MEW ZEALAND’S «M ^STM AG AZI^ s“ °

u - i o 5 iEACHERS COLub1.

J 1984

ib r a r y -AUCKLA

Women Develop Muscle Women and

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1st floor, 43 Anzac Avenue, (Box 5799) Auckland. Phone 794-751. broadsheet bookshop CONTENTS

FEATURES WOMEN’S GUIDE TO THE SNAP ELECTION 2 CONVERSATION AT OKARITO with Keri Hulme 16

WOMEN DEVELOP MUSCLE 22 DO WE HATE MEN? 28 FOR YOUNG (HETEROSEXUAL) WOMEN 30 NOT JUST THE CLAP 35 BOMBS DON’T DISCRIMINATE 42 ARTS SONG OF A CYNICAL WOMAN A poem by A. Leider 31 THE ANNEXE Fiction by Lora Mountjoy 32 REVIEWS Seeing the Light (feminist films at the festival)/Depression Lives on Stage 46 THIS SPECIAL FEATURE "WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTION” REPLACES OTHER REGULAR ARTS REVIEWS. THESE WILL BE PRINTED IN FUTURE ISSUES AND WE APOLOGISE TO CONTRIBUTORS

REGULARS IN BRIEF 8 BEHIND THE NEWS Not So Green/The Frustrations Of A Maori Language Teacher/ Keeping Them Off The Streets/Acting For Eguality/Don’t Bank On It/The Politics Of Pap Smears 10 BROADSHEET BACK ISSUES 34 HOGWASH 36 WHAT’S NEW? 37 ON THE SHELF Bookshop Advertisement 38 LETTERS/FRONTING UP 47 CLASSIFIED Advertisements 48

COVER (front) From Left: Kim Petersen, Cassandra Kelly (the winner) and Jane Mitchell in the 100m hurdles at the opening of the East Coast Bays stadium, 18 March 1984, courtesy NZ Herald, and (back) Double bicycle, Cromwell, Central Otago, courtesy Hocken Library.

FRONTISPIECE Pramazons perform in Auckland’s Albert Park on International Women’s Day, 24 May 1984, photographed by Gil Hanly.

THE BROADSHEET COLLECTIVE Sarah Calvert, Sandra Coney, Lyn Crossley, Bernadette Doolan, Sandi Hall, Heather McLeish, Claire-Louise McCurdy, Diane Quin, Jenny Rankine and Renee.

THESE WOMEN WORKED ON THIS ISSUE Beverley Ansell, Athina Reay, Penny Winter, Deborah, Lesley Smith, Leonie Child, Anne Waters, Chris Forbes, Jess Hawk Oakenstar and the enveloping women.

BROADSHEET is published by Broadsheet Magazine Ltd, PO Box 5799 Wellesley Street, Auckland; Registered Office: 1st floor Gane Building, 43 Anzac Avenue, Auckland 1; and printed by Wanganui Newspapers Ltd, 20 Drews Avenue, Wanganui. Published: 1 July 1984.

BROADSHEET annual subscription $NZ24, overseas surface $31, overseas airmail Europe $43.50, America and Asia $39, Australia and South Pacific $33.

Permission must be sought before articles may be reprinted. Broadsheet is on file at the Women’s Collection, Special Department, Northwestern University Library, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA.

