare. How else rent values — the cold war’s Margot Roth open and close the first story,

Broadsheet, March 1986 45 QUEER PICTURES NEW ZEALAND TOUR Two thousand people went to the Queer Pictures exhibition — works by lesbian and gay artists — in Auckland in November 1985. The show is now to be taken on tour around New Zealand in March/April, to coincide with the third reading of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in parliament. “It is not enough to change the laws alone, we need to change people’s attitudes as well, and non- threatening art is one way to do it,” say the artists. They plan to exhibit the work for about a week in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Dunedin, Karamea and Christchurch. As well as showing people that les­ bians and gays can be viewed in a positive way, they hope to reach isolated lesbians and gays around the country. Support is needed to help pay the cost of advertising in each centre, to pay for the use of gal­ lery space and the cost of transporting the art from centre to centre. Donations please to Queer Pictures Tour 1986. PO Box 8390, Symonds St, Auckland, or credit directly through any post office, to our post of­ fice account: 11-5392-0214966-55. Phone Sally (AK 763098) or Mark (AK 798403) for more infor­ mation. □

“Dear moon ”, where m em o­ ries of the first moon landing ( “Triumph for Mankind”) give THE DOLPHINS ARE ALIVE way to the moon's power over earth/woman tides. There's a AND SWIMMING IN PONSONBY strong sense of a humid, swe­ aty, grubby environment — the setting is Uruguay but two of the stories vividly brought back my Auckland youth, tag­ ging along on family visits or boy-chasing expeditions. The last story, “Dying" — set in Aotearoa — is about resilience at the end of a relationship. A woman hennas her hair and reflects on love and female im­ ages. But note the spelling of the title. Marina has a direct and indi­ vidual voice. I enjoyed her sparing use of effective imag­ ery (for instance, the scent of crushed eucalyptus leaves re­ minds the narrator of “being forced under blankets with a steamy bowl as a child . . . It’s like breathing in love"); also her selection of detail and the slightly sharp flavour of her writing. Janet Charman’s thirteen Treading water left to right: Karin, Karlene, Bekka, Frankie, Nettie, Nicky and Tex Photo: Adriana Tuscia poems, “Heavy Lifting", are The Dolphins, a lesbian band, was formed in July 1985 in the lounge of a mostly about the experiences house in Douglas Street, Ponsonby, Auckland. Initially there were ten women of nurses, their own person- hood always surging with life involved; the current line up has been together since October 1985. They have beneath the more than profes­ played a variety of gigs in Auckland and at the moment are working on new sional compassion for others' material for university orientation at Auckland and Waikato. They’ll be playing pain and fear. I was strongly at the Broadsheet fundraiser on 15 March. (See inside back cover for more de­ moved by "do you know tails.) The Dolphins music is a combination of original songs and covers done what's best for me", about the lesbian way. You can even dance to them! Their plans change daily and massaging a patient ( “some old lady"), and by "the wringer anything could happen in ’86. A “no bullshit band” is what they call themselves bums ', about bathing a muti­ and every performance brings music, poetry and real life happenings. Liz lated child; I also responded Lovell-Smith (ex-Freudian Slips manager) can be contacted at 765-762 Ak for very warmly to “sealed sec­ enquiries or bookings. D tion", where the nurse/pris-

46 Broadsheet, March 1986 oner in her “room/shoeboxed/ overseas fashions. Like many vices will be an anomaly within women in all their problems between/concrete struts" other assumptions about New the education department. It and conflicts. masturbates in order to re-es­ Zealand women and children may need some more of that The publishers, two women tablish her own wholeness. it is a false one. Childcare does “battering.” The women in called the BlackBerry Press, The final poem of the book have a history in New Zealand childcare work have had commissioned this book at — “there's a lot of heavy lifting — one of those hidden his­ plenty of practice. the suggestion of Alan Loney, looking after wimmin” is effec­ tories that women’s research who edited the text, designed tively placed, showing how any about themselves and their the format and supervised its woman with people depen­ past is now uncovering. The production. The subtitle, dent on her becomes a kind of growing record of how New “childcare as a Social and nurse. Here a daughter feeds Zealand society has viewed Political Issue in New Zea­ “disgusting slops", made by women and children shows land”, describes the scope and Mum, to Nana, and an old- that it consists largely of lip intention of the book. fashioned ring is passed on to service — “The hand that Cook clarifies past history her. rocks the cradle rules the as a necessary background to I felt both the poets have world”, “Children are our most the account of the developing paid careful attention to the valuable resource”, “The first attitudes and activities in early selection and placing of ideas, five years are the most impor­ childhood care and education and the placing of lines on the tant” — and a corresponding from the post-war years to the page. They’ve both given ef­ lack of hard cash. present day. This is a complex fectively wry or shocking end­ Politicians have been slow and often complicated story ings to a number of the poerr s to devote their energies to an involving many strands of so­ and both have made the issue that was not going to win cial and politicial thinking, of reader aware of a great deal them any votes, and that is still children’s needs, women’s left unsaid — this reverberant controversial for many people. needs, worker’s needs. quality gives their poems It has taken more than two de­ By the end of Chapter Three much power. But my personal cades of what one childcare Helen May Cook has been she is saying that “The wheels taste is for very much more activist quoted in this book one of these people over the are at last beginning to grind”. verbal music — more use of calls “battering” to bring the last ten years. Her book— well The last two chapters contain all kinds of sound patterns. Government to its present researched, well-organised, a discussion of the respon­ The contrasting subject position, that of moving thoroughly documented — is sibilities involved in the rearing matter of the three selections childcare from the field of so­ the first of its kind in this field. It of children — male, parental, points up the similarities of the cial welfare to that of educa­ is full of factual information community, industrial, Gov­ writers’ visions — resilience, tion. A 70% increase in which makes it extremely use­ ernmental — and an analysis humour, the closeness of childcare funding in the 1985 ful and of first hand comment, of the present situation in New women in all kinds of relation­ Budget sounds impressive which makes it equally in­ Zealand. With childcare at last ships from lovers to col­ until you realise that that teresting. There is a preface by integrated into early childhood leagues; pride in femaleness means $2.7 million for the Sonja Davies whose name re­ education, particular em­ and selfhood. The angry and whole country, for what even curs throughout — as a phasis can be put on the future grieving social criticism of Sue Venn Young described as a woman needing childcare allocation of resources so that Fitchett’s poems is echoed in “growth industry”. Childcare is who became an activist for it, childcare will no longer be the more personal material of now officially what we who as an organiser for the forma­ seen as the poor relation of the other two writers — well, have worked in it have always tion of the first ever Early education but as an integral everything's political, isn't it. known it to be, an early child­ Childhood Workers Union (re­ part of our social, economic I found it warmly satisfying hood education service. That gistered in 1982) and as what and politicial life.” □ to see more of our own lives in it should be funded less than she is wherever she appears, June Delahunty print, and to be reminded how the other early childhood ser­ — a support and inspiration to richly different we are, and how deeply alike. For those who are turned off by poetry I suggest you read it aloud, neutrally, and see what happens. A poem is much more than just its content, it's partly a sensual experience, and partly a spell. □ Margaret Blay

MIND THAT CHILD______Childcare as a social and political issue______in New Zealand By Helen May Cook Black Berry Press 1985

It is an easy assumption that the care of young children and babies outside their own homes and by people other than their mothers is a recent phenomenon, particularly in a country like New Zealand, traditional latecomer to all

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