D iS P i A Y
new Zealand’s feminist magazine may 1978 no 59 60 cents | -3 WHAT IS SEX REALLY LIKE?— AN INTERVIEW WITH SHERE HITE Registered at the GPO, Wellington, as a magazine Fronting up Office Wanted if you could send us the extra money. You don’t have to, but it would help Office hours for Broadsheet are: More advertisements for Broadsheet. a lot! Mon — Thurs: 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. Readers are beginning to make more Friday: 9 a.m. — 12 noon. use of our very reasonable Classified Now you see it, now you It is best to ring first before visiting as Advertisements service (roughly 5 cents don’t we are sometimes out and about. per word) and we hear that most of There are sometimes people here our advertisers get a good response. So Or — The Great Disappearing Trick. after 3 p.m. too. if you need a flat, a flatmate, a job, “Ladies and ladies . .” (Interjection: a workmate, a travelling companion — “Women!”) “ . . . in my right hand I Phone: 378-954. or if you’ve got something to sell — have a book marked Broadsheet. Address: 65 Victoria St. West, City remember that Broadsheet is a good Abracadabra, hocus pocus, — now (Just above Albert St.). place to advertise. Please let our where is it?” Mystified silence. Non advertisers know that you saw their comprehension on the part of the Broadsheet Benefit ad. in Broadsheet, and if you can Collective — where do our precious persuade any (non-sexist) businesses to magazines and books get to? We have A multi-media women’s show has been advertise with us we’d be delighted. had to make a rule that nothing in the planned for June 30 — music, drama, readable line is to be removed from film, etc. To be staged in the Maidment Price Increase the office unless for review (to be Theatre. Proceeds will go to Broad returned as soon as the review is sheet. If you would like to perform, Well, it had to come sometime. With written) or for Xeroxing (to be or become involved in a drama group, inflation running rampant we have returned the same day). Meanwhile, please contact Glenda, phone 685-924. managed to keep Broadsheet at only we would ask our friends to examine See the June Broadsheet for further 60c a copy for two years. The big their bookcases carefully to see if they details. circulations magazines (The Listener, can locate any of the nigh on fifty (!!!) The Women’s Weekly) have increased books which are missing from our Fooled You? their prices in that time, and most of shelves, not to mention the numerous the small magazines already cost Did you think that the absence of the magazine issues, including the precious i t ore than Broadsheet (e.g. Out is promised April Fool’s Day game in the and very useful Spare Rib. It goes 80c, Mushroom $1.20). We have April issue was a deliberate trick? Well, without saying that we’d appreciate decided that we will have to raise the it wasn’t, and the joke’s on us, because, them back as soon as possible. price to $8 for a year’s subscription the expected game didn’t make it to (10 issues) and 90c for a copy bought the printers in time. It’s no joking on a newsstand. Distributing the United Women’s matter really, because we’re afraid magazine in bookshops is expensive Convention 1978! that the game (a sort of abortion because the distributors and the snakes and ladders) will be just as retailers both take their cut, whereas The bi-ennial United Women’s relevant when we print it next month. the only extra cost with subscribers Convention will be held in Did you hear the one about is postage. Subscribers are important Hamilton on the University Cam as they provide a steady financial pus over the four days of Easter the feminist and the . . . base from which the magazine can operate, and we hope that more 1979. Planning has commenced We’re still eagerly awaiting more people will subscribe. and the organisers are expecting feminist jokes. Or is it true that we’ve 3000 women from all over New got no sense of humour? Not likely — let’s have ’em! The price goes up in June, and from Zealand. Further information June 1st the new subscription rates will be published as we receive Brainstorms will be: it. One year, New Zealand — $8. Don’t forget our new Brainstorms One year, overseas, surface mail — column if you’ve got some ideas you $10.50. (Airmail extra by arrangement). want to get off your chest. Your thoughts and insights on any aspect of If your $6 subscription runs past June, women, their oppression, and their you will continue to receive Broad movement. Doesn’t have to be fancy — sheet at the old price until that sub. anything from 100—800 words. expires, but we would appreciate it contents Letters Behind the News Arson at SOS 6 Child Rape 8 Reporting on Hite 10 Editorial The Women’s Abortion Rights Conference 12 Getting Organised 16 Sharon Alston cartoon 22 The Barmaid and the Beasts 25 Interview: Marie Bell on child-care 28 Forum: What’s in a name? The Feminist Eye Broadsheet on the Arts 34 Healthy Women Menstruation Part 1 36 Hogwash 39 women Broadsheet is published by The broadsheet These women worked on this issue: Val Cole, Magazine Collective, P.O. Box 47-261, Auckland, Sandra Coney, Christine Dann, Anne Parsons, Jill and printed by Wanganui Newspapers L td , Ranstead, Rosemary Ronald, Jean Volkerling, 20 Drews Avenue, Wanganui. Meriel Watts and the enveloping women. Permission must be sought before articles may be reprinted. Cover Photo: Marti Friedlander Published by Broadsheet Magazine Ltd, Registered Illustrations: Office: 65 Victoria St West, Auckland, 1. May 1st, Vanya Lowry: p 8, 26, 27 1978. Sharon Alston: p 22-24, 32, 36 Broadsheet is on file at the Women’s Collection, Special Collections Department, Northwestern University Lforary Evanston, Illinois 60201, U.S.A. 1 Letters Sympathy from Canada balance of power. Dear Broadsheet, Val Cole however, goes further towards 1 was very interested to be part of a Dear Broadsheet, a solution — not simply the repeal of mini-referendum on abortion in the As a feminist, my blood curdles to the law, but the actual destruction of East Coast Bays electorate, conducted learn that the New Zealand govern the existing patriarchial class system — by the Labour candidate, Colleen ment, in its archaic arrogance, has seen as she put it — “We want the Govern Hicks, but feel it is a lost cause fit to remove socio-economic ment, the medical profession and the inasmuch that no way will she defeat considerations from its new Contra patriarchy off our backs”. In pointing Gill. ception, Sterilization and Abortion out the double-bind in which the East Coast Bays is too “Blue Ribbon Act. capitalist system is, she strikes right National” and the only way to oust at the profiteering heart of our system, As a Canadian feminist, I cheer for the Gill is to put up an Independent which is supported by Parliament. National candidate who would stand women at Broadsheet, who have Once we realize it is not simply by vowed to flout this repressive legis up to him on all of the issues as well as chance that SPUC is largely thee abortion, as I doubt that the people of lation in every way they can. The wealthy positioned “cornerstones” of determination of New Zealand women East Coast Bays are prepared to vote our society, that SPUC has huge funds Labour to get Gill out, but I am sure to demand the most fundamental at its disposal; then I think the Women’s freedom, the right to control their that an anti-Gill feeling exists in the Movement will begin to forge ahead Bays and that Gill will have to fight own bodies, has our heartfelt and again, to take steps forward. SPUC and total support. for his political life as will others like its supporters represent the interests him. Sisters, we are with you. of the same people described by Val Cole in a dilemma over the price of a Susan Charlton, Gay la Reid, possible abortifacient. These people Auckland. t .. Rosalind Sherrard, have a vested interest in maintaining Any takers? i Canada. the present system, with fingers in all pies — parliament, big business, law Christmas pagan afterall Abortion tactics courts — you name it. They pass the Dear Broadsheet, laws necessary to control dissenters Dear Broadsheet, There has been much disillusion within and “trouble-makers” i.e. the people Deidre Kelsall (January Broadsheet) the women’s movement over the lack who demand a say in the way they may rest assured that Christmas is not of direction and progress, and this is live their lives. just for Christians. There is no record epitomized by the passing of the The Abortion Act is a perfect example, of when Christ was born. Some Abortion Act. The article on abortion as is the S.I.S. Bill. This class of Christian authorities believe that he tactics (March, 1978) makes it obvious people, the ruling class, is not couldn’t possibly have been born in that the time has come for the affected by the Abortion Act. The mid-winter because shepherds only Women’s Movement to take a giant wealthy minority can always get watched their flocks in the fields by; step forward. abortions, while the working class is night during the summer months. As shown by the table of notes of hit hardest. We must broaden our Actually, festivals have been held at Labour and National candidates on perception in order to see the class Christmas time since long before the Bill, there are no differences nature of this issue. We are not Christianity. It is possibly our oldest between the two major parties. Both fighting simply “man’s laws and celebration. technology” not simply to become support the existing capitalist system, The festival of the Winter Solstice was “independent of the patriarchy” not of which the Bill is just one oppressive an early form of sun worship, when simply to throw out the Abortion facet. Of prime importance to this people welcomed the passing of the Act, but to overthrow the whole system is self preservation, and this shortest day (December 22). It takes patriarchal capitalist system which is Abortion Act, as with other such about three days to see that the sun sustained through the exploitation of legislation, is just part of the whole is rising a little nearer over the horizon system of repression designed for that the working class with such laws. Only on its journey back to summer, so end. With this in mind, Mary Sinclair’s then will the Women’s Movement December 25 became a day of exhortation “to vote for the person advance, will we be given the celebration. As different religions who will at least pay heed to the opportunity to have control over our developed they absorbed the mid wishes of his/her electorate” makes bodies, our lives, our destiny. winter festival into their rituals, little sense. Voting for this or that S.J. Moloney, and December 25 was celebrated as the politician will not alter the basic Auckland. birthday of many gods, including the 2 Greek gods Apollo and Zeus. are married or not — the two strokes Christianity became the official against us are: female; physically disabled. Roman religion in the third century, but the Romans were unable to I was advised by a (female) social suppress the old pagan festivals. It worker to take personal responsibility wasn’t long before the Bishop of Rome for my life. Can you help me, my made December 25 the official sisters? birthday of Christ, thus making the Marilyn Woodford, old festival part of the new religion. 'Palmerston North. Oliver Cromwell was aware of the * Indicates cut for space reasons. pagan origins of Christmas, and forbade Christmas festivities when he was Lord Protector of England. At Christmas time Deirdre and other non-Christians can feel free to give What way out? presents (a custom inhereited from the Dear Broadsheet, Mithraic religion which preceded Is there such a place? Could there be? Christianity in Rome); enjoy Christmas I want to know if there are any other It was the letter headed Depression in cake and mince pies (evolved from middle-aged women like me who are March ’78 Broadsheet that triggered me Winter Solstice rites to honour the wondering how much longer they are into writing this, the one signed, fertility of the soil); kiss under the prepared to stay trapped in a dead “Please don’t print my name because mistletoe (a Druid custom); and marriage. I’ve been thinking about it I really just want to hide away”. That decorate their homes with holly, ivy ever since our so-called holiday. was how I was 20 years ago, until I and pretty lights (all of pagan origin). There’s nothing like a holiday for got adjusted. In those days no-one Even the Christmas tree is a pre- showing up the holes in a relationship! asked me to take a long hard look at Christian symbol. I sat beside my boring, insensitive what I was supposed to be adjusted to, Joyce Barley, husband in the car, slept beside him and now I’m beginning to wonder if it Blenheim. at night, wandered aimlessly around was worth it. strange towns with him during the day, Female watched T.V. with him in some dreary I’ll sign with my maiden name if you motel every evening, and for what? don’t mind. It’s about the only thing physically disabled God! (male, naturally!) I’ve had 25 I’ve got that’s still my own! years of this, and I could well have Dorothy Platt. * Dear Broadsheet People, another 25 more ahead of me. Hurrah hurrah! Your article, Building Theoretically 1 could leave him in a The plight of university Body Power (March) was just what I year or two when our youngest child needed. will have finished school. My older women I am a disabled woman (that’s how I children will never forgive me. Nor will label myself); physically 1 find myself he, but I don’t care so much about Dear Broadsheet, ' that. But where would I go? What using crutches, a wheel chair and Anna Paul's letter (Broadsheet, would I live on? Can I really throw special “boots”, not to mention glasses September, 1977) deserves elaboration and a wide variety of medications for a over the 25 years-worth of physical in the light of the present difficult variety of “minor” complaints such as emotional and financial investment employment situation. University blocked sinuses and itching ears. in our home and garden? What are students, whether male or female, the alternatives? It was a struggle for me to learn to obtain the same amount under the control bladder and bowels (not One tentative suggestion I made to Standard Tertiary bursary. That is entirely controlled even at age 13); I myself was that I could tolerate this fair only if the other money they neêd learnt to walk at age 7. My concept of situation for a,year or two more if to live on can also be obtained upon space and balance are inadequate, only I could get out of it at weekends an equality of opportunity basis, as though I’m learning all the time. and holidays. 1 could try out what its the bursary was not designed to wholly like to be unencumbered, with a view support students. However, vacation I tire very easily but bounce back very to preparing myself for a major work for all university students this quickly. Thus far, I have relied on change later on. If there was some year is severely limited, but I feel it is others (mainly my mother until I sort of women’s commune . . . oh, the female students who will be married, and even now during periods wouldn’t it be bliss! No men, no kids, suffering the most hardship. Even of crisis) to get me through the and people to talk to all around. where work is available, the male physical demands of everyday sub Maybe even some satisfying work to students are able to earn considerably urban life. do . . gardening, painting, building, more despite “equal pay” in unskilled It seems to make little difference if we anything involving physical activity: spheres. The usual female student 3 work of waitressing, housemaiding, town as their parents. tampons . . . the rinsing out, reusing shop-assisting and factory work is The regulations also provide that a process might lead to the spread of generally poorly paid in comparison to bursary will not be paid to any student infection. If the sponge was left “male” physical work. Women have who works during the university soaking in a soap solution, this could very few opportunities for overtime, term for more than 5 hours per week cause irritation, perhaps cervical whereas male students can earn vast between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on week erosion from the effect of caustic amounts through ample overtime days. So part-time employment is substances or chemicals on the mucus labouring, in woolstores, freezing restricted to weekends and nights, membranes. It is doubtful that the works etc. which are of course the ideal times harvesting of these sponges is a One result of the financial hardship for study and/or relaxation. particularly hygienic process . . . grubby boats . . . transportation in that faces female university students is Some respite to the difficult freighters .. . Unless completely that few of them can afford to take a employment situation has been sterilised, such sponges might harbour break of even a couple of weeks after offered in the form of the recently- exams, whereas most of the males are marine organisms, or bacteria. They announced “Community Projects” might have been stored in ware able to earn enough in just over two scheme for labour-intensive work. months to support themselves for houses, on shelves or in the back However the allocation of $300,000 rooms of pharmacies . . . Rinsing, the rest of the year, and so are able to to fund the project, which is under have a holiday. reusing, soaking could lead to the direction of the Ministry of incubation of bacteria. Turning now to the employment Recreation and Sport, is not a great situation, university students have only boost as even if the total amount The problem of the rising cost of between November and March to earn was spent on wages over the 3-4 month tampons and sanitary pads should be enough money to support themselves period, then at an average of, say, tackled at Government level! The for the entire year. Most are prepared $1000 per student over that period, Minister of Health should be petitioned to work very hard at boring “low only 300 unemployed students would The point is this — by reverting to status” jobs for long hours (if they benefit. With hostel fees running at substitutes, women are not only can). The bursaries they receive are over $900 per annum, this would jeopardising their health but lowering not intended to wholly support them, barely cover the basic living expenses their status by failing to take advantage and so when the employment situation of students from non-university towns. of technological and medical progress is as bad as it appears to be this year, Added to that are the cost of books, their natural right, and by submitting the students are in a most distressing Students Association fees (compulsory to pharmaceutical monopolies, intent situation. Many may not be able to $40.00) and travel expenses. In a on profit making without concern for afford to return to their University country with almost 42,000 university the welfare of women, they regress studies next year. The result of all this students and the problem of unemploy- instead of progress! is that university study is rapidly n ent amongst them apparent at the becoming the preserve of the children date of writing (Nov. 7) which is before I would also like to comment on the of the rich. most will have finished sitting their suggestion that pharmaceutical Students are not eligible for the exams, the Government’s relief companies might put chemicals in ordinary unemployment benefit, but proposal seems doomed to founder as tampons to increase