ISSN 01 10-8603 Registered at the GPO as a magazine. 3 H 1 Q N V N3INOM SN O I1D 3T3 dVNS 3 H 1 Q N V N3WOM SNO IXG 3T3 dVI 3T3 IXG SNO N3WOM V N Q 1 H 3 dVNS 3T3 I1D O SN N3INOM V N Q 1 H 3 SNAP ELECTIONS W WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS N ELECTIO SNAP E H T AND OMEN W S N TIO C LE E SNAP E H T AND EN OM W fimtv cin-AA - Action Affirmative AGAIN ST WOMEN ST AGAIN C O N TA C T W ITH ITH W T C TA N O C SO UTH AFRICA UTH SO COMPOSITION COMPOSITION EDUCATION CHILDCARE E TILITY FER VIOLENCE VIOLENCE BENEFITS OF PARTY OF WELFARE HOUSING HEALTH kORI or accept taha Maori in core cur­ core in Maori Hikoi taha the accept or meet to Refused wait. tour. policing for money extra provided Continues to “celebrate” “celebrate” to to continue rights land Waitangi; Continues Yes; welcomes Springboks to NZ; NZ; to Springboks welcomes Yes; riculum changes. Has retained retained Has seats. Maori changes. riculum Wellington rules, OK! rules, Wellington rn Wre’ cs ignored. case Worker’s dren. on: $18$15 $12, depending or tion fsl prns icm, o chil­ no. income, parents, solo if capita­ support/funding; Minimal emergency housing. emergency houses reduced quota; scant scant quota; reduced houses rental housing; mini­ state building mal reduced; money Mortgage continues level; subsistence no (if dole and Super, Taxed ectomies? Arrrgh! ectomies? GMS. increase No aged, psychiatric. tech, high funding: of Bulk tech. high hospital than babies for be desirable less Homebirth to forced.” process health ventive ants. applic­ for procedures humiliating at be­ benefits DPB Maintains on Spy neficiaries. I plays kids); plement Johnson report. Free vas­ Free im­ report. won’t Johnson plement Ap­ Depo-provera; prove vote. policy. no Conscience Abortion: fertilisation: vitro In not voluntary, and “evolutionary pre­ in Education staff. trained Is. Pac. for courses bridging Polytech ag­ had Caucus refuges; women’s and see. and immun­ spousal remove to reed Bill is in limbo we’ll have to wait wait to have we’ll now limbo Bill; in is Bill Reform Rape from ity 27 between share to $190,000 No women in cabinet; 2 women women 2 cabinet; in women No MPs; Dominion Council of 5l has has 5l of Council Dominion MPs; 2 oe 2 Maori. 2 women 12 National Waitangi Tribunal, can look at at of force look given not 1840, can to claims Tribunal, Waitangi at look but day national a Want port private school integration. school private port a. norg blnul schools. bilingual Encourage lav. Expand marked. 6 Feb “manner” govt investments. Won’t stop stop Won’t investments. govt support poor; fair pay for workers for pay fair poor; support equip- subsidies; wage holiday; passports. or consulate SA NZ, to teams No ment/establishment grants; direct direct grants; ment/establishment school/ after kinds, all Support system; Maori language optional. optional. language Maori system; cur­ core at again look ed, and com­ to puter access scheme improve ed, adult work community policy. Incomplete share. custodial Enable sharing. courage tahr o 0 n rmr. Sup­ primary. in 20 to teacher 1 "pervade” Maori Taha riculum. restore grants, tertiary Review parent’s other buy to parent En­ priority. families income Low consultant system; publicly publicly system; consultant udd brin countrywide. abortion funded grounds, abortion Review port. Re­ Johnson prob. ed, sex schools sterilisation; male/female provide fertility; control to right Women’s phasis on primary care, preventa­ care, primary on phasis hr tr, ret eiw f be­ of review urgent term, short midwife service. Sympathetic to to Sympathetic service. midwife policy 19-point High favoured. not tech supports. community tive, Em­ minimum. to kept then fees rates rebates. Married women women Married levels, rebates. abatement rates levels, nefit In stay. prune to benefits; structure Super welfare basic to social to review Commission reform Royal anomalies; Urgent sup­ financial legislation; violence Increased GMS, ensure doctor’s doctor’s ensure GMS, Increased full worker’s rights. worker’s full 1 crisis programmes Support boys. and men for esp. education women-staffed centres; for port Women’s Coordinator. Women’s independent refuge per 10,000 . 10,000 per refuge independent domestic and rape current Review for disabled. Expand domiciliary domiciliary Expand disabled. for cil. Margaret Wilson junior vice- vice- junior Wilson Margaret cil. hmnzn” doctors. “humanizing” pres. Women’s Council; paid paid Council; Women’s pres. coun­ policy on 3 executive; on 9 of 2 women women. 1695candidates of MP; Maori 4 MPs women 6 Labour No specific policy. specific No seats; drop Minister and Dept of of Dept and Minister drop seats; crown not but Treaty of cation purchases; do away with Maori Maori with away do purchases; adjust­ ratifi­ “cultural non-retrospective at ments”; look Will study. of cost to indexed bursaries kindys; as same grants playcentre people; disabled for schools to access Decentralise; Maori Affairs. Maori creches at places of work or study. or of work places at creches landlord. a housing; not govt state term long no ship; Encourage day nurseries or or nurseries day Encourage owner­ home private into nance; fi­ housing for interest of rate Low other policy available. policy other Abortion: conscience vote. No No vote. conscience Abortion: tals: decentralise to 5 regional regional 5 to decentralise hospi­ tals: pysch and out phase specialists gradually health ternative cottage-type open GMS; up­ will grade prevention; on Emphasis tests for married women. married for tests extending on: el­ policy for no derly; trusts/homes charitable health authorities. health al­ recognise hospitals; maternity division in DSW for disabled, disabled, for DSW in division rehabilitation establish de­ pendence; welfare not help self on benefits; tax no socialism; state Oppose for against funding or violence education women, on: policy No where woman isforced. woman situation where any include defini­ rape make of tion to law rape will amend refuges; or groups crisis rape ACC coverage or stopping means means stopping or coverage ACC tee. policy-making male male white all 6Maori; 9women, 92 of MP’s; candidates: Maori or women No body; no womens policy commit­ policy womens no body; Credit Social to MEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS W OMEN AND TH E SNAP E LE C TIO N S WOMEN AND TH E SNAP E LE C TIO N S WOMEN AND TH E SNJ E TH AND WOMEN S N TIO C LE E SNAP E TH AND WOMEN S N TIO C LE E SNAP E TH AND OMEN W

New NZ Women’s Mana Zealand Political Values Motuhake Party Party

22% women, 18% Maori/Sa- Propose 1 woman 1 man rep/elec- 7 women out of 15 candidates so All Maori, 5 women of 10 on Pol­ moan/Indian (Auck). National torate; equal representation of far; all candidates pakeha. 2 co­ icy Council; 2 of 6 candidates. council: 1 woman, 7 men. No women by women at all levels in leaders, 1 a woman. Whole party Mana Wahine decides women’s women’s/Maori policy - “We're govt and elsewhere; work on con­ (at least 50% women) makes pol­ policy reps on council. all New Zealanders". sensus basis with Maori/Polyne- icy at conferences. Has a spokes­ sian candidates woman on women's affairs.

Will outlaw rape in marriage. Propose Rape Trauma Units cat­ Members have helped found rape Assist voluntary groups with fund­ ering to women’s emotional crisis groups. Support self defence ing and training; school courses in spirit/phys needs; same evidence for women, education about rape human relationships. Rape a capi­ requirements for sexual assault Would transfer funding from tal offence; standard maximum and non-sexual; remove sex as- police to neighbourhood support court penalty, no right of appeal. sault/rape trials to eg. Rape Crisis groups. No policy on rape in marriage.

Will cut welfare spending; no Pay every adult not in paid work a Almost all benefits replaced by Increase benefits in line with cost dole, other benefits short-term basic wage; extra income for solo guaranteed minimum income, not of living; means tested super; mar­ only. Benefits untaxed; up to you parents not in paid work; Can taxed or means tested. Extra be­ ried women treated as individuals. to prove you need it. Will make it earn extra $50 pegged to current nefits for families with handicap­ Extend Accident Compensation a crime for breadwinners to fail to value of $; average wage to be ad­ ped members. to include Maori needs eg tangi. support their families. Super paid justed to inflation. from 65.

Will up health funding, esp. pre­ Health preservation not treating Decentralise health services to Return to free health care; com­ vention. Start private health in­ illness; holistic hospitals/natural community health teams. Em­ munity, family and individual surance scheme (govt pays poor health centres; enforce existing phasis on prevention. Phase out based system, not high tech. people’s premiums, means patients’ Code of Rights; Rape private hospitals. Free choice of Translators in all state services; tested); interim increase to GMS. Crisis Centres fully funded; homebirth. Funding for trans­ doctors’ racism etc disciplinary Translators in hospitals blah; euthanasia a choice; info on fertil­ lators in hospitals. Health care av­ matter with public exposure, com­ homebirth blah; disabled people ity accessible to all, ailable on basis of need, rather plain too to HRC and Om­ blah; sexist/racist doctors blah. than ability to pay. budsman. Home birth a right;