menstrual flow, may apply for a special emergency hopelessly inadequate before it begins. thus causing women to use more of benefit which, however, is means- Clearly the financial circumstances of this product — probably they would tested. The presumption is that if a female students in particular are cause not be prepared to take this risk. The student’s parents have their own for concern and I implore all Broad American Department of Health is home, two cars etc., etc., then they are sheet readers to lend their support to usually ‘on its toes’ — (remember it taken to be supporting their student female students of their acquaintance was a woman in that department who offspring. This presumption applies in their struggle to obtain a “free” stopped the distribution of the also to the abatement regulations of education in a supposedly “equal tranquilliser which resulted in tragic the Standard Tertiary bursary; if a opportunity” area. The financial malformations of the foetus) so there student lives in the same university hardships faced by female students should be no problem in the above town as her/his parents, then her/his add to the stresses they encounter not respect as all women would have to do bursary is cut from $24 to $11 per only as students but also as females. is inform the Health Department of week. The student is presumed to be See what you can do to help find work their concern and request confirmation receiving financial support from her/ for the female students you know. to the effect that their fears were his parents even if she/he is living Michele Hickman. groundless. away from home in the same town. The matter of excessive profiteering This Victorian, paternalistic attitude Thoughts on tampons from tampons and sanitary pads by pervades the bursary regulations Dear Broadsheet, pharmaceutical companies should be although the vast majority of students addressed to the Government — just as are independent adults who should not As regards the idea (Dec. issue) con American women should tackle their be penalised for living in the same cerning the use of ‘sponges’ in lieu of Health Department if they have any 4 go to every election meeting on the island and really quiz candidates on BLACK APPLE their attitudes to women; not the If you are looking for children’s books written party line but their own attitudes. I intend to have great fun at the by New Zealanders for New Zealanders aged National Party meeting — remember 4—9 years ask your local bookseller for Black last election’s slogan — “Women’s Apple Books. Rights, a National Concern”? I am Macmillan Publishers (NZ) Ltd sure a simple direct question such as “Would you detail the steps National P.O. Box 33570, Takapuna, Auckland. has made towards a better deal for women?” could have an interesting reaction. Mr Muldoon has already fears regarding ‘tampering with day and age. gone on record saying that he didn’t tampons’. Can you suggest any way of shaking up think the abortion bill would be an Always take the shortest distance the Department? If required, I could election issue. It is up to us to make between two points in such matters supply more details. sure it is. Take a few friends along and and save energy and worry . . . Suzi Upton get stuck in! Don’t listen to shit about (As a registered nurse, I am not very Christchurch the economy or farming or whatever. keen on women using ‘substitutes’ re These problems will still be here next their hygienic needs — it’s too much Show them at the ballot election. Let’s make sure ours isn’t like going back to the dark ages —). box still a problem next election. It is time that politicians are forced to realize Eleanor Moyles Dear Broadsheet, that women will vote against their Auckland This year is election year, and I would husbands’ wishes, they will make the Another discriminatory like to make a plea to all Broadsheet abortion law and election issue, they incident readers to ensure that this year Women’s s*anc^ UP an^ be counted at the Rights are an election issue, and not ballot box. Dear Broadsheet, one that is briefly mentioned in Sue Kerr, I recently had the misfortune to learn electioneering pamphlets. I intend to Waiheke Island. of an incident in which a government department displayed an obviously sexist attitude. I refer to the Depart ment of Immigration and the guts of the incident is this: an Englishwoman applied for the post of therapy radiographer at a Department of Radiotherapy in New Zealand. She was successful in her application and started the wheels in motion on the great migration machine. Currently, in New Zealand, there is a severe national shortage of therapy radiographers. This woman wrote to the Charge Radiographer of the department concerned apologising for the delay in departure from Britain, Looking for a feminist card? B explaining that the hold-up was due to the fact that her husband was waiting Broadsheet now has two. for confirmation of a job transfer to You can order either or both these cards from Broadsheet. fcach p about the time of the year, there year, the of time the about premises the on kept be to eye sends them looking for the for looking them sends tak a eehnd bomb telephoned a attack: events strange several been had because, besides forebodings besides because, special a suggesting Easter before SOS The matches. the and petrol and fervour vengeful of fit a into nteweslaigu t the to up leading weeks the in outside the offices all one day, one all offices the outside parked car a in men four threat, police the rung had women 6 a pair of surgical forceps in his in forceps surgical of pairwith a outside street the in around walking man looking dazed a The fire was lit about 3.30 a.m. on the the on a.m. 3.30 about lit was fire The hand. All these events worried events these All hand. from the offices before Easter. before offices the from removed were documents and files important all fortunately been made to light a fire; once on the the on once fire; a light to made been By way. under wellwas it time which by a.m. 4.30 till side lower the on not was blaze CSMCthe offices empty the facing building the of side the SOS women and so and women SOS the cupboard and the final one, which which one, final the and cupboard had attempts soggyThree shell. and charred wasa building the morning the in was fire the of seat the because dropping through into the waiting waiting the into through dropping fiercely, burned This accommodation. halla in another office, an of floor motel the of occupants by noticed and March 27 Monday of morning accelerant on the stove. The stove The stove. the on accelerant SOSworker an morning Tuesday On room, kitchen and offices downstairs. offices and kitchen room, hostel upstairs the in off, took had fused, leaving the arsonist’s the leaving fused, had underneath high to on turned been had the from items undamaged removing were bought and have been able to to able havebeen and bought were , are police The intact. equipment stove old-model the But ensuing blaze. the in destroyed be would they an held had which containers severalplastic large found kitchen trying to trace where these containers containers these where trace to trying that expecting arsonist the - them fingerprint them. fingerprint who could have done this and most of of most and this done have could who other each asking are people course Of be some extreme anti-abortion crank crank anti-abortion extreme some be opposition would not be responsible responsible be not would opposition anti-abortion organised the that and must it course of that are answers the anti-abortion ranks but further evidence further but ranks anti-abortion the in fringeelement a of act isolated the just SOSis not of firing the that likely isquite it But act. an such for that arson is being used internationally.. used is being arson that Who did it — cranks or cranks — it did Who organised as a strategy against institutions performing abortions or helping women to get them. Besides the New Zealand experience of the firing of AMAC and SOS, clinics all over the world have been burned down or damaged by fire. The Preterm clinic in Sydney was severely damaged by fire a couple of years ago and in the States there have been a number of similar occurrences, particularly at Preterm clinics. It may be stretching coincidence just too far to believe that anti-abortion “cranks” in such diverse places as Auckland, Sydney and Boston all independently arrived at the idea of committing arson on their local abortion service. A tactic in the battle Arson has long been used as a political tactic; even our suffragette sisters in Britain burned down buildings to show their anger and impatience after reformist tactics appeared to be getting them nowhere. Arson, when directed at a functioning service, is a crippling form of attack. As a weapon for anti-abortionists it is particularly View from the hall into the waiting room. The fire took hold in the useful. For, all the while that they are room directly above here. (Below) Fireman shovels out the debris. using conventional tactics (lobbying, meetings, publishing) to try to get restrictive abortion laws, they can see that abortions are still being performed (or babies murdered as they see it). Arson is the easiest, most effective, way of preventing this happening. So while organised anti-abortionists may disassociate themselves from the firing of SOS it is quite conceivable that the act is not a random one. After the AMAC 1976 arson two Hare Krishna men blew themselves up while making explosives in their Grey Lynn backyard. There were suspicions that the bomb had been intended for AMAC (they had spoken to associates of “getting the meat works” and were violently anti-abortion) and therefore they were implicated in the earlier arson. Many people latched onto that explanation as it was more comfortable (Hare Krishna freak/irrational act/won’t happen again) than acknowledging that arson is a tactic in this battle. This latest act indicates that the same people might be responsible for both Continued on page 9 Photo: Sandra Coney Photo: Sandra Coney 7 news since the 1830s, no such precautions were deemed necessary, and the air was rent with the screams of the CHILD RAPE victims. In “civilised” London in the nineteenth century, child rape “In such establishments, girls who and abuse was a pleasure for the rich. ANNE ELSE looks attempted to defend themselves were at these horrors, and anticipates a time when the abuse of strait-jacketed, strapped to their beds women is abolished. or simply held down by servants of the defiance against, or revenge for, house. When fastidious clients wished oppressive prudery”. In Britain then, to take their pleasure undisturbed by the age of consent was twelve, and screams, the children — mostly between girls over this age could not obtain the ages of ten and sixteen but not legal redress against assailants or infrequently much younger — were abductors without producing medical chloroformed, or drugged with evidence that they had been violated ‘drowsers’ (a medicated snuff), or, most against their will. As the author frequently of all, were gagged with comments, “such evidence is the leather thong which was notoriously hard to produce, even employed in the armed services for today.” those undergoing field punishment by flogging. Young girls frequently died Only fathers could complain from the combined effects of shock, Children of eleven and under were mental and physical, and suffocation c ten sold by their parents to from the gag and the pressure of their procurers. The only charge which assailant’s body lying on top of them. could be laid against a brothel In the more expensive establishments a keeper was abduction, but only the permanent medical staff was retained father could make it, not the to repair the lacerations caused by the mother; so fatherless children, whether violation of young teenagers. This was their mothers were widows, deserted not the product of an improbable wives or single, were completely compassion, but was due to the fact Recently there have been several unprotected. Even if a brothel keeper that these girls could still command a instances of little girls being was brought to court, the child-victim high price provided their vaginas were assaulted, raped and murdered. had to give evidence on oath, but first not grown slack: there was, indeed, a Appalling as these cases are, it is had to prove she understood that considerable trade in ‘second-hand not surprising that some people oath — difficult for any working class virgins’. Needless to say, there was respond by demanding the girl then, impossible for a young child. little benefit to be derived from patching up the sexual parts of flogging, castration or hanging of The extent of child prostitution in infants: they were thrown, bleeding, the men and boys responsible. At Victorian society is difficult for us to out on to the street. Virginity, and realize. “In the fashionable brothels least, in our society, such crimes pre-pubescent virginity in particular, of London the profit from conventional arouse horror and anger; but only was the intrinsic specie of West End prostitution was minimal.” What the ninety years ago it was a very brothels — all else was but a poor different story, according to gentlemen, including many MPs, substitute. Josephine Butler, the courageous really appreciated was fresh girls up from the country. West End club men “Methods of recruitment varied. The and effective campaigner against would pay up to twenty-five guineas most usual was the outright purchase the maltreatment of prostitutes. * for a teenage virgin, and up to a of children from drunken or feckless Her biography gives a harrowing hundred for the privilege of raping or parents, though kidnapping was far account of child prostitution in nine tormenting a young child. “One house, from unusual. Unwanted babies were teenth century London. Josephine in Half Moon Street — and it is acquired, often from day-nurses in Butler was the first to point out, in difficult to imagine a more fashionable slum areas, and from baby-farmers. print, the strange Victorian taste for area — specialised in the flagellation They were kept until they were old deflowering virgins, and preferably and rape of young children imprisoned enough to practise fellatio; at four children. The author comments that in sound-proofed rooms. In Panton or five they were deemed to be this was perhaps “explicable in terms Street and Jermyn Street, which had sufficiently developed for of a squalid and pathetic act of been sanctuaries for affluent vice penetration, after which they were 8 news discarded, brutalised and tormented castration does not help the victim or beyond the capacity of sanity to her family, nor is there any evidence endure. Stead, himself, encountered that it deters the next attacker. Child GOVERNMENT one of these miserable little survivors; rape is simply a particularly revolting COMMITTEE a little girl in a rescue home who example of the principle behind all would scream and grow violent rape; the need to assert “masculinity” CRITICISES whenever anyone went near her, and through aggression and domination who, remembering some fragment of (though clearly the child rapist is GOVERNMENT scripture imparted to her by a kindly warped in other ways too, and is intentioned brothel-servant, believed certainly not “normal”). The Government appointed and she was possessed by devils.” (Petrie, financed Committee on Women Just as the incidence of child rape has p. 249). declined drastically since Victorian has announced its support for moves to repeal the recent The vicious behaviour of times, and those who practise it are no legislation on contraception, wealthy Tories longer regarded tolerantly by those in power as merely somewhat eccentric sterilisation and abortion. I need not go on — if you want to know in their sexual tastes, so we can look The committee has reported its views more, read the book. In 1885 a series forward to a time when all rape is to the Minister of National Develop of articles appeared in the Pall Mall generally viewed with as much ment to whom it is responsible. gazette detailing these abominations. loathing and anger as child rape is Believing that there would soon be a now. Its report said: recital of the prominent men involved, Anne Else. “The committee is appalled by the in the Government became extremely appropriate manner in which nervous — especially since the writer, * A Singular Iniquity, Glen Petrie, Parliament dealt with the legislation, W.T. Stead, was a close friend of 1971. and is concerned that much of the Opposition leaders, including Gladstone. legislation is out of step with current An expose of the dissolute and vicious Arson at SOS thinking and social trends.” behaviour of wealthy Tories would Continued from page 7 “The committee considers it is grossly bring the Government down; so a bill unfair to women that matters of such was hastily pushed through, raising the acts of arson since the tactic, the concern could be dealt with in such age of consent to sixteen. “It was a timing and the method in both fires unsatisfactory conditions,” the notable victory — for a thousand years is remarkably similar. committee’s statement said. it had been tacitly accepted that the Besides being disruptive and “Many Members of Parliament were daughters of the lower orders were destructive arson is also intimidating. absent from the House and others with freely available for the sexual Victims of an attack wonder when it drew fatigued at a time when the most enjoyment of the privileged. The will happen again and start to fear for significant clauses were debated.” lower orders were now in a position to their personal safety and for the safety impose and enforce a denial of this of the place where they live and those “It is clear that there is widespread dubious right.” who live with them. Only strong dissatisfaction with the legislation and Progress has certainly been made. political convictions enable people the committee is aware of significant Those who rape, assault and kill young attacked in this way to carry on. groups of women, professionals, and members of the general public who children are now seen, even by the SOS is now looking for new premises, Government, as at best insane, and at consider the new law unworkable and preferably brick and in a well-lit unfair!’ worst as inhuman brutes, who deserve place. They are not letting the attack swift, primitive punishment — get them down and are enthusiastically “Despite some improvements made in “hanging is too good for them.” It is going ahead with plans to expand into provisions on contraception and not surprising to see women leading the a feminist health clinic with self-help sterilisation the committee thinks that call for retribution; and it is very groups and educational programmes. amending the law may not do any difficult not to join in, for we feel more than tinker with its unsatisfactory those little girls could have been our Sandra Coney. aspects while leaving untouched daughters, or even ourselves, ten, STOP PR E SS------objectionable major provisions”. twenty or thirty years ago; after all, “The committee agreed that repeal of in the NOW survey (Broadsheet The Preterm Clinic in Sydney the law, particularly the abortion December 1977), 20% of those raped has again been the victim of an provisions, would seem the only fair were under 16 and 5% were under 10. arson attack and is tempor way of clarifying the issue.” But a medieval punishment like arily closed. 