Abortion: conscience vote. Fund­ Abortion: woman’s right to Would repeal CS&A Act; abor­ Support Johnson report; more ing for FPA. No policy yet on choose; ban Depo-Provera; legis­ tion decision is woman's alone; abortion rights to woman, loosen Depo Provera, in vitro fertilisa­ late for full unbiased publication free abortions available with law, “we're liberal”. Watch repro tion. of all info on contraception/sterili- counselling. Contraception, free tech for genetic engineering but sation/abortion; fertility info ac­ to all regardless of age. Don’t sup­ favour parents’ right to reproduce cessible to all. port use of Depo Provera. whatever way.

Sell state housing. Low interest Incomplete as yet. Would up funding and boost Highest priority; 3000 units per state mortgage to 90% of home Housing Corp. Make cheap loans year. Control non-essential com­ cost for first 5 years. Reform “in­ available up to 90% of house cost. mercial building. iquitous excesses" Mat. Prop. Act.

No policy yet. Free 24hr centres on street basis; Support quality community- Assist parent-initiated program­ attendance birth-12yrs; no bar to funded childcare centres, partly mes; women minding in homes; access; home care workers prov­ user-paid. Childcare under Edu­ especially Kohanga Reo and ided. cation dept. marae-based care.

Up spending. Abolish bursaries, Up spending; decentralise; Communities decide what’s Exams out, internal assessment; studies work max 12 hrs/wk in­ teacher wage parity; smaller clas­ taught in schools. All groups able smaller classes. Compulsory taha stead. Higher teacher/pupil ratio. ses - more jobs plus specialists; to use their native language at Maori and Maori language at all Decentralise - policy-making by phase out exams; eliminate sex- school. Kohanga Reo funded the levels; Kohanga Reo funded from parent and community councils. bias from teaching materials; in­ same as other pre-school prog­ education vote. Over-60s free Private school fees tax deductible. crease bursaries; legislate sexual/ rammes. Tertiary bursaries re­ entry to uni, teachers colleges and School leaving age up to 16. emotional devel. classes: job ret­ placed by minimum income. techs to include wisdom of elders. raining; ban corp punishment. Smaller classes.

Abolish Maori seats in parlia­ Treaty of Waitangi a fraud. No more land taken from Maori No Treaty celebrations, restore ment, and Maori Affairs Depart­ Would appoint Bill of Rights control. Values worked with Te land taken under 67 Maori Affairs ment. No special treatment - working

Yes to sporting and trade con­ None till apartheid abolished and No to all contacts. No relations.c0 fning or going. tacts. indigenous people hold power.

3H1ONV N3IAIOM SNOIX0313 dVNS 3HX ONV N3WOM SNOIX33T3 «H ME N SA ECTONS ME N HE NPELCTON TIO LEC E SNAP E TH AND EN OM W S N TIO C LE E SNAP E H T AND EN OM W S H I GNV N3W OM SNOI1D313 dVNS 3HJLONV N3WOM SNOIJ.0313 dVI SNOIJ.0313 N3WOM 3HJLONV dVNS SNOI1D313 OM N3W GNV I H S SNAP ELECTIONS W WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS UN CONVENTION CONVENTION UN ANTI-NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT AFFIRMATIVE LAURA NORDA LAURA IMMIGRATION HOMOSEXUAL HOMOSEXUAL LAW REFORM LAW ON WOMEN ON ECONOMIC ACTION UNIONS ANZUS TAXES WORK tion Act 1982 gives victims some protection. some victims gives 1982 Act Protec­ tion Domestic powers; police increased regulation; by governed Privy retained Have freeze. wage our into Like fit culture”. will Bill. (European) who “people Citizenship moan Legal aid fees reviewed at end of of end at reviewed fees aid Legal affairs. women’s on Sa­ on feeling Samoan Ignored Conscience vote Conscience Conscience vote Conscience spokesperson as man Appointed Council; ignored parliament and and parliament ignored Council; yes to nuclear ships, planes, planes, ships, nuclear to yes ANZUS. Says South reasons. in economic for Pacific tests French to Panders women in workforce. Conditions Conditions workforce. in women women Married unemployed. of months. 3 least at for devalue not Will ficit. nefit. Stated hostility of leader to to leader of hostility Stated nefit. be­ get to test means have to have no. hidden ascertain to effort no unemployed; women 28,000 Over Conducted public campaign of of campaign public Conducted de­ external and internal Record vantaged group. vantaged disad­ most women Maori Young at Labour Dept humiliating. humiliating. Dept Labour at cats pay less, multinationals pay pay multinationals less, pay cats hostility towards unions resulting resulting unions towards hostility down national award structure. award national down none. based unions which would break break would which unions plant- based suggested Has bargaining. fai more, pay earners income Low in voluntary unionism, no wage wage no unionism, voluntary in National others for visitor/work permits. as permits. same visitor/work for people others Pacific Treat ain pbi/rvt employ­ public/private cation, Appoint­ Use etc. bills, scrutinise diers. Quotas for Fiji, Tonga like like Tonga Fiji, for Quotas boards etc. Extensive AA in edu­ in AA Extensive etc. on women boards 50% target File: ment projects, fund AA, promote resources to Ministry with Affairs and Women’s Minister Woman Council for time being. time for Council Set prisoners. women Is N to cost legal extend and Up executive. sol­ frontline and leave maternity Samoa. Keep Samoan Cit Act. Cit Samoan Keep Samoa. ily responsibility”. ily “fam­ include HRC, Assess ment. n dfne arrangements defence ing indepen­ desire which colonies up independent Examiner of of Examiner independent up travel leave, home give May aid. NZanti-nuclear, without weaken weaken without with NZanti-nuclear, ANZUS Renegotiate dence. nuc­ for UN use ships, nuclear No oie rcie. ean Privy Retain Practices. Police Rights/restraining of Bill Pass paid without probably Ratify Conscience vote. vote. Conscience lear-free Pacific; support S Pacific SPacific support Pacific; lear-free outworkers, home computer computer home outworkers, free unions;support “unqualified “unqualified unions;support free paid 5 yrs leave with reentry right. reentry with leave 5 yrs paid s tuim hr. oe multi­ Some hort. tourism, esp ex­ to strategy" investment “New schemes. hours/work jobs/ flexible equal for pay/retraining/non-tradition AA Extensive workers. Protect women. for Officers ation Development/Recre- local fund Help bodies standdown. PEP Stop rental rental with tax/services. Review dole tax dole Review tax/services. with pand people-intensive production production people-intensive pand push Maori and P Is in tourism/ devalue. tourism/ inWon't Is trade. P and Scholarships" Maori push "Kupe Big Think profitably involvement; national low, middle income households households income middle low, change Industrial Relations Act to to Act Relations Industrial change o vleal groups. vulnerable Awards for National arbitra- tion/mediation. strengthen preference”; Reform personal income tax, help help tax, income personal Reform Repeal repressive legislation/ legislation/ repressive Repeal ev, o ikesto un­ too; sickness for leave, Labour * -V -V A

Pa­ j with Fiji, Tonga, Samoa; set up up set Samoa; Tonga, Fiji, with Migrants Advisory council. Advisory Migrants programmes permit work sponsor Abolish occupational priority list; priority occupational Abolish police stations; introduce Bill of of Bill introduce stations; police No policy No hp/lns cmitd o anti­ to committed ships/planes; Centres”. “Sociological through legal aid. legal decentralise force; police Increase Ratify Out of ANZUS; no visits nuclear nuclear visits no ANZUS; of Out Research law. existing Repeal Rights to limit Govt; overhaul overhaul Govt; limit to Rights nuclear stand; armed neutrality. armed stand; nuclear capital; renewed economic economic jobs. renewed more = growth share in capital; workers by participation not in NZ interest; coops not not Credit coops NZ establish interest; monopolies; NZ in not Shorter work week; job sharing; sharing; job week; work Shorter ehooyt etavnae . advantage best to technology Authority; use alternative alternative use Authority; keep price controls; no tax up to to up tax no taxes; controls; from price keep income govt Limit where multinationals Discourage rate. flat then benefit SW basic of level iiain po ln-ae un­ plant-based pro ticipation; par­ worker greater for reorganise would but unionism voluntary Pro bosses and workers - “all engaged engaged “all - workers and between bosses conflict see Didn’t ions; in building a better nation”. better a building in Credit Social /OMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS WOMEN AND THE SNAP ELECTIONS W OMEN AND T H E SNAP E LE C TIO N S WOMEN AND TH E SNAP ELE C TIO N S WOMEN AND THE-SN/, AND WOMEN S N TIO C ELE SNAP E TH AND WOMEN S N TIO C LE E SNAP E H T AND OMEN W New NZ Women’s Zealand Political Values Mana Party Party Motuhake