9 news words telling us what they really like, what they really want. April 11 and 12 were a whirl of speeches, interviews, two and a half hours on a talk back show ...... until Nancy, Louise and I belatedly caught up with Shere drinking coffee in the restaurant on Mt. Eden. We arranged for her to meet us at the medical school, where video equipment for recording this interview was set up, went back to where Liz and Sue were fiddling with their gear, and waited. At last she arrived, kicked off her shoes, admired the tablecloth, and we got down to business. To me, the most astonishing fact to come out of “The Hite Report” is the fact that only one third of women regularly have orgasms during inter course, that is, with male penetration only. Hite found that most women rarely or never orgasm during inter course, and that 17% of the women who answered her questionnaire required stimulation of the clitoris by hand as well as vaginal stimulation at the same time if they were to orgasm. (Hite says she pioneered the use of the word orgasm as a verb as “Question 8. Please give a graphic description of how well as a noun. Her publishing editors your body could best be stimulated to orgasm.” How baulked, but she wanted to see the would you answer this question? W ould you answer concept of something active which women do, not just something which this question? — and the 57 others on women’s they have done to them). sexuality which form the basis of “The Hite Report”, This information raises big questions the first large descriptive study of women’s sexuality, about what the purpose of intercourse informed with a feminist perspective. Shere Hite, is, and opens up the possibility for important changes in patterns of working with other women, collated and published the female and male sexuality. I asked replies to questions like this one. In April she came to Shere what significance she attached Auckland to talk about her book and its findings. to this finding. She replied that although we now regard heterosexual intercourse with Reporting male penetration as the sexual norm, it was only three thousand years ago and men have tried to define (a relatively short span in human female sexuality in their own history) that the first laws making on Hite other forms of sexual relationships interests — which are not the illegal were passed. These were in the On April 10 Shere Hite hit town. interests of women. “The Hite Speaking first at a feminist codes of the early patriarchal societies, Report” exposes this conflict of such as the Jews. In trying to research gathering, she stressed the way in interest, and for the first time what sex was like in pre-Christian and which male-dominated society we hear women in their own pre-Jewish times, she ran into 10 news difficulties, because earlier cultures the women’s movement and the rise desires. I asked Hite what she thought did not regard sex in the same narrow in female consciousness which makes about this. way. How did a word which means studies like “The Hite Report” People are born sexual, she answered. gender come to also mean intercourse possible. Not homosexual or heterosexual. She between people of the opposite gender? Yet despite the talk we hear nowadays believes that we could own our own she asks. about “the Sexual Revolution”, I asked, bodies and not be channelled into one “The Hite Report” also surprises me has there really been a “Sexual particular way of relating. We shouldn’t in other ways. Presumably female Revolution”? I know in your book be told that we can only express love sexuality has been the same for that you are sceptical about this. physically for someone of the thousands of years, so why have we I don’t think that there has been a opposite sex. Why can’t we have many had to wait until well into the sexual revolution, Hite replied — and more options, including non-genital twentieth century for a serious study all the women in my book say that intimate relations? Why can’t you which dispels the myths spread by too. The birth control pill, which has cuddle up to your best friend on the men of all kinds, from pornographers been praised as “liberating” women, sofa as you watch T.V., without to “experts” like Freud? I asked Shere didn’t cause the so-called “Sexual “going further”? why she thought we had not been Revolution” — it was a result of the Shere is currently surveying male better informed. historical changes in women’s role. sexuality, and hopes to question the Because we have been isolated from Previously, when children were “get it up, get it in, get it out” each other for so long, she replied. valuable property, it had been stereotype, along with others. She Sex was a taboo subject, discussed necessary for men to maintain strict suspects a lot of men, if they are really only in private between lovers, or patriarchal control over the line of honest, might say very different things • perhaps between mother and daughter. succession. As the value of children from what we expect. There were no studies on how women diminished, so did the necessity for Women, she believes, should cease to felt — women were seen as a “backwards strict control, and the Pill merely be exploited by men, “serving up his carbon copy” of men. made it easier for women to be orgasm at night and his coffee in the available to all men instead of one. morning.” We must question this What changed in the twentieth The “Sexual Revolution” is merely service — there should be love, not century? I asked. What’s different men assuming that all women are free slavery. The key to this lies in women, about us? to sleep with them. Notice that the not men — it’s not just a matter of problem of effective birth control is encouraging men to learn what satisfies us. We must get in tune with My survey could never have been still the woman’s problem. The most our own feelings, and if men aren’t done without the women’s movement, effective forms of birth control are not said Hite. She explained her theory of very safe — but that doesn’t bother interested in doing the same, then we should withdraw from them. We the origins of the women’s movement the men. Also the “Sexual Revolution” should be able to do what is most and the changed status of women to did not include older women. It was natural for us, not what we have been me. Before the Industrial Revolution, very much a men’s revolution. She taught to do, and what is most natural she said, women derived status from agreed with me when I suggested that will differ from woman to woman. their essential childbearing role. it meant an increase in quantity for Children were wealth (potential men, but not an increase in quality for We began to talk about how this sort workers, soldiers, conquerors and women. of freedom is only possible if women defenders of extra territory) and Delving into the implications of this have economic independence, which women, as the producers of that and her other findings, I suggested to so many of us do not have, and how wealth, had status accordingly. After Shere that her study provides further we could achieve this. Then our time the Industrial Revolution, machines validation of lesbian sexuality. Since was up, and Shere had to go and came to take the place of people, in she shows that male penetration is not address a jam-packed and overflowing peace and war. Women were no longer necessary nor even likely to lead to lecture theatre in the medical school. valuable as breeders, and Hite believes orgasm, and that most women derive I still had plenty of questions, that the first wave of feminism, which their greatest sexual pleasure from because there is still so much we need was concurrent with the rise of what are usually thought of as to know about women and their industrialism, was a reaction to this masturbation techniques, this would sexuality. I had questions about her loss of status. Similarly, in the suggest that many women would have answers and even questions about my twentieth century, women must engage a greater chance of sexual happiness questions. But there was a book to be in feminist struggles to be recognised with another woman, who would be promoted and audiences to satisfy. as individuals, since their role as more familiar with the female anatomy If you want to know more — read the breeders is less and less valued. Thus and more attuned to female needs and book. 11 Organising an abortion campaign — what is the best opening speech. So they wanted to interview the speaker, and, as the way to do it? JILL RANSTEAD looks at the recent Conference was supposed to be in Women’s Abortion Rights Conference held in committee for the rest of the weekend Auckland, and shows how differences in organisation they asked if they could film the spring from differences in ideology. Conference room during the lunch hour. This request was duly put to the This was to be a straight report each one existing in antagonism to Conference floor and debated. It was a very much deja-vu, with ail the same of the Women’s Abortion Rights another, and all of them pulling in old tired arguments: "We need the every which way except in the direction Conference held in Auckland over media to get to the women who we wanted in the first place. Perhaps the weekend of March 18 — 19. couldn’t get here” countered by this process is necessary, or at least But when I started to think about “We don’t want anything to do with inevitable; but I think we need to the hows and whys of what them” countered by “Our collective start identifying some of these forces. happened during those two days silence is just what they want, so we Because if we don’t, we face the can’t ignore them” countered by I found it impossible not to go danger of disintegration, co-optation “Any coverage we get is likely to do into other matters — like the and ultimate failure as an effective more harm than good” . There may be abortion issue itself, and New political movement. “We flicker in Zealand feminism, its aims, goals, some truth in each of these arguments, but the end result was an interview with direction, dynamics, and what has Kay McVey (who gave the opening happened to them — and then to speech), and a few shots of an empty see these in relation to the Women’s Abortion Rights Conference, Conference. with some whinging son-of-a-media To say that the Women’s Liberation “explaining” what had happened. Movement is in a state of depression is Damage was done; but it could have nothing new. A political movement been avoided, or at least handled needs to have a coherent ideology, better if the basic issues had been clear strategy, effective methods of sorted out. The arguments that were communication and a definite direction used over the media question in which it is heading, before it can be conflicted violently, but the reasons said to be a movement. i:e. something for such conflict — i.e. the political that is moving. More than that, it differences which lay behind each needs some form of organisation to argument — remained untouched, keep these together and developing. spectres hovering in the atmosphere. We do not have this. Or if we do, it’s a well-kept secret, which hardly makes Between Socialist feminism.... for an effective political movement. Who? I want to talk now about one of So the Movement as such is depressed; our heads like so many shadows; we these conflicting forces - that coming split and scattered, directionless and break up and disappear through myriad from the established left-wing parties, powerless. The extent to which this terrors, when the ideas and dynamics namely the Socialist Action League, has happened is roughly equivalent to that gave us our images walk out of and the Socialist Unity Party, and the extent to which we have lost lives . . . We become fertile ground for mostly the former. Theirs is not the control over ourselves as a political grand compromise.” 1- only force, but as the Conference force. Couple this with the fact that Organising Committee was largely the legislation over the last year has The Conference and the made up of women from these parties, made it even more difficult for us to Conflicts their influence was most strongly felt, keep control over our own lives, and Such a process was quite clearly taking so I want to deal with it. I hear voices there’s another kick in the gut. Some place during the Women’s Abortion from the left accusing me of red times I wonder whether it’s going to be Rights Conference. Most of the forces baiting, but there are fundamental the pressures of this society that will were represented there, and each one ideological reasons for the antagonism get us first, or the Movement that is performed the usual conflicts. Witness between NZ radical feminists and supposed to be liberating us from it. the media issue. With their customary traditional Socialist women. I do not If there is a Movement — it seems to arrogance and ignorance, the media pretend to know all the twistings and me to be more a collection of forces, failed to arrive in time for the turnings of this conflict, but will 12 attempt to sort out the main points of even more distinct power imbalance departure. between the two. These, I think, are based in the These classes exist alongside of, and explanation of the roots of our are related to capitalist classes, but they oppression as women, and in the also existed long before the rise of definition of the enemy. These capitalism, and they have a separate differences are also found in the identity. Traditional socialism fails to approach to the abortion issue. The recognize this on a theoretical and left has long defined abortion as a political level, and so its analysis is diversion from the main struggle, incomplete. The class struggle may which it sees as the struggle between transform capitalism, and capitalist the classes that have been formed by relations, but it won’t change the capitalist society. Now the analysis patriarchal system. There is an seems to have shifted slightly to accept interesting conversation between the fact that the denial of our right to Margaret Sanger and a German control our bodies is part of the gynaecologist, where she asked him why foundations upon which this oppressive he opposed contraception and society rests. But this analysis is favoured abortion. He answered, “We confined to a purely class struggle When ? will never give the control of our perspective — we women are denied that has kept us confined to one numbers to the women themselves. this right because it keeps us down world and its related work, and men What, let them control the future of the and in a position which helps maintain to another. An idea that has resulted human race? With abortion it is in and perpetuate the capitalist system. in the rigid definition of ourselves as our hands; WE must make the decisions.” So if we want to win our right to heterosexual, refusing to let us live Changing the means of production will abortion, if we want to win our liber with and love other women as we would not change these attitudes, the causes ation from this position, then this men. We are at the mercy of forces as of these attitudes and their system first needs to be overthrown. yet beyond our control. oppressive effects. If self-determination The class struggle thus becomes can be said to be the power by which paramount, and sex oppression Radical feminism says that this we gain control over the conditions becomes something built into and oppressive situation has been brought that determine our lives, then we caused by capitalism. The enemy is the about by the system of sexual and must have complete control over our social relations known as patriarchy — ruling capitalist class. bodies, our reproductive system. This i.e. the institutionalisation of male is our struggle as women, and it does ....and radical feminism power and domination. Man, as a not deny the struggle for control over social grouping, not a biological one, Such an analysis is based on strictly the way in which we work and produce. is the enemy. It is not the simple fact economic considerations, saying that Nor does it exclude the struggle to that men and women have different these form the material basis of any regain control of Aotearoa; the land biological builds that is oppressive; it’s society, and make up the conditions we live on, and what it meant before the way in which these differences have that determine our lives. Radical the Waitangi treaty was signed, thus become institutionalised, forcing us officially setting into motion the feminism does not deny this, and sees into distinctly separate classes, with an the pressing need for the transformation system known as racism. of capitalism. But there is another Back at the Conference level of reality that does not stem from the economics of production, or the We need to fight on all these fronts, way in which society organizes not one to the exclusion of another, or production and labour. There is also one at the expense of another. I think the fact that women are able to the main criticism I have of the reproduce as well, and just as the Women’s Abortion Rights Conference worker has little or no control over his is that it effectively did just that, or her labour power, women do not sliding around any moves, and have control over their reproductive opposing any proposals that touched systems. And never did have, from the on the patriarchal system, the causes first primitive tribes through to the and the nature of our oppression. present day, when despite the devel One example of this was an action opment of modern day technology , we proposal asking for the support of the still do not have decently safe Conference for those ‘individuals or contraception, or access to abortion organisations throughout the country services as of right. Also based on this that educate on or provide non- ability to reproduce is the idea that exploitative facilities for menstrual women exist to serve this end, an idea How ? extraction to women in need’. 13 This was opposed by members of the Conference. committees might work well for SAL and SUP on the grounds that it traditional socialist organisations, but did not attack the power structures. The problems of organisation 1 have doubts about their effectiveness But if it is seen that the lack of More important, though, is the in building a mass women’s liberation control we have over our bodies is structure and organisation of the movement. I would also have felt a very much tied into the power Conference. It was organised into two lot happier if I thought that this structures, then the development of main sections: discussion of action organisation was heading in a direction good menstrual extraction facilities proposals; and area workshops. The towards our long-term objective - by women’s organisations is an second section was designed to bring i.e. changing the patriarchal system. attack on those structures. On its own, together women of similar orientation I don’t think it was. The ideological it could not be ultimately effective, and interest to discuss the abortion differences between radical feminism but it is a constructive step to take, issue as it particularly affected them. and traditional socialism that I talked and one that should have been From such discussions were to come about before, do have their influence supported as such. It’s the same old the ways and means by which the and impact, and I think there is a conflict — that based on the different women from each workshop could possibility of a mass diversion from definitions of the power structures best organize in her area. The reports our struggle, a possibility that the held by traditional socialists and and proposals from this section, ideas and dynamics that set us into radical feminists. however, were quite separate from the motion in the first place will become There is also the matter of an amend action proposals of the other section. lost; split and scattered, directionless ment to one of the proposals submitted These proposals took up the best part and powerless. of the Conference and were largely by the Conference Organising The confusions and diffusions within Committee. This proposal asked for geared towards days of action — demonstrations on both the opening the movement run deep; that much is the repeal of all restrictive abortion obvious. Little else is. It has been a legislation ‘so that women may have of Parliament, and on Suffrage Day. The Conference Organising Committee very difficult article to write, and the right to choose . .. . ’ The perhaps I could be accused of became a National Publicity Committee, amendment qualified the last phrase reactionary pessimism. But I know set up to co-ordinate these activities ‘freedom from financial exploitation, that there is always a tension between and to make sure that as much and with protection from exploitative what we actually have around us, and publicity as possible was given to them. and patriarchal medical practice.’ This what we vaguely think we could have, caused some stirrings from the left, It seems possible that the communi cations gap between the action with the struggle to resolve the gap which argued that there might be a between the two. If we want to change difference of opinion about the wording proposals and the area workshops during the Conference is to reproduce the world for the total liberation of of that amendment, and so successfully women, then we need to transform put another one forward: ‘. . . and that itself at national level. This possibility was made clearer when someone from this movement from the mess that it is we call for legislation which will safe in, into a strong and effective political guard women’s right to choose safe, the floor suggested that the National Publicity Committee be made responsible force. It can be done. This mess can be legal and free abortion.’ sorted out, must be sorted out, and Another proposal, submitted by the to the different regional groupings. A suggestion that was opposed on the soon. It is clarity of ideas, purpose and Every Woman Can Collective, stated direction that attracts women, and we that “men have power over women. grounds that the Committee would not have the time to keep constant need both. There will be no revolution All relationships between men and without them. women are political,” and was communication and consultation with Jill Ranstead. followed by a proposal calling for a the rest of the country if it was going national women’s strike day, where to operate effectively. 1. From Me Jane Vol. 2. No. 2. women would withdraw their support There were a lot of good suggestions April, 1974. from men in any way they can in and proposals put forward and carried protest against the abortional legislation. by the Conference. Like a nationwide Linocut by Ellen Winson-Meyer While I am unsure about the political leafletting campaign to explain the from “off our backs” effectiveness of this, both short-term abortion legislation; the publication of Vol 6, no. 1, March, 1976 and long term, and I am doubtful the names of unsympathetic doctors; about such statements as, ‘the only the distribution of leaflets at election valid proposal that this conference meetings; the circulation of a contact NEW PHONE NUMBER can make is the withdrawal of the list of WONAAC and NZUSA women; personal support which each woman the stimulation of the abortion issue FOR BROADSHEET gives to the patriarchy through through the media, speaking tours, and individual men’, these proposals were through various community groups. Our phone number has at least a recognition of the political But 1 would have felt a lot happier nature of our sexuality, and sexual about these if they were firmly tied changed. It is now: relations. A recognition that was not into an organisation that was in touch 794-751 apparent elsewhere during that with the rest of the country. Central 14 INTERCEPTION OF PREGNANCY by Geoffrey Davis . . . “I believe women have been the victims of a gigantic swindle ...” In this controversial and hard-hitting book Dr Davis contends that without freedom from fertility sexual equality is an illusion. $9*Otf at $1.95 (post & pack .64c) THE FIRST SEX by Elizabeth Gould Davis The First Sex traces the contribution of women to civilisation . . . and shows this contribution to be superior to that of man . . . with cool-headed logic and scholarship. $^r7tfat $5.95 (post & pack .64c) FREEDOM FREEDOM NOT LICENCE NOT 0 by A.S. Neill LICENSE The world famous author of SUMMERHILL answers . ■- important questions about the everyday problems of tilt awM-taus Mtfar aawfs 'mtututt «aiipa .teal Ik fMtfcios st ; child-rearing. U Neill $3*4&at $1.95 (Dost & pack .45c) THE UNIVERSAL UNIVERSAL HOME DOCTOR HOME An easy-to-understand practical Family Health Guide. DOCTOR Alphabetically arranged and cross-indexed. Edited by a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. $9*50 at $2.50 (post & pack .95c) TRADING HOURS MARY MARTIN MON-THURS 9.00 am — 5.30 pm BOOKSHOP FRIDAY 9.00 am— 9.00 pm PHONE 375-516 10 LORNEST LOCATION AUCKLAND DIRECTLY BEHIND 246 15 Organisation is the key to success. What is the Women’s Liberation Movement record on organisation, and how do things stand at present? Organisation is something the Movement has yet to come to grips with. We’ve had our flashes of brilliance, but all too often there have been crests of activity between troughs of sloth. How can we keep up a steady push towards liberation? In this series Broadsheet discusses organisation in the Movement, dealing with basic forms of activity which have been neglected of late (in the hope that they will revive), and suggesting some new approaches. GETTING ORGANISED What can we do? Some suggest a group and agree to meet for several nature of women’s oppression, and ions for ways and means of orga weeks or months to share their form a committment to ending it, nising. No special order, all kinds thoughts and feelings about their sta rather than being left with that con tus as women, their hopes and fears, of goals. Some will be old hat to fused feeling many women have that difficulties and successes, which are “there’s something rotten going on some of you, shiny new to others part of their female existence in a male here, but what can I do about it?” or Tried and true, or experimental. dominated world. Consciousness-raising even “perhaps it’s my fault”. These Long term and short term, small (CR) isn’t therapy and it isn’t preach are the sorts of feelings we have be group and large group. I’ve ing — women arrive at a greater under fore we see the world with a femi divided them into three basic standing of their political position (the nist perspective. categories — Reaching Other power which women have as compared CR is a vital technique of the WLM Women, “Services” and Reach to the power that men have in all and this is not the place to do it jus ing the System. areas of their lives — bedroom as well tice. Broadsheet No. 30 and No. 54 as boardroom) by sharing their exper have articles on CR, and most Women’s ience with other sympathetic women. Reaching Other Women Liberation anthologies have some From sharing this experience (and thing on the subject. It cannot be Consciousness-raising groups reading and getting involved in femi stressed enough how important it is These are a must for women new to nist action) participants in CR should that women participate in this process feminism. Six to a dozen women form come to a clearer understanding of the - it is an excellent way of integrating the perceptions of the head and the heart, of finding out how theory and practice fit together, of realising that our personal lives are political. CR is a way of avoiding the shallowness and empty rhetoric which one often sees in male political groups, of the Left as well as the Right, where intellectual analysis is often valued at the expense of overall understanding of the indi vidual, the group, and their political position. People are not motivated to act politically by words alone, but by a personal understanding of the necess ity for action, which is often as much the result of gut feelings or unvoiced intuitions as polished theory. We can’t all be theoreticians, but in appropriate situations, such as CR groups, we can Photo: Margot Nash broaden our understanding and come to feel vitally involved with women 1974 Speakout on Violence against Women organised by the and their struggles, instead of just giv now defunct Auckland Women’s Liberation group. About a ing an intellectual and passive assent to hundred women attended the speakout which was a first for such what feminists do. an event in Auckland. 16 Public speaking This area, which was well used in the early days of the WLM, seems to have been neglected of late. Perhaps women feel “it’s all been done”, or they lack confidence. Well, it certainly hasn’t “been done” enough — we will always need as many women as possible out there telling women the truth to counteract the bullshit spread by the mass media. The truth about women — such as the truth about rape, abor tion, sex, work, children and every other aspect of our lives, which those in control either don’t know, refuse to believe, or don’t want women to know about — and the truth about the Move ment. You don’t have to be a “big name” or experienced to do some of the best public speaking - at schools, technical institutes, community centres, clubs, etc. You don’t have to do it alone. It is probably best to form a group of women who would like to go into schools, etc., to research and rehearse topics together, and work out effect ive ways of presenting material. When your group feels it is ready then the next step is to make contacts, such as the appropriate Heads of Depart ments (e.g. English, Social Studies, Liberal Studies) at your local high schools. There are sometimes special programmes for sixth and seventh formers, especially towards the end of the year — ask and see where you could fit in. Suggest that you would be interested in speaking (or even conduct ing a class) on a variety of women’s topics, and/or on Women’s Libera tion itself. Most teachers will be glad to book you in, especially if you can “deliver the goods”. Women teachers vant tutor(s) and offer your group’s haps university feminist, groups could are usually your best bet, of course, services. There may also be other make speaking to schools one of their though I can remember my first women meeting in the day, e.g. primary projects. University students Women’s Liberation “public speaking” mothers at your local Plunket, kinder will be most familiar with the position engagement, when as a very nervous garten, primary school or church of school pupils, the textbooks used nineteen year old I addressed the sixth women, voluntary workers, etc. who and the syllabuses, and they will be form Liberal Studies class at Riccarton would be interested in a speaker. Your young enough for the pupils to empa High, and received unexpected and use local Citizens Advice Bureau and/or thise with. ful support from the headmaster, who city council community worker may Women who work during the day will had figures on how few women get top be able to help you find these groups, prefer to accept “evening engagements”. teaching jobs. or suggest others. There are literally hundreds of groups Most technical institutes and some Speaking to daytime groups is only you can approach here - service clubs, training colleges have liberal studies suited to women who have some free social clubs, Guides and Girls Brigade, courses and welcome speakers on topics time during the day, such as students, other women’s groups, and so on. of social importance. Contact the rele housewives, or the unemployed. Per Many high schools run evening classes 17 and may want a speaker. Universities about women, about New Zealanders to offer an analysis without solutions. and the Workers Educational Associa and their experience. This is very But solutions can only be achieved in tion also run evening classes, although valuable, because if you want to practice. Is it possible to get women they may prefer a more organised change something, it helps if you under not just interested and informed, but approach. (Information on structur stand it. also involved? Involved in what? For this we need to consider more orga ing workshops and courses following). Sure, it sometimes gets tedious to hear At first you may have to search out nised ways of reaching women, such the same old objections and miscon as workshops which evolve into CR and these groups (again, try Citizens ceptions, but it can also be fun to Advice Bureaux and community work action groups. I have been thinking develop clear and skilful counters and about how this could be done, and ers) but as soon as you get a name for explanations, to encourage the quest providing speakers (you could also would like to make this proposal, in ioner to ask more questions of and by the hope that those who have more advertise in your local newsletter/paper/ herself until she exposes the truth for community noticeboard) you will find spare time than I do at present will be herself. A group can help you develop able to experiment with the idea. that people seek you out. questions and answers which work. Broadsheet is one of the most access Remember, you don’t have to speak by Women’s Liberation ible feminist organisations in Auckland yourself — sometimes two or three is Workshops and as such we are often approached better. Also, speaking is only one way Envisaged as a course of four work by people wanting speakers. Often, of communicating — I think it is very shops, each two to three hours long, to being busy and not geared up for speak important and it is unfortunate that so be organised and presented by a ing, we must decline — regretfully, as little is being done at present — but it small collective of feminists (five to it is often hard to find someone else is probably better to make a definite six women) and to have as their goal to do the job, and so another chance commitment to a speaking group for not just informing women, but also to spread our message is lost. I like to a set period of time and then move on motivating them to become involved accept whenever I can, and the more to another project before you fizzle in feminist action themselves, and to unusual the groups the better — last out with boredom or frustration. offer these women whatever assist year I spoke to women theology stud ance in their feminist activities they ents, Rovers (a club which was Speaking has its pros and cons. The need until such time as they can offer founded to be “of service to the big pro is that at least some of the real assistance to other women. community and to Scouting'’) secre undiluted message gets to places it tarial students and sixth form boys. would otherwise never reach. The big The first three workshops would cover I tried a different approach each time con is that it often seems a dead end very basic areas, such as women’s and always learnt something new my — like planting a garden in spring health, women’s work, and women’s self. Every group 1 am supposed to be which you won’t be around to harvest “rights and wrongs’’ (discrimination “teaching” teaches ME something in autumn. It can also be frustrating and oppression). The fourth workshop would cover the theory, practice and herstory of the Women’s Liberation Movement. If the workshops have been as successful as intended, several women should then be interested in feminist action, and a fifth session could be held to discuss what is appro priate — CR, work on an already established project, etc. The Workshop Collective would work together to collate relevant material and consider how to present it most effectively; with the emphasis on “audience” involvement, making use of interesting techniques such as role plays, film, questionnaires to fill in and then discuss, etc. If I were engaged in this project I would like to work with a Collective Photo: Helen Grace from "SpareRib' which was taking careful stock of In Sydney the Leichhardt women’s health centre opened its everything it did — which teaching doors in 1974 - since then it has expanded its services to pro techniques were most successful and vide a range of health care services as well as doing research and why; whether women were responding producing literature - here a massage group. to the message and if not, why not — all sorts of information which pro- 18 vides valuable feedback on whether we to offer the workshop in your local scrap of paper is swept up on the are on the right track or not. The area only - at high schools in the last day, one wonders sometimes Collective should also take it upon it evening, or community centres in the “Where do we go from here?” self to pass on what it learns to other, day time. A local women’s group or Feminist workshops as an on-going feminists, so that they can learn from club may be interested, or you could project, reaching out into the the experience of others. offer it as part of a W.E.A. or community instead of expecting the Have workshop - will travel. Where Continuing Education programme. communities to find us, may be part to? From the point of view of close Feminist conventions, which offer of the solution to the problem of contact with the women who come “smorgasbords” of workshops, are initiating and sustaining action. to the workshops it is probably best always popular, but when the last Continued on page 21 This writer in the US feminist publication “Off Our Backs” looks at the abortion issue there, and suggests ways for feminists to take back control of the abortion issue. Why when there are national organizations active in to co-workers, wear a pro-abortion button and the abortion field, an American public whose bumper sticker, and complain to radio and TV majority agrees women have the right to make that stations. Two women can leaflet, discuss the right decision, and dedicated feminists all over the to abortion loudly in department store elevators country, are women slowly losing their reproductive during Christmas shopping, poll local gynaecologists rights? about their role in keeping abortion legal then bad mouth those who did nothing. Three women can call Feminists have not forgotten this right. No matter themselves a speakers’ bureau and call the person what the differences have been lesbians have been responsible for programs at every “Y”, Lions’, right alongside of their straight sisters on this, but, unfortunately, we had believed the fight was over. Soroptimist, neighbourhood association, plus Had we studied our history, we would have learned Protestant church groups. With four women, all of abortion was the first right women lost after the the above can be done that much better plus guerilla Russian Revolution. That might have scared us into theatre skits in front of office buildings at lunch hours, watching the enemy more closely. large banners held over freeway bridges during rush hours, picket Catholic churches about separation of Worse, though, is the role the large org. nisations church and state, meet with abortion clinic staffs to have played. They have blithely encouraged and enlist their support, put leaflets and articles in the occasionally shoved radicals out of the picture. waiting room and offer an escort service for clients Planned Parenthood and NARAL reassured everyone at picketed clinics., they had it under control. No need for radicals to Should there be a nasty or two in the group, offend everyone by crying “free abortion on demand.” The issue became choice and then harassing powerful individuals should not be over looked (dare someone say, it works. Supreme Court teenage pregnancy. In the meantime, the opposition Justice Black was disturbed by the many horrible attacked second trimester abortions, parental letters he received because he wrote the decision consent and now poor women’s access to abortion. permitting early abortions). Picket their homes, The time has come for radical feminists to take back their churches, their places of employment. (Right abortion. It is not a population issue; it is not a health to lifers maniacally picket abortion clinics). Call issue. We don’t have it because it is a WOMAN’S them up, write them personal letters frequently. issue. We cannot expect those most comfortable with Find out where they might be speaking and arrange lobbying to lead a frontal assault on America’s an embarrassing picket line, an awkward question from consciousness. Only feminists will fight for women’s the audience, or an unfortunate smoke bomb. rights to control their bodies. Publicly ridicule them freely. Speak to their We should learn from the right to life groups. They started out in groups of 3 or 5 dedicated to changing supporters and contributors. Learn the inside dope America’s acceptance of the right to abortion. They on them. (It is truly shocking and should be brought to the public’s attention how many men in power lied about their numbers, claimed victories they had not won, forced everyone to listen to them, and have drinking problems). If they get an award try to inteijected every conversation, article and cultural find a sympathizer among the awarding constituency element with cries of murder, fascism, communism, and suggest a stink might be made. Lengthy phone calls which might possibly tie up the telephone line and euthanasia.We must pull together a sister or two and begin the same campaign - to turn the country might have to be made regularly, especially on Fridays. around on abortion. One woman can write the editor of newspapers and ask the local League of Women Be creative, be active, be angry, Voters what they intend to do. She can show articles by vl 19 Ni u March this year Nelson women held a highly U.W.C. the “personal growth” work shops were the most popular — successful feminist weekend. It provides a fine Assertiveness, Guilt, Exploring example of how motivation is more important than Depression and Growing Older — experience. One of the organisers shares her thoughts showing how much women feel the on the weekend with us, and tells us how much it need for examining ways in which they can help change themselves. achieved. One of the best aspects of the weekend At the United Women’s Conven and set about the organisation. It was was the wide range of women who tion last year in Christchurch, a joint venture by Nelson Women’s came — many older women, some high someone at the final meeting Electoral Lobby with the support of school women, some who had been suggested women should become Community Education. From feminists for years, rural women; their own media — each of the imagining we might attract about 100 those who came to see what feminism 2,600 women should go home women, we realised as registrations was about, expecting to confront us poured in that we couldn’t possibly and tell 10 other women what it and feel alienated by us, but who take everyone who wanted to come. commented that the warmth and was all about. This was largely in Our limitation was that many of us supportive feeling was their strongest response to the much mulled had never run workshops before and impression — they realised women over “media question” — the felt any discussion group shouldn’t didn’t have to agree about everything women’s movement having been hold more than "about twelve women but could learn from each other, work used so poorly by the media, so that they all had a reasonable together, socialise together, enjoy each picking out only the sensational chance of becoming involved and other. That was probably the dominant and alienating many women who communicating with each other. So experience for the women who came. we set workshop number limits and might otherwise be interested. A Jan: “I thought I was going to meet a spent a good three days turning people small group of us who went lot of militant anti-female people, from Nelson were excited by away, which was perhaps the worst and saddest aspect of the weekend. but I didn’t, 1 met a bunch of ordinary the idea, and thought we’d like women.” to run some of the most success In the end we registered approximately ful workshops from the U.W.C. 600 workshop sessions, some women More workshops on Sunday, again with very positive response and that overall in our local area. attending three, others only one, and we charged per session so that women feeling of never having enough time to We invited other groups to help with were free to attend whatever part of say it all, an impression of heads running workshops — Solo Parents, the weekend they could manage. All bursting with ideas and new thoughts Motueka W.E.L., Working Women’s those who couldn’t get in to the which is what it’s all about. We had Alliance and the Values party women —workshops were invited to the opening beautiful surroundings — our lovely old session, social and final discussion. art gallery for the main gathering centre, the Day Care Centre across the From the outset we felt it was road run as a creche by Values party important the weekend should have a men, a grassy walk to the Polytech real feminist flavour, so we invited and Community Education — fine old Rosemary Ronald to speak and act as wooden buildings surrounded by a catalyst. Margaret Shields, Labour gardens and hot sun, we couldn’t candidate for Kapiti and Ruth have bettered the setting. Finishing Richardson, National candidate for with a panel discussion, a rather Tasman-, completed the speakers who, formal ending, bringing us all together we felt, gave an exciting broad range again before “I am woman” sent us all of feminist thought. So it turned out glowing off to our homes. — as Rosemary’s warm, vibrant voice filled the gallery with phrases like Vexed Questions. Men? “women need men like fish need bicycles” — a glance around at the Majority vote decided workshop rows of lively, amused, interested convenors were free to choose whether faces was enough to know we had or not to involve men. Five workshops chosen well. out of nine chose to do so but in fact Lunch after the speeches was a ferment only one was involved in two personal of discussion from which we dragged growth workshops, at which the ourselves to our first workshops - convenors particularly wanted men. Assertiveness, Is Economics a Bore?, A few came to the social and opening and Exploring Depression. As at the session, one or two to the Economics 20 and Politics workshops. It was a Continued from page 19 subject of much discussion and many Exciting after-effects felt for a rural area and a first A group of women have already Women’s Studies Courses gathering of this type we did not want formed in Golden Bay (an isolated the media hassle involved in totally Feminists in schools and universities rural community) for consciousness may have difficulty in getting their banning them. Others felt strongly raising and are planning a similar institutions to formally organise and from the outset they should not be weekend in July, with assistance over fund such courses, and they will have present apart from in the creche and the workshops from some of us in to consider carefully whether this possibly helping with food preparation. Nelson. The most positive outcome was the would be worth the undoubted effort recognition of the implications of such A group of us forming to examine required, but there is a lot which can a decision, something which many how we can initiate/catalyse/support be done informally. Within the women at first were unfamiliar with. women and groups who want to appropriate departments at university continue after the weekend. Hopefully (such as Sociology, History, English, From a man at the creche “I realised this will reach out to become many Anthropology, etc.), students can this weekend that this is the most smaller groups in different areas, press for papers on women’s issues to supportive thing I can do for the doing whatever they particularly feel be offered, and for the choice to do women’s movement. I was planning to the need for — assertiveness training, assignments on women’s topics; while come to the social but I don’t feel consciousness raising, finding out the women staff can assist by offering such that’s my place. We’ve had a great herstory of the women’s movement, papers and offering to supervise time together here with the children, getting into political action or what student work on women. A university we don’t often get time to share ever. We feel strongly that the weekend feminist group could also arrange a together with children on our own.” has only been successful if more series of independent lectures and/or women feel able to initiate their own seminars on women, drawing on The media thing, there is no need for anyone to sympathetic staff and students — this feel some people are “experts”. The was done very successfully at the The day before the weekend, Com whole weekend was organised by a University of Canterbury in 1972. munity Education Council were core of about 12 women, many of Every year new women come to the reported in the paper as “wary of who ran workshops as well as university who both want and need to feminists” in a banner headline front registering people, ordering cups and know more about women and feminism. page — apparently as a result of one saucers, booking premises, buying remark in a 3 hour meeting. The day and preparing food. Question from Primary and secondary school social after the weekend the pictures of several women from other centres — studies teachers should have little Miss Nelson contestants were front “Why didn’t you separate the difficulty in teaching their classes page news, our Workshops for Women organisation details from workshop about women under the new were back page, very little was convenors?” Because if we had we’d syllabus, although they may have to reported. At least 300 women in never have run the weekend, there look hard for suitable written Nelson must have been politically simply weren’t any more of us — material. Three years ago I was able to sensitive to that particular kick in the we were spread very thinly but it was integrate a study of feminism into my teeth. We were only glad that the was worth every sweated minute. Next fourth form Social Studies course, other alternative — sensationalism - time there’ll be more people to call and invited feminist speakers to the was absent. No news appears to be on; “they” shouldn’t need to run school.. better than any news as far as the more of these kinds of things — “we” As a teacher of third and fourth formers Women’s Liberation Movement goes. can. I was impressed by how aware of the We certainly have our own media — Enquiries came from Reefton (another role of women the girls were — much Nelson has been buzzing with women isolated West Coast community), more aware than I was at their age. telling each other about the weekend. I think that this is partly due to the Blenheim, Motueka for help/advice/ flowering of the second wave of The radio dealt more fairly with us — support with running workshops. a beautiful extract from Rosemary’s radical feminism, which occurred One of the most valuable things was speech enlivened the local news on after I left school. It is important that the “homegrown-ness” of it all; the Monday morning, and a follow up teachers don’t let the matter die — fact that we were standing up in our programme talking to 5 women who especially with younger children. All local community saying “we are came to the weekend, all very different New Zealand children from Form 1 to radical feminists — not the beady and with varied reactions, were good. Form 4 must study Social Studies — eyed women the media tells you Apparently the radio gets better and the majority of teachers are about — just all of these women you audience coverage anyway so we were women! It’s too good an opportunity know”. moderately pleased, and consensus was to let it go to waste. reached that we give press releases Next month: The theory of before and after next time, and make organising; more on reaching the question irrelevant. Alison Walker. other women; and “services”. 21 # r r £ # C0A/S/D£&rt&/ £ - T //* £ T /*f*W£/A/£> 7V> 7M£ /> 0/A fr Y t i * * k WOMAN! dflA V D iR A 'J O ! Si>P£rz(*>! h t / 7 0 0 70ST£W /!PPi£S iM p/zE • • m u c h m o r e ; C?VNC/7/ S i W T M T / S t & s /? y ^ Y0CJW/U 3 £ C c m g - 1 f so& s£*yr£A/r / I svsoxw A /*r£ / “ vrr£*i y &£s/#£/*8l£, TOT/9UY & 0O X/I61F } /* A /£ > A OOT/bqcf& csSL Y 1 /4 AES/S779&/JETM J O OOOOOOA/rt/V /0*0 >7 hff/IKAJESS &K W / V T c f M /£A73/?£0£¥/0O r /V 7 K £ £ S f i& S S S S ss srst* / W C t f O M P C M 0 TP/WSP&PA 1 YOO *■ * MAMUE THE h/AXLOADS M IL AIL OVER JH£Al- S £ l V£6 OV PX/9/SE h /£ * AE 7UXA/7P T H £ A P £ l£ * /M0G/H/AJ<ī 7H£ h/OPfH/Y r o SE A Vovf CHS7XHT/A/ Yii 'J t t J L ^ A The pub — the Kiwi man’s refuge, his haven, his entertainment, the place where he can be truly himself and kill a few brain cells in the process. A barmaid reports on the nature of the beast in his home away from home. THE BARMAID ^ AND THE BEASTS **** Why did you get a job in a pub? to his drunken happy moods though! He would I am a varsity student and at that time didn’t grab at my breasts, buttocks, trap me in corners have any bursary. Pub wages (overtime on Satur or doorways and lean on top of me — all the day etc) were better than I could get anywhere while cackling and laughing in his hideous way else for working such short hours. Part-time jobs and propositioning me in a slurred gravelly voice for women are very hard to get and usually pay that he thought was sexy.That sort of thing very little money — waitressing, cleaning, etc. really terrified me. I knew I would never be able How did you go about it and actually land a job? to stop him if he really did decide he would I rang up all the pubs in the phone book and “have me”. I used to tremble for hours — even finally got an interview for a job as a “bar hos when I got home because I wouldn’t have put it tess”. The interview consisted of him (the past him to come to my house. manager) not even subtly removing my coat, He never did come to your house though? looking me up and down, then asking me a few No, but one of the barmen did — twice. They stupid questions as if I was a five-year-old. “Can were always making sexual propositions, but I you carry a big bucket of ice?” It all reeked of didn’t take them quite as seriously as the boss. I male supremacy; his condescending manner got on really well with one of them until he made me feel quite ill. The money was a God visited me, dead drunk, in the middle of the send though so I took the job. night when I was in bed. He walked straight in What did you have to do? the back door which was not locked, came into My job was very simple. I had to clear tables, my room, (I don’t know how he knew which ashtrays, glasses, fetch ice, clear away plates and room was mine — he must have been wandering glasses from tables and generally just keep the round the house) and proceeded to undress him place tidy. It was hard work though, I didn’t self. I woke up and started screaming, didn’t have time to sit down or stand around — even expect to see a half naked man in my room. He when I did, occasionally, the boss would storm sat on top of me (he was a big fat man) and put at me to “Get those bloody tables cleaned up his hand over my mouth so I coul n’t move or you lazy bitch — I didn’t hire you to sit around.” speak. Anyway, after about two hours of plead ing and fighting and struggling and crying, I Did he often yell or swear at you? managed to get out from underneath him. He Yes, he was renowned for being a hard man. If was slowly sobering up and getting really tired. you didn’t work all the time, or appear to, you So I ran out of my room and got my flatmate. were screamed at; and if you answered back — He was marvellous — went racing through to my straight out. He used words on me like bitch, room, grabbed the barman and chucked him out cow, whore, cunt, stupid slut — oh, just any, the door with his arm twisted behind his back. obscenity that sprang to his mind. Then he opened the window and threw his What was your reaction to that? clothes out. That was bad enough but about a It made me really angry that a man could put week later the prick came back. He hadn’t been me down in such a way — using sexual slander. at work that weekend thank Christ so I hadn’t But I guess that typified the sort of person he seen him since the previous episode. This time he was — rich, powerful, obnoxious and a capital wasn’t drunk but in a terrible rage. He yelled at male chauvinist pig. I did prefer his angry moods me that there wasn’t going to be any mucking 25 whatever. It was just “Ya wanna come to my place and have a fuck.” Which brings up another ] K @ S point. The men felt no compunction at all about swearing in front of me or the other bar maids, but if they were with other women you couldn’t get them to say poop for tuppence. It would be all hush hush and very civilized “there’s a lady present”. I also heard an unending supply of dirty jokes but if the same jokes were told with a “respectable” woman nearby it would be “That’s a bit off,” or “Tone it down a bit, boys” — all pretending to be so humble and embarrassed. Am £\cJ]BLmY ™BILES It’s not that I mind swearing but I find it ysiTAM uwp YP|) (l A z y i interesting to see their role differentiation. I’ve witnessed the same thing in the reverse role many times. c p STiiipiD SLinr)vB*T H 4 I was treated as public property too. Anybody’s if they wanted it — up for grabs. One night I even heard two men arguing about who was going to go first. The manager quite often, if one of his friends came in, would give them the go- ahead to try to seduce me. As if to say “She’s all yours mate, I don’t mind”. As I walked around the tables, I was pinched, poked, held, hugged; undressed in their minds a / ih © i r e ; c i all the time. I found that sort of thing really revolting. Another thing — I was never accredited with having any intelligence — al ways spoken to in a very base, condescending about. It was really lucky, my flatmate was manner as though I was completely mindless. If awake and came barging in with his rifle (it I ever said a word with more than two syllables wasn’t loaded but it looked good) before any I’d be faced with a barrage of sarcastic comments thing could happen. As he was going, he kept like “Just learn that word today eh?’' “My we saying awful, nasty things about me — creep; are getting posh,” etc. It was almost as though bitter in his defeat. I wouldn’t go back to the they resented my having any intelligence — know pub after that. Rang up the next day and told ledge equals power and I was probably one of them I’d quit - it was just getting too bloody the few people they could assert power over. Any dangerous. sign of a mind would be a direct threat, maybe. I How long had you been there? don’t really know, but I learned to keep my About five months. mouth shut and avoid being humiliated any more than I already was. I was often deliberately What about the customers? Did you have any set up to look stupid so that some little creep trouble with them? and all his mates could have a laugh — it boosted Not any serious trouble: they were usually pretty their egos no end. good. And I made a lot of friends there. It was just that the attitude of some of the men, particu How did the customers treat the barmen? larly young men I hate to say, towards me or what The barmen definitely had it better than bar I was, sickened me a bit. maids. They were treated with the utmost re spect — especially in that pub ‘cos it was such a A nd what was their attitude towards you? male dominated, male supremist, “typical” They seemed to think that women working in male sort of place. The barman was adviser, con pubs are all sexually promiscuous and open to soler, confesor, joker; the all-round good guy any invitation or proposition. They didn’t even and buddy. They were always addressed by feel compelled to offer any excuses or dummy their Christian names by the regulars, and some reasons for taking me home or to their place or times like mate or guv or pal by the others. 26 Always something friendly. I was regularly I could have refused to serve grog, but that would called Fluff or wench or gorgeous — sexual have meant instant dismissal. I don’t think I connotations. Love and dear were used quite belonged to any union. Absolutely nothing was often in a condescending way. explained to me about unions, award wages, job classification — they would have been stupid Would you work in a pub again? to put me in the know — cost them a lot more No, not unless it was a very small country pub money. I found out afterwards that all my tax where everybody knew everybody else — but even then I guess a woman would have a hard had been pocketed too and there was no record of me ever working there. Consequently my tax time unless she was into their sort of thing, return, which I really depend on — and most their humour etc. Older barmaids are treated students do - was really small this year and I’ve differently — a sort of mother/confessor. I had to take up full-time jobs for short periods. might work in a pub in my middle age. On the whole I see it as a really bad experience. It made me very suspicious of men — in fact I Traditionally, pubs were places ladies didn’t go was adamantly anti-man for a long time and I’ve and I think there’s still a lot of carry over from never quite gotten over that feeling. That caused that old attitude. Men drink with other men a helluva lot of problems. Life is pretty depress usually as an escape from wives, families, girl ing when you start recognising how oppressive friends etc. Most men see the wife/mother role even your male friends are towards you and as distinct from the sensual, sex object — (Raquel towards people in the same position as I was. Welch type) woman — wife/mother is a long I started realising that if I didn’t know this man term, emotional,sort or pure relationship where or that man, and he came into the pub where I as “lover” is a person with whom you can have was working, he’d be just as rude and just as fun, forget responsibilities, problems, etc. Men coarse as all those other creeps. That was quite a don’t have to display any sort of model around shock - and I lost a lot of friends, trying to these women and so drop all their niceties, stand up for my rights and sex. Even women refinedness and become more or less animal friends who just laughed at the stories I’d tell istic in their greed for sex. So, it’s hardly surpris them about men from the pub. People who ing bearing these things in mind, that a woman, I weren’t sensitive to my humiliation or to the especially a woman working in a pub or a lone humiliation of any woman, just because she woman (because it has become a respectable happens to be a woman, definitely aren’t my meeting place or “night out” for men and friends. women together) is categorised as “loose” or “easy” and is treated as such. With contempt and coarseness for not being respectable, and with the sort of admiration you would expect to be attributed to a well-bred bull — temporary and not directed to the woman but discussed among the group objectively with a complete lack emotion. I was oppressed in that way — seen only in terms of the shape of my arse, the length of my legs, the look of my face and the size of my breasts. It really was like being a cow at the meat market. They would never have hired a man to do my job — it just wouldn’t attract the customers, so as well as being exploited for cheap labour, I was exploited for my body. Yes, the cheap labour. After I’d been there a couple of weeks, I was expected to pour drinks when the bar staff were busy, so my job did amount to a barmaid’s job. (He would have to clean tables, glasses etc. if I wasn’t there.) I was classified as a “hostess” so that they didn’t need to pay me the same wages as a barmaid. There’s quite a bit of difference in the award rate. True, 27 ‘MARIE BELL is an education officer in the Education Department. Here she talks to Julie Thompson about the way we bring up children and attitudes to child care. 6 Our policies toward the family and early childhood are terribly hard on women and on children- •’ Marie Bell Where does your job put you in the hierarchy? influence? I would be about half way — there are only I am in a position to influence the training out about two or three women higher than that in in the field quite a lot and influence the people the department and a few on the same level and involved in teacher education, but I’m not high quite a lot below. enough really to have a lot to do with the What kind of power does this give you to people who make the policy. I think this is 28 where early childhood education really misses We know that they will never get to make policy out. A great many of the committees have no decisions unless they make tremendous women on them at all. The trouble starts when sacrifices. Then there are the tremendous most of the women opt out for a few years to conflicts of so many women — I mean I still raise a family and of course the men stay in and have them myself. Last week my daughter, who they get seniority, and many of the positions in is eighteen, was quite sick with flu and I rang a hierarchy like the Department of Education up one day about 4 p.m. to see how she was and are decided on seniority, level of service and she was terribly ill and I just felt so guilty. There that sort of thing. I was at work, caught up. I don’t think men Not in fact what they know or feel about would feel like that. If the child’s sick and it’s children ? got a father then he would feel sad and unhappy I feel that. Certainly men have an experience of that he couldn’t be there to help but he children in institutions but I think the experience wouldn’t feel the same way. women have with children in the family and Do you watch decisions get made in a depart community and often in voluntary work and in ment that you would like to influence, that you pre-school gives them — it certainly gave me — feel are bad decisions, being made by men who another insight. I’ve been in and out o f the perhaps just don’t know what you and other service quite a lot. I’ve been out twice to have a women know? family because there’s a big gap between my two Yes. I feel that a lot about early childhood and children and I feel that each time I learnt so not just in the Department of Education but much from having children. For example with generally, I think that our policies toward family the first one I had experience of Plunket — that and early childhood are terribly hard on was the time I was a solo parent too and I women and on children and terribly hard on learnt a tremendous lot from that. Then I also young parents. I think the assumption of so had the opportunity of going to England and many of the men who make the policies about when I was in England I taught in two nursery the family is that women at home really have a schools and I studied when my child was small good time. Women ought to be pleased that so I had all that experience which was like a they have this opportunity to be at home, and really tremendous in-service training. Then I being at home with children is pretty cushy. came back to New Zealand and got back into the What do you see to be a more realistic service again. Well, at that point it didn’t go description o f the experience that women often against me because I got to teachers’ college have at home? fairly early in my career because of that The thing that hits me all the time with so many experience. Then the second time when I got out women is the incredible loneliness and sadness I was involved in parent’s centre classes, play of so many of them, those who feel completely centre and kindergarten part-time. Then I was out of the main stream of life. You see I’ve able to start an alternative school so again I felt never felt that because I haven’t been, with my I had a lot of rich experience. So when I came children. There are 14 years between the two back again into the service I had all that behind and I left teachers’ college to have my second me. But the second time I came in and got into child — and immediately, because I’d built up a the department it really went against me in terms bit of a reputation in child development, I was of salary and seniority. Time in the home is not asked to lecture part-time and organise classes. regarded as service and because men haven’t had All things which I could do at night or take my this experience they can’t see that it is important. child with me. So again, you see, I was never out There are so many women who really are mature of the main stream. But I see so many women and have so much to offer and yet they’re in who haven’t got skills that they can use and positions where they can only offer about one take their children along or who aren’t very tenth of what they’re capable of. This is one of good joiners and therefore can’t make friends the awful things; the wastage to society because in their community. And also I see a great many we’re not using women’s talents and their of them who are really hard up. The money has maturity, their empathy, their insights and their gone into the home, there’s no money over and perception. I’m not saying men don’t have these the husbands get very anxious about where the things but you see so many women going into money’s going so they really are scared to go out really boring jobs that are not using any of this. much. Amazing the amount of deception you 29 quite a lot of neighbours around who didn’t work. I remember reading somewhere that one of the things about parenthood that’s hardest is that nobody really praises you for things you’re doing right as a parent. In the old days, people who didn’t work would say ‘Isn’t she looking lovely. Isn’t she looking great. Isn’t she coming on’. These days even the shop-keepers are impersonal. There’s not the corner store where they are admired. I can remember with my kids, there were corner stores where people were interested in the kids and their growth and this was good. But now it’s so much more impersonal in the supermarkets. In fact the see very often in marriages — the wife desperate supermarkets are often a nightmare to young but she can’t communicate with the husband mothers because the kids grab things, kids have that she must get out. She must see other tantrums and everything is displayed to attract people. the kids and this makes it hard. All these things So many women when they’re at home and are different. dependent on the man feel guilty. They feel that We have a lot o f people in society wanting to they’re not pulling their weight by earning and educate women to cope better with that role. It so on and therefore they are in a great bind doesn’t get to the crux of it. Surely the really. They think they should be at home situation ought to change. Maybe to socialise keeping the house nice and keeping the with our children, as in community day-care, children fine, but they just find it’s too much. is one answer but also to totally change out They’re not prepared for this feeling that they stereotypic expectations of male and female have. This loneliness, this sadness, it’s all I can behaviour is also another. describe it as. I found at the United Women’s Yes, that’s another way. I think it’s incredibly Convention a tremendous amount of sadness complex. I think it’s almost gettihg to crisis about the whole business. I think women, when, point at the moment. More and more people they have children — you see these bonny will opt not to have children and I don’t know babies and smiling mothers on TV and in if that’s good or bad when you think of the magazines — it’s all built up to be so great. And population explosion. I don’t know. I just think sure, there is something really good about the whole thing is so complicated and I think having children but a lot of the time it isn’t we’ve got to look at the subleties rather than like that at all. It’s broken sleep, it’s a feeling look at it simplistically. This is what we’re that you’re just so responsible you can’t get out doing. of it. Often it’s a terrible anger about the whole In one way we are bringing kids up to be pretty thing and with a lot of women I meet there’s egocentric. When you look at the way we bring just a complete feeling of inadequacy. They say up kids in our society and compare it with I just don’t know what to do with the kid — somewhere like China, where they make a you know, what do you do with the little conscious attempt from the time the child is thing — how do you keep it amused? — how born for the child to be co-operative. They put do you get it to sleep? — and all those sorts of the babies together in cribs and they reinforce things. They just don’t know. co-operation not competition. Studies in Do you question the way we are encouraged to New Zealand looking at children in our schools bring up those children individually or separately? and at early childhood in institutions where Very much so. I think I’ve only really come to mothers are present show that so often the see this lately and I think a great many women mothers are reinforcing competition. They go in like myself have perhaps talked about nuclear to help. They will help their child to be better families, but we really didn’t analyse it enough. than another child, not to co-operate with that We talk about mum and dad and the two kids child. And this is where we are so ambivalent. but we don’t realise, older women like myself, We expect the woman to sacrifice and yet in that when we were parents there were still another way too she’s supposed to be 30 competitive. So it’s all mixed up and not thought through. Just the same as saying the mother’s the most important influence — well she’s important early on but so is the father, so are siblings, so are neighbours, so are grandparents, and I feel that a number of the women who talk about other women dumping their children in day care are forgetting that they’ve been more fortunate and had more support. Some of the women I know who say this have been incredibly supported because they’ve been very good at getting other people to do things for them. Often they have a very sparkling personality and people like to be around them, so people mind their kids just for the pleasure of terrible women — you know — who want some being with them. They don’t realise this. support, and of course this whole idea of child You said the other day about how a lot of care in just the narrow sense as somewhere you women in a middle-class situation do have a take your child at 7.30 and pick them up at 5. particular attitude towards child care. Could They don’t see that there are all types of child you talk about that? care. Just bringing up a child at home is child care, isn’t it? I think this is where women are incredibly divided really and often very hard on each other. Well, you didn’t finish that sentence — was it that All this talk about dumping children in day care they’ve joined the ranks o f these terrible women centre and rushing off to work to buy TV sets, who oppose child care? whereas if you really look at it, so often it’s Yes. Who talk about dumping the child so you just survival, sometimes economic, sometimes can go and buy a TV set. This tends to be the mental. They just cannot bear it and surely kind of talk that you hear. you’re not much use to the child if you’re in a I often wonder when people say to me why mental hospital. should we have day care that’s say twelve hours Do you find a lot o f women in the middle-class or fifteen hours a day, won’t women dump don't relate to the idea o f child care? their children all day and all night? How do you Yes, and quite a number of men too. They’re respond to that? Surely there must be an horrified at the idea of child care. They like to incredible fear in society that looking after have this fantasy of their wives at home keeping children is a pretty horrific thing if women all the home-fires burning and yet if you analyse it, over the place are waiting to dump their a great many of these older men who are making children? these power decisions now, were probably away Well, it sounds like the sort of thing that most at the war when their own children were being women have felt like doing at some stage — brought up. Their wives in fact were left even you know, put the lid down on it hard — and then to bring up children and a lot of men when they’re frightened that they must have felt that they were younger and their families were way. I must say, for years and years, I was small were often doing overtime or studying for involved in child development classes with degrees or something like that when their parents and the subject of baby battering always children were young. So again their own wives Continued on page 40 were probably fairly much on their own too. It’s interesting too, friends of mine have said lately that women tend to gloss over this time. One friend of mine said about a person whose Fem creates husband is in a policy making role — she said hand weaving, pottery etc she just hated it years back. He was never home Visit my working studio- and she was coping with the kids and she was (not a shop)-hours fluid terribly angry about it, but now, ten years later, but not before 11 am, best phone first the kids are older and he’s in a good position and or call in if you're passing & you see life so she’s joined the band wagon about these 49 Hackett st Ponsonby ph. 768-933 after 1t 31 Forum WHAT’S IN A NAME Some would argue everything. These writers to Broadsheet look at the issue of women’s names — how to keep them, how to deal with bureaucracy. More responses from readers welcomed. (sexist) assumption is that the child at school? Why couldn’t we just con Naming a baby will take the father's surname at birth. cede society this rather “fine point”? The officials at the Auckland and We decided this was not good enough. Dunedin birth registries could summon We are married; we have kept our own We wanted our child to have a surname up only negative comments. Apparently surnames; we are committed to work which somehow reflected the equality (incredibly) they hadn’t met this ing out the fundamental principles of of parenting which we intend. situation before ! feminism within the praxis of our Some friends suggested that the child Of course our anti-feminist relations marriage; and (what gives rise to this should have its mother's surname, in and acquaintances threw up their letter) we are pregnant. Immediate recognition of her having carried it hands in horror ! Wouldn’t this make questions: what is the surname of our through the pregnancy and the birth. things difficult for the child, especially child going to be ? The traditional Another suggestion was that the child be given both surnames; it could then choose, in later life, which surname it preferred. If we opted for both surnames together there was a legal hitch. A surname must be “one name” (not two separately), so either we had to cnange our own surnames to a hyphenated “tandem name”, or we had to nomin ate one surname for formal registration purposes and then change the child’s surname by deed-poll. We finally wondered: why can’t the child take its mother’s surname ? Our next child could take its father’s surname. A sort of alternate bestowal of surnames within the family. Since the local officials at the registry had greeted us with total misunder standing (if not outright scorn), we decided to write to the Registrar- General. When oppressed by the bureaucracy, go straight to the top and so on. Several points emerged. First of all, at the registration of a birth, “the parents confer Christian or first names on the child but not a surname.” All right, but the official registration form R.G. 27 is headed up by its first At/STXX/to/D FfAS.FA.COCK/CK //AAFFquestion - “Surname of child” ! Maybe we’ll leave that box blank, or enter its 32 mother’s surname. because at the time I was unaware that the practice of some women in there was any legal alternative. Then calling themselves Mrs John Smith etc). Secondly, it is clear that “where the in 1970 1 attended a Labour Party Basically the situation is that in New surnames of the parents are not the seminar at which one of the speakers Zealand, legally a woman can call same, the child may use and be known was Shirley Smith, the Wellington herself what she pleases, providing by either of the surnames. It is usual lawyer. In the course of her address that taking a different name involves therefore for the parents to select one no intent to defraud. In America an name or the other at the time of she mentioned that New Zealand organisation called the Center for a registration.” This is a choice open to women were generally unaware that any parents, since every married they were not obliged by law to take Woman’s Own Name exists solely to woman has the legal right to use her their husband’s names, and that the research this and advise women on own (maiden) name as her surname. practice was merely a custom — “the their legal rights, which vary from state husband and wife are one, and the to state. So there is a choice ! What is more, any husband is the one”. She herself had Eight years after I resumed the use of child would be entitled to choose from always called herself Shirley Smith my own name the situation is (and Pse) either of its parents’ surnames even though married to Dr Sutch. in later life. Whichever surname is accepted grudgingly by my family and selected at the time of registration, a happily by my current friends, several There and then I decided to resume my certified copy of the birth entry does of whom have also retained their own not stipulate any surname for the child. own name. When I explained this to names on marriage or reverted to my husband he thought about it for a them later. I give my own name in all The only “official” document from while and then pointed out something business transactions and call myself the registry which would mention the which I hadn’t noticed — that the Ms if a prefix is required. I still have child’s surname is the so-called “short name on one’s marriage certificate is occasional problems, however, for extract form of certificate”, where the woman’s own name, so if she example on returning from a recent the surname selected at the time of chooses to use it there should be no overseas trip. My husband and I registration is shown, unless a request barrier to doing so. However, when I declared all our dutiable goods on one is made to the contrary. announced to friends and workmates customs form as required for married that I was reclaiming my name there Finally, if the parents wish to confer couples. The officer we dealt with were plenty of barriers raised! People refused to believe that we were a surname other than that of one of were generally horrified by the idea, the parents, this could be done by married, as we had different names, deed-poll after the registration of the and rumours were soon flying around and informed us that they didn’t birth. The birth entry would be that 1 was in the throes of separation recognise de facto relationships. I endorsed to show the surname con and divorce. Banks and other became very angry, and insisted that ferred by the parents. This surname institutions were dubious about re the situation was perfectly legal, upon would be shown in any birth certifi cording the name-change, but did so which he called over a female Customs cates subsequently issued. upon my assurance that no officer for clarification. She supported illegality was involved (which I had my explanation and was forced to let We must say that we were heartened to checked with other lawyers). One of learn that our child could take either us through, muttering “I hope my wife my married friends was very upset doesn’t get to hear of this.” of our surnames; and that either of our when she heard what I planned to do surnames could be bestowed on — she preferred to be known by her Margo Knightbridge successive children, if we wished. husband’s name and couldn’t Auckland Since none of these issues and possibil understand why I should want to be Sandi Rohan’s letter (Broadsheet 56) ities had been apparent to us before different. One of my workmates implies that some legal action is we decided to find out, it is likely angered me for years afterwards by necessary in reverting to using one’s that many others have faced the same deliberately addressing me as “Mrs ”, maiden name. I think it should be problems. Most mothers would not be knowing how much 1 now disliked it. made plain that one never loses the given this information in the hospital I even had to go to the hierarchy at the legal right to one’s maiden name. room. We would like to hear from University where I work to make a When married women opt to be others who have dealt with this, and statement (for purposes of claiming a to hear what their solutions have addressed by their husband’s name been. bursary) that my husband and 1 were they are using a courtesy title. A still living together, in spite of our woman can use any name she so Anna Gilkison & Peter Denee using different surnames. desires and it becomes hers through What a fuss — all because I decided to “right of usage” without any legal action being necessary. Lawyers are at Reverting to one’s maiden stop using someone else’s name and become known again by the identity I present extracting fees from women name had always had before marriage. to enable them to revert to a name Names are symbols, and to me a which is theirs by right. When I married eleven years ago 1 married woman’s use of her husband's Sincerely, began using my husband's name, not name is symbolic of her loss of Dorothy Gray because 1 particularly wanted to but identity (carried to the ultimate in Christchurch 33 ------\ The Feminist Eye There are three essays specifically about A FILM REVIEW: JANE PITTMAN BOOK REVIEW women, the two I’ve just mentioned and one on Woman Suffrage, which refers Jane Pittman begins before Jane has a sceptically to New Zealand’s achievement name of her own, before the Civil War of the vote for women: “Are the labour ‘freed’ her from slavery. It ends with Anarchism and other essays, conditions better there than they are in Jane, at 110 years of age, defying a city England? . . . Is woman there no longer ordinance by drinking from a ‘white’s Emma Goldman, considered a mere sex commodity? Has only’ water fountain. Dover Publications, 1969. she emancipated herself from the « Sound inspiring? puritanical double standard of morality?” (A resounding No! from us all.) Sadly, though it has its moments, it isn’t. Hardly surprising when a (white?) Goldman sees woman suffrage as a Ever since I can remember I’ve scoured man wrote the story in the first place and piecemeal effort to patch up something the his-story books for traces of woman’s other men produced and directed it. inherently rotten, and as such represent presence and drunk in any reference I’ve Considering that Jane Pittman never ing little achievement for women. “The found to women too strong for men to lived, one wonders why a movie about an Tragedy of Women’s Emancipation” ignore. It is perhaps partly for this reason UNreal Black woman when Black disturbed me at first. It seemed full of that this collection of essays appeals — American history contains many brave limiting cliches (innate cravings for apparently in the 1890s and for years women, each of whom would have made motherhood and the like) but on closer thereafter, America reverberated with the a better subject for a movie. Perhaps reading it is a plea for the “internal name of the “notorious Anarchist”, because truth is less malleable than emancipation” of women, as opposed to feminist, revolutionary and agitator, fiction? Emma Goldman. The titles of these the merely “externally emancipated” essays I found tantalising: The women Goldman saw about her, some of The movie itself centres around Jane’s Psychology of Violence; Prisons: Social whom could still choose marriage, an life as it relates to the struggle of the Crjme and Failure; The Modern School; institution which “stands for the Black people to free themselves from the Marriage and Love; The Hypocrisy of sovereignty of the man over the woman.” domination of whites. However, Jane’s Puritanism . . . they were originally And she reasonably criticises the class role in this struggle is largely cast as published around 1910 by the Mother and race prejudice of some of the spectator: Jane is a sort of Samuel Earth Press, which Goldman founded. suffragists. Pepy’s minus diary — she sees a lot of brave people (almost all men) die; she “The Traffic in Women” is an essay on I think that Goldman’s vision may have suffers along with those women left prostitution. I won’t attempt to para obscured the mechanics of our op behind. Black women’s role is clear — to phrase Goldman: “Nowhere is woman pression for her. She doesn’t see men as care for, nurture, wave goodbye and treated according to the merit of her actively oppressing women and as having mourn Black men, while at all times work, but rather as a sex. It is therefore an investment in the subjugation of being subject to the wider confines of almost inevitable that she should pay for women. At times she seems to lack a white domination. her right to exist . . . with sex favours. deep analysis of the psychology of Thus it is merely a question of degree women’s oppression. (Almost like the However, the whole movie isn’t quite like whether she sells herself to one man, in smug old put-down I’ve heard from men that. The early Jane (aged 9) has lots of or out of marriage, or to many men." — “Well, if women don’t like it, why do spunk and clear ideas about what she they put up with it?”) wants for herself. But before she’s had I also have to share this little truth about time to grow another inch, she’s landed the Catholic Church: “Pope Clement II However, the conclusion of this essay with an orphan (who grows up calling her issued a Bull that prostitutes would be summarises those issues she sees as ‘mother1) and it seems that in putting his tolerated if they paid a certain amount of crucial to our struggle, and I felt it to be needs first, she sets the pattern for the their earnings to the church. Pope Sixtus a clear general statement of the aims of rest of her life. He grows up and leaves; IV was more practical; from one single the Women’s Liberation Movement today she weeps and goes on to find another brothel, which he himself built, he — e.g. control over our bodies, refusing man; he leaves, she weeps; etc, etc. received an income of 20,000 ducats.” motherhood unless it is our choice. I found that I sharpened my own analysis None of this isn’t to say that Cecily What has changed for us? In “The as I read. And I have to admit, sadly this Tyson isn’t magnificent as Miss Jane; Tragedy of Woman’s Emancipation” time, that for a book written seventy indeed she carries the movie through Goldman describes women “liberated” years ago, it reads as truly today. some unbelievably saccharine moments. from the home to the narrowness and So: if you like crying in movies, it’s a lack of freedom of th factory, Marie Buckley good one; if you’re Black, there’s sweatshop, department store or office probably enough in there to give you a and says bitterly, “In addition is the shot in the arm; and if you’re white, burden which is laid on many women of there’s easily enough liberals and bigots looking after a ‘home,, sweet home’ . . . to have you squirming. after a hard day’s work. Glorious independence!” Amelia 34 BOOK REVIEW some of it — she is the free woman still imprisoned by her love for her fiance, although she knows him to be a rapist BOOKS Journey Among Women, and hypocrite. He, Captain McEwan, is in Books of interest to feminists can Diana Fuller, charge of the recapture of the escapees. be hard to find, especially if you On reclaiming his lost love who live miles from town and the few Sun Books, Melbourne, 1977. surrenders to save her sisters he finds bookshops that stock them. himself still cheated of triumph, for the You can order the following books experience has spoiled her for him. through us: This story, a novelization of the film, Indeed, the scales have fallen from her Tick Boxes tells of a daring escape made by women eyes. The Women’s Room, Marilyn French convicts. It might be an allegory of The women seal their victory with ...... $10.95 □ everywoman’s dream of freedom. A stunning strategy when he returns to Stay at the dinner party, Rachel spirited band of much-abused women wreak revenge! His male ego is McAlpine, poetry...... $3.25 □ convicts is joined impulsively by a annihilated. The rest of the conflict 1978 Herstory Diary...... $3.95 □ refined, colonial lady sympathiser, and comes from the individual development Private Gardens, ed Riemke Ensing. they make an escape into the Australian of each woman in an uninhibiting The first anthology of New Zealand bush in search of a mythical women’s environment. women’s poetry...... $7.20 □ commune which they soon come to Methods of Natural Birth Control, create themselves. The book only suggests the new detailed information prepared by relationships that develop between the There are shades of Monique Wittig’s The Sarah Calvert to supplement her women, and I think these would be more Guerilleres in their making good in the article on this subject in the October fully revealed in the film. It sounds a bush; especially in their final battle with 77 Broadsheet....,...... 75 cents □ simple tale but I found it exciting. Don’t their captors where ingenuity betters let the rather staccato style put you off, brute force. It is stirring feminist fiction. Nam e...... because it does begin to flow after a With the aid of an Aboriginal woman who while. It’s women coming out of an teaches them the skills of survival, they Address...... oppressive situation with something lead an idyllic existence in unprecedent more than impotent anger. ed freedom and independence, although not without confict. Elizabeth provides Mary Debrett Photo from Womanspeak March—April 1977. Healthy Women______MENSTRUATION part 1 to know about this process. Learning about your cycle To begin the process of coping we need to understand and observe our cycles. You can start by keeping a simple calendar recording the length of your period, simple changes during your cycle, the amount and type of flow and any other observations such as pain and depression. Charting your moods and behaviour is always good — it is a very positive way of learning about the inter-relationships within your body. Try also to relate your cycle to life events. Often we ascribe depression to our cycle when it is Most of us will menstruate 300 times in a lifetime. Yet related to something that has happened so many myths and taboos surround this normal to us in our life. physical function that many of us do not know why or The ‘standard’ 28-day cycle is divided how menstruation occurs or how to deal with problems into the following phases: we might encounter. In the first of a two-part article, Days 1—5 the active flow. SARAH CALVERT looks at the physical facts of Days 6—14 follicular phase ending in menstruation. ovulation (the egg grows and matures). Next month she gives practical suggestions on what to Days 15—25 the luteal phase (the egg do with the blood and how to help yourself with passes down the fallopian tubes problems which may arise. and degenerates). Days 26—28 the premenstrual phase. You can ovulate during your period, Menstruation and Menopause (Broad ‘knew’. After coping with that ex and some women do. The above is sheet, March/April ’78) are the only perience (and the ever-present fear only a generalised form of the cycle bodily functions where moderate to that I would bleed through my and few women will fit into it exactly. severe discomfort normally accompany clothes), and talking with other girls I The average span of a period is 3—5 healthy functioning. Katharina Dalton became aware that I was actually days, with the flow heaviest on days in her research on the menstrual better off than most. At least I knew 1- 2 , but it is o.k. to bleed for just one syndrome found the following what was happening. I understood I day or for seven. There is no ‘normal’ incidence of symptoms of discomfort: wasn’t bleeding to death, and that this flow. You usually lose about Z> a cup was a normal process which happened 90% of all women have some of blood (5 0 -1 75cc average) per to all women. But I did suffer; I had symptoms. period. However, every woman is cramps and pains and felt depressed 24% have physical symptoms. different and some women also have a and, of course, I couldn’t talk about light bleed during ovulation, usually at 18% have emotional symptoms. it — girls who did were accused of mid-cycle. This is normal. Occasional 46% have both types of symptoms. trying to get out of school activities spotting also occurs, especially just My own memory of my first periods is and ridiculed in front of everyone. before or just after menstruation. Any of wearing ‘sanitary napkins’ for the Now, after years of working in other bleeding is abnormal and needs first time. As I walked down the street women’s health, 1 am aware of how looking into. Missing a period may be I was absolutely sure that every person real those pains were and are. We need a sign that something is wrong (e.g. 36 pregnancy) but not having a period is no reason for refraining from sexual some more recent ones are outlined not a sign that dangerous toxins or relations at this time but if doing below. poisons are building up. You can do something makes you feel uncomfort whatever you feel like during your able or sick don’t do it. Dysmenorrhea (painful period — run, swim, take a sauna, ride periods) a horse, anything. Remember, your Menstrual flow best guide is your body. Learn about There are two types of dysmenorrhea, it, follow its clues and don’t do things The menstrual flow contains cervical/ spasmodic and congestive. that feel bad. vaginal mucous and degenerated Spasmodic: Symptoms of this type are endometrial particles as well as blood cramps, pain in the lower abdomen, The physical facts (which is occasionally in the form of shakiness at the beginning of the clots). This mixed content is not period, nausea. These are most common The following is not intended to be a obvious because of the blood which on days two and four. comprehensive view of menstruation. stains everything. The fluid does not Spasmodic dysmenorrhea is common For a more complete explanation see start to smell until it comes into in women from ages 15—25 and rare Our Bodies Our Selves (OBOS). The contact with the bacteria in the air. in older women. Dalton suggests that menstrual cycle is completely related Some women will be anaemic with the pregnancy and childbirth may help to the process of ovulation. Briefly: blood loss and feel tired and listless. If clear it up. Although it is not clear the estrogen produced by the maturing this is so, try improving your nutrition. how this type occurs it is thought to follicle (which produces the ovum) Sleep is also good if you feel tired and be due to the expansion and causes the uterine lining (endometrium) down. contraction of the uterine muscles as to proliferate, grow, thicken and form the endometrial cells are sloughed off. the glands that will create a suitable Menstrual problems It occurs during an ovulatory cycle and lining for the ovum. The endometrium the muscles of the uterus are required becomes receptive after the release of Very little research has bfcen done into to respond to this cycle, often causing the ovum, when the hormone pro the problems women experience over pain. Occasionally the Birth Control gesterone is released. The level of menstruation. The best single body of Pill will help. Recent evidence has hormone slowly drops if conception work remains that done by Katharina suggested that spasmodic dysmenorrhea does not take place and the lining of Dalton and reported in her book The is caused by a progesterone imbalance the womb is shed. This shedding of Menstrual Cycle. Dalton was the first (higher progesterone ratio). Some the lining is menstruation. It is possible person to really investigate the studies have suggested that systematic to menstruate without ovulation but numerous types of menstrual problems desensitization (relaxation training, it is rare and usually occurs around and to accord them both reality and etc.), may help women who suffer from puberty or menopause. Women on significance. Some of her findings and this type of dysmenorrhea. some types of birth control (the Pill) do menstruate without ovulation and THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE yet other types (the Injection) stop menstruation altogether. Menstruation begins about the middle / estrogens^ and ' of puberty, generally at 11—13 years progesterone J of age, though any time from 9—18 is ^ decrease / normal. It continues until menopause ^niddenl m I estrogens \ I y increasing at around 48—52. Menstrual cycles range from 20—36 days, with an V y average of 28 days, but few women I'KOI.IKKRATIVK have a cycle of 28 days. Most women PII ASK. find their cycle changes over the years, v, lengthening and shortening. A normal period is 2 —8 days, the average being ^ 4—6 days. Normally about two thirds ° of an ounce are released (half a cup). ~ Each of us has our own cycle which m we need to be familiar with. 3 ^estrogens^ \ Sexual feelings ^ reach high \ i lies el in b lo o d ,' ’ causing egg J For many of us, our sexual feelings \ release y change during the cycle. Some of us J feel more sensual, some less. There is ~ OVULATION 37 1 * Congestive dysmenorrhea: Symptoms ratio of progesterone. Some alteration with by medical texts so your doctor of this type are heaviness, dull aching of diet may help with depression. It should be of some assistance. in the abdomen, nausea, water has also been suggested that Menorrhagia: excessive menstruation. retention, constipation, headaches, dysmenorrhea may be caused by It is hard to say what is normal flow. backache, breast pains, irritability, excessive prostagladins in the blood Six to eight napkins or pads a day tension, depression and lethargy. but this is not confirmed yet. would perhaps be a little excessive, The symptoms are often relieved at especially if you also get large clots the point of heaviest flow. This type Amenorrhea (lack of periods) coming away. If you feel you are starts at puberty and continues right suffering from excessive flow you through life. (It may worsen after Primary amenorrhea means not having should see a doctor or paramedical pregnancy). Again it is suggested that had a period by the age of eighteen. person. Excessive flow can be caused a hormonal imbalance may be to Secondary amenorrhea occurs if there by infection, inflammation, benign or blame, in this case a higher ratio of is a cessation of periods after a least malignant tumours, glandular im estrogen. As yet studies have not one full period. A variety of causes balances, organic malfunction or suggested any effective methods of may be relevant: pregnancy, congenital emotional factors. The common treat treatment. defects, hormonal imbalances, cysts in ment is a D & C (dilatation and curettage of the uterus, which requires BOTH TYPES OF DYSMENORRHEA the uterus or fallopian tubes, ovarian a hospital stay). ARE REAL. cysts, tumours, disease, stress, Apart from the evidence of hormonal emotional factors, changes in the Menstrual problems are not uniformly imbalance little is known about environment, malnutrition (for severe or static. It is important to dysmenorrhea. It has been suggested example, women who go on massive recognise that they do exist and to that depression can be caused by crash diets often have amenorrhea). It deal with them. Remember the medical sodium retention and potassium is often a cause and a symptom of profession may not treat your problems depletion, which are caused by a lower infertility and is generally well dealt as real and may not be of any help. 38 Send your contributions for the Hogwash pages to Broadsheet, P.O. Box 47261, Auckland. w a s h CHEAPR6C0RDS lhuw C h r o n ic le Dunedin’s only specialist second-hand record and council meeting where, cassette shop. Great for selling, coz it’s done on 50 cents Leader whatever the issue, the commission per album, and somewhere between Sir.- At last we men women’s attention would tremendously fine and completely out of the question for have a leader who will be directed on the same buying, coz some people have a reasonable iaea of what stand up to the “beady- narrow self-centred basis. things are w orth but others put a ’•eally big price on an eyed” vinegary-tongued If they do have other con album that isn’t very good at al! but it was the one that damsels who for the last cerns and have made was playing that time when so-and-so brought around four or five years have them public, we males that exceedingly rewarding dope, or for that matter driven us to distraction may be pardoned for over exceedingly rewarding woman, or both, and it’s really with their daily demands looking them — having — scratchegjomsjy shit *a as s wellw elL [theTecord, L thell^ not the dope, or the of “ womens rights.” been deafened by the woman, or both!. No single albums are allowed to be It seems to the average shrill cries “ my body! my over $5 and it’s mainly rock, not pop - or Eskimo dance Mr Nice Guy Enzedder body! my body!” . music. Occasionally “Deals” are clone if you’re fleeing to that some of the ioquaci- Let all men applaud Mr Australia or Kaitangata and need to sell an entire ous ladies have lost their M~uiabÔrT^~a courageous collection for real dollars quickly. A small dark room marbles; they’re obvi cha mpion~of~male nghtsT with one light bulb, a table and moss on the walls is ously a lot of frustrated Lef tKe leaders ôi {he currently being constructed for these “Deals”. The shop fem m es. “ beady-eyed” know that opens at mid-day to allow the owner to ease into his day If it were not for the fact the disenchanting specta gradually, and also opens Friday nights. It’s above the they often appear on Tv to cle of grown women Octagon in those old stone buildings. Upstairs. be presentable fe males, a throwing tantrums be Amenities include true stereophonic sound, hard- man might be excused for cause they can’t have wearing lino on the stairs, and a grand view of the back visualising them all as a their o^n way has lost of the Public Library Binding Room. lot of starched spinsters, them the esteem of men {tiiAkntoiAt&rt : 213-STUART ST. whose chance of getting who, like myself, once pregnant would be pretty thought it would be an ad P r e & u ------slim . vantage to have women In another age many of representatives on our th e m _ w o u ld nave "trad public bodies. morel, pregnancies and But that was before they consequently fewer frust- revealed to us all how IT FIGURES . . . rationirTTow they’ve got much their attention is fo too few children to occupy cused totally on their oln. YOU WON’T GET FAR WITH A their energies, they mis PRIME PORKER. direct it into shrieking FAULTY ENGINE. about right to “our bodies,” ad nauseum. Could it be the problem is due to their beady eyes and vinegary tongue mak ing any other part of the anatomy uninviting to the m ales? It took Robert Muldoon CALL ON US. WE'LL RECONDITION YOUR MOTOR ^ to front-up for be-men. His OR SUPPLY YOU WITH A QUALITY EXCHANGE ENGINE comments should silence the shameless shouters of GUARANTEE your motor, reconditioned, will be as slogans. What use would GOOD AS NEW they be on public bodies? They’re totally wrapped even have a confidential finance scheme enabling you to 0) o - n. up in this “right to my I X CTXi < PAY-AS-YOU-DRIVE body” thing. Have they ^ « AS CALL IN FOR A QUOTE anything to say about the H ? I wider issues- of impor N CO tance to the community at cti * O) m g-S-o c n _ Z Auto Machinists Ltd la rg e? — (8 4) ® 3 JC X J x N £ x: One could visualise a C nr Ellison Road and M ille r St Hastings PH^ne 6 6 -1 51,6 6 - 152 q a ! 39 SOS Contacts CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Hamilton - ph: 82-063 (24 hours). Tauranga — see classified ads, local FEMINIST WOMEN’S HEALTH newspaper. CENTRE Napier — ph: 446-414. SOS (Auckland) is expanding into a New Plymouth — ph: 84-937. feminist women’s health centre. We Gisborne — ph: 5920. hope to have groups on a number of Wanganui — ph: 42-291. topics including: self-help, contracept Palmerston North — ph: 87-743. ion, childbirth, problems of pregnancy Wellington — ph: 724-709 (24 hours) (over 30’s, infertility, miscarriage, Nelson — ph: 31-834 or 83-025 or stillbirth etc), rape, menopause, 88-082 or 81-574. menstruation, teenagers, mastectomy, Christchurch — ph: 796-970 hysterectomy, sterilisation, self-image, (24 hours). the politics of health care, sexuality, Dunedin — contact Andree or Edith, 'lesbian sexuality, alternative healing 165 Maitland St., Dunedin. (herbs, massage, diet) assertiveness training, massage, cystitis, vaginal Feminist Resource Centre infections, basic self-defence. We are (Christchurch) broadsheet looking for women to take these V NEW ZEALAND'S FEMINIST MAGAZINE ~ J A focal point for feminist women, groups. The person taking the group Room 207 in the Christchurch Arts • ♦ would not be in the role of expert or Centre above the University Book You can have a copy of this leader, but should have knowledge and Shop. Or contact: beautiful three colour poster skills in the subject. The groups will [colours: red, mustard, olive be co-operative, support groups, Verna 856-646 green] by writing to: sharing information and experience. Marie 899-143 Broadsheet, P.O. Box 47261, If you are a feminist with special Sharmaine 841-197 Auckland knowledge or experience of any of t these areas please write to us with enclosing $1.00, includes details of yourself and your perspective postage and packing. PROBLEMS WITH on your subject. Write to BENEFITS? FEMINIST WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTRE, P.O. Box 47090, Ponsonby, I need information for a research Employment — Casual or ring 766-386. paper on the difficulties (if any) experienced by women in applying If you are interested in being a Do you want a bit of extra cash? I for and receiving unemployment participant in groups on any of these need a woman to help me with cane benefits, D.P.B., etc. work — no previous experience subjects (or others that we have not necessary. Hours to suit. Situated in thought of) or in an introductory If you can help me in any way, please Western Districts, Auckland. course on women’s health covering a write to — Liz Minogue, 9 Pierce Rd, Phone: Shirley, Ak. 876-223. number of areas contact us as above. Milford, Auckland 9. ___»------Interview Marie Bell Continued from page 31 Sometimes I get angry but on the whole I don’t came up and I must say that (and 1 must have because I feel they are products of their had hundreds of women in classes over the experience and the way they have been brought years) I’ve never struck a woman who couldn’t up too and life can be pretty tough for them. empathise with the baby basher. After all women do survive better than men, even though they get it rough for parts of their How much effect do you think you can have on lives. I don’t know, but I have times of feeling the way we bring up children by working within too, like the anarchists that — do we try and the system? infiltrate the system, have we got time? Is it Well, in the Department the women are very going to be long enough? Are we going to thin on the ground and where you’re in survive? situations to argue cases and say my experience I think, is the world going to make it with this gives me a very different outlook from yours and male-dominant attitude? So-called efficiency have you thought about this, that and the other, which doesn’t consider people and their needs, they say no, we haven’t. But then you realise caring and this sort of thing. Order of a certain you can’t be everywhere and lots of decisions kind and aggressiveness. Can the world afford are made very much based on wrong premises. all this? 40 a 00 O) cm E ©C >© s i S < ^ CM b> CM .£ c C- *0 O O ~ *-> © ft-i w * i c D O “ E t - h - fcc o o © © < h - O Q) f- H- +: § D O © 3 ® 3 m < D h - O ^ $ £ x 00 CD 00 ai . ? s;- >- 59 • z 3 £ n a .h O - CO I .2 s £N ^ M ® S x IN W 0 .(0 id V) c «- cn a oo u) n >. c < c in9 < E “ E o) § X N v - o in N x O J “ (M ^ 7 * X h - X I § s o 2 .8 I- . ^ 00 si o D •t g > m 4-1 c Z c O a) re — o o -c °o | O o . O ® « oo CO 5 E « -o oo h- E 3 oo g E ® , ■H CO -f- " 00 ^ . 2 0} Z o x 2 CO C >ct co LU ° f o CM ° o g | w o O 5 2 5 — N < ^ ^3 X ® T- - CD C “ 0 „ 1 0 _ i o 0)E j® © O Z o 0 “c ® - Q. > in o r . ® C3 +; (U c > t! x c > LU 3 c z © m CD ® c o a — 2 ° g oI o* “ 5 c z g S Z3 w < 00 0 o_ a> co CL 1 CO ® CL © OQ 1“ c o < OQ o CL CD c _i 11 _ § m < CO « X . _l 2 E ^ Z § E CD ; O) c ^ x g X LU _i 0 UJ " LU § "_ _ 6 ^ E 0 o ® ■ • | © _© © oE d —j d ® 0 ro O LLI 10 z 5 oo ® i < rn ® < z < CL § f S 5 £ z 5 10 Z CL- o CL 2 X § l S UJ#0 § a.’ O o co Z < a: § z CL O CL i ° ; l § 5 ET3 O) LL© CM 'c O O CD '3 CO xf JZGCx: . x: c ^ to © +-*" J- u a o CD CO O o — o E co S g f on CD oo LU CM (/) ^ z O q) "tf CM x: © xf D D Dc 3 N _ o 0 3 z O V) © Q_ JZ 0 ^ 0 5 a . 5 5 z U * . o §5' x: _C Z 0 o c x oi O) 2 c o N u o 0 u oi 5 X ^c c l oo co o ® O ON - < . u © * «- — X © lo CO D 2>a> CO o 3 2 - CM CM o Q +-* X 3 Cl u , CO Cl xf xf if) G) CD ^ CM CL 00 ai CM >- Cl r* CO . C0 CM . - • <* . O a D - 2 4 CM CM CM > 0 ° v > 0 cc ^ } in if) "O to 5 7N Xx xi> H- 003 X D X 3 X 5 < x V3 V m j : -C sz c o o c ° O 0 £ ^ 6 C CM o S o£8S 0 (J d) 0 . £ 5 o CD <ī 00 o u) CO _c ® CM CO ■H» co *■ CO ■H . E m E o m ^ o § -X X - “ © i s X r E co D © O § - O O § LU O ® o O 2 O _£ CD O o o o X ^ X in* ^9 § 3 ^ •“ o o -c So^ooif yd 9 < I CL < Q_ Z CL < § CL O < CL CL 00 CL < CL § CL Z 7 o § CO u §a.'c/)coin > L u cl These back* Vissues of Broadsheet are still available at 40 or 60 cents Full set of back issues: $15 The following issues are available at 40 cents each: No 22 September 1974: Women in the arts in New Zealand, women writers, Robin White, Sue Holmes, Katherine Mansfield and others. No 23 October 1974: Women in advertising, models, airline advertising, working in the freezing works. No 24 November 1974: Aging and older women, interview with Freda Cook, psychiatric hospitals, turning thirty. No 25 December 1974: Women and religion, muslims, women in the Catholic church. Virgin Mary or fallen woman. No 29 May 197 5: Chinese women, interview Robin Morgan, women lawyers, lUDs, separatism. No 30 June 1975: Payment for housework, consciousness- raising, IW Y, Vietnamese women. No 31 July 1975: Women's Centres, how Broadsheet operates, abortion counselling, Greer, Reid on IWY, Sue Kedgley on NZ. No 32 September 1975: Mastectomies, female offenders, report on Select Committee on Women's Rights. No 33 October 1975: Rape, the morality of abortion, women and politics. No 34 November 1975: Solo mothers, mothers' benefit, demystifying parliament, separatism revisited. No 35 December 1975: Home delivery, Bobigny abortion trial in France, baby wage, hating housework. No 36 January 1976: IU Ds, politics of housework, feminists bringing up daughters, unemployment benefit. The following issues are 60 cents each: No 37 March 1976: Masturbation, interview Charlotte Bunch, female law students. Copper lUDs. No 38 April 1976: Accident compensation for housewifes, equal pay, family planning, women at medical school. No 39 May 1976: Women in teaching, drugs and women summing up IW Y, the PM's conference. No 40, June 1976: Rural communes, diaphragms, is the Pill for or against us? No 41 July 1976: Urban communes, sexist attitudes of male doctors in NZ's past, feminism/socialism. Part 1 pill articles. No 42 September 1976: A midwife looks back, halfway house. National's performance on women, British equal pay act. No 43 October 1976: Abortion practises in NZ's past, women on boards, conditioning or repression, morning-after-pill. "No 44 November 1976: Marilyn Waring, nursing, Maori women, Tongan women. No 45 December 1976: Beginning of herstory series, cystitis, •clerical workers union, the pros and antis in the abortion ^struggle. ‘No 46 January 1977: Day care, your rights if you are arrested, radical feminism. No 47 March 1977: Moon madness, male-designed cities, vaginal infections, sexist vocational guidance pamphlets. No 48 April 1977: The politics of childbirth, feminist mothers bringing up sons, herbs, pioneering health workers. No 49 May 1977: Walker's witchhunt on solo mothers. Women in WW 1, herbs part 2, interview with a midwife. No 50 June 1977: The Catholic church and abortion, the Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion, women in the shearing industry, kindergarten teachers mobilise, equal pay, depression in marriage. No 51 July 1Ō77: Sex and violence — the new pornography, interview Helen Marieskind, lesbian mothers and custody, women in the depression, cuts in DPB, 2,4,5-T, UWC Report, telethon. No 52 September 1977: "Women” television series, depression in marriage, first of women singers and songwriters series. No 53 October 1977: Rural women, lesbianism and mental health, natural birth control, what's wrong with the women's m ovem ent? Please send me the following: Send this form to: Quantity Price P.O. Box 47261, Auckland f | Subscription (5) $6 □ Overseas subscription $8.50 I] broadsheet special @ $1 1 1 ] Back issues @ 40 cents each 1 1 Your name N o s ...... Address. . . L — 1 Back issues at 60c each CZ3 N o s ...... J Poster of December 1975 cover @ 50c L J Broadsheet 3-colour poster @ $1 ,[