Yes to immigration from non- Open immigration policy with Less European immigration, Moratorium in short term, then traditional sources; criteria for priority for Pacific neighbours. more from Third World priority to South Pacific, refugees, entry - skills and capital. neighbours. Zero population pol­ people with needed skills. Follow icy. Repeal Samoan Cit. Act. Samoan people on Cit. Act.

, None - “We’re all New Zealan­ Overall policy is affirmative ac­ Positive discrimination for women Oppose assimilation; action in ders” . tion for women to achieve equal and indigenous people in parlia­ every area especially education to power in decision-making in all ment and govt, bodies. Affirma­ include taha Maori and redress facets of NZ life. All policies tive action for women & Maori imbalance for women. Mandatory made with goal in mind. people to compensate for in­ move towards 50% women on equalities at work. boards etc; change Electoral Act to ensure 50% MPs women.

No policy yet. Ratify. Ratify. Ratify.

Will up police numbers and fund­ Will review and assess all existing Reduce powers. More power to Employment, housing, will cut ing for legal aid. Paid work and legislation from point of view of local authorities and community crime. Public Defender not police training in prisons. Will write con­ discrimination against women. cttees. Up legal Aid. No corporal prosecutor. Court interpreters. stitution and scrap appeals to Full informed public consent in punishment. Scrap appeal to Privy Involve Maori/Pacific com­ Privy Council. May decriminalise replacing disadvantageous laws. Council. Many social problems re­ munities in justice. Decriminalise marijuana possession for own use. lated to male power in nuclear minor offences. Retain Privy 1 family. Council, safeguard for Maori.

Yes. Will decriminalise all “vic­ Remove legal restrictions on indi­ Yes. Include sexual preference in Conscience vote. timless crimes”. vidual’s sexual preferences. Human Rights Commission Act.

Armed neutrality; NZ and South Yes to nuclear free world; “peace­ Non-aligned NZ, out of ANZUS, No to nuclear ships, nuclear/ Pacific nuclear free. No to positive” stance to all countries; no US bases or warship visits. Yes biological tests; sanctions against ANZUS; will keep US bases. No disband defence forces; dismantle to nuclear free and independent France. Pro independent Pacific; to French nuclear tests, and US armaments/channel personnel Pacific, cut trade with France over non-alignment but peace-keeping nuclear ships. Blah on indepen­ and non combative equip to de­ tests. Disband armed forces, ex­ teams with Aussie & S Pacific; dent Pacific. fined national aid organisation. cept for fisheries protection. scale down armed forces.

Stimulating business will create Recognise threat of technology to Implement working women’s Wage freeze “absurd”; work with jobs. Wages by agreement be­ workers. Redefine length of work­ charter. Guaranteed minimum in­ FOL for full employment, in­ tween bosses and workers only. ing week, job sharing. Establish come for every adult. Work is ev­ creased productivity. Un­ No to wage freeze and govt work Ministry of Future to integrate erything of benefit to the com­ employed can capitalise benefits schemes; yes to job sharing. Re­ technology into work without de­ munity. Support part-time work, to start coops; review work peal laws against prostitution. triment to workers. job sharing, cooperatives. Scrap schemes, include art/culture. wage freeze.

No wage, interest rate or price Calls for complete fully published Change multinationals to worker Against multinationals. Review controls. Devaluation to an “hon­ audit of NZ’s financial position, owned and run co-ops. Worker Think Big to redress social loss. est exchange rate”. Protect man- nationally and internationally, participation at every level. Favour greater worker participa­ | ufacturing only from competition inc info on long term exploitation Renewable resources rather than tion, coops. Watch govt expendi­ based on cheap labour. of NZ resources by other coun­ non-renewable. Economic de­ ture. Find new markets. Against tries. velopment only if it develops and using Maori artefacts to sell NZ. liberates people.

No tax under $10,000, then 30%; No taxation for women without No tax under a minimum level, None before $15,000 per annum. no capital tax. Tax incentives for representation. then graded scale up to max in­ agricultural/manufacturing/ come, taxed 100%. Inherited tourism development. wealth tax

Yes to voluntary unionism; com­ Incomplete policy as yet. Com­ Abolish voluntary unionism. Un­ Support FOL and be guided by it; pulsory secret ballots on strikes. mitted to consensus decision­ ions have access to files and ac­ same for state servants. Reduce State servants wages same as pri­ making at all levels. counts of employers. Promote full number of unions. vate sector. participation of women. State ser­ vants’ pay and conditions to lead the way. 3H1 ON V N3NOM SNOI10313 dVNS 3HJ. ON V N3IAIOM SNOIX3313 Funded test-tube babies □ Allows uneven, punitive abortion services □ Would block Prebble’s anti-nuclear bill but allow Kidd’s anti-abortion one. □ Taxed unemployment benefits Gives warnings on Efamol but approves Depo-Provera □ □ Increased the overseas debt from 2 to 17 billion Shot Paul Chase □ □ Dropped NZ to 21st out of 24 OECD countries on Subverted the Privy Council to pass the Samoan balance of payments Citizenship Act □ □ Believes in a free market but froze wages, prices, Gave $8 a week to workers; wanted extra $10,000 pa for pegged interest rates Governor-General □ □ Started Stink Big er Think Big er Sink Pig Gives $15 weekly to under-16 STEPS participants n □ Proposed to force Marsden Point strikers back to work No dole for most married women or no dole for 4 months □ □ Won't sign UN Convention on Women Dismembered union powers □ □ Ignored Women’s Appointment File Has 62,827 unemployed and 39,280 on work schemes □ □ Was pleased to have a kiwi Miss Universe 20% of unemployed now long-term unemployed □ □ Supports US military presence in NZ Eroded state services bargaining power □ □ Last country in world to manufacture 245T Brought out the Royals to distract us □ □ Takes part in R IM PA C Wouldn't meet the Hikoi □ □ Spends millions annually on Catholic and private Brought Spingboks, batons and barbed wire in 1981 schools. □ Bled Maori parents of $6 million annually to fund Kohanga Reo □ Disbanded National Advisory Committee on Women and Education, removed Women's Advisor. □ Has 1600 unemployed teachers, empty classrooms, but won't lower class sizes. □ Laundered the Core Curriculum Review Report □ Introduced compulsory flag-raising in schools □ Shelved the Johnson Report □ Set up policing teams for beneficiaries Before the effect of the price freeze thaw has hit us □ Before the electoral rolls were completed Closed small maternity hospitals Before the Budget and what it might have had to say

6 Broadsheet, July/August 1984, homo electus

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Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 7 or reparation campaigns against processes as well as cutting down If the Police Bill goes through companies whose inappropriate on endless hours of paperwork, their powers will be extended and IN marketing of baby foods leads to choosing books and producing eg false statements made under the unnecessary illness or death of catalogues. duress would be acceptable. This infants. This was part of an overall Their address is 5A Bradbury would particularly affect BRIEF strategy to put pressure on baby Street, London N16 8JN England. wom en.ū food companies to abide by the R enee Leeds Women’s Defence Group DEFROSTING International Code of Marketing from O u tw rite OPERATION DEEP of Breast-milk Substitutes which MRS BIG: 3 WEST YORKS FREEZE was adopted by the World Health POLICE: NIL UK POLICE POWERS Organization in 1981. On 22nd February Connie For women in England and Operation Deep Freeze is the US These recommendations came O’Donovan was found innocent Navy/Air Force Antarctic Wales, the new Police and in the wake of a decision by the on three charges in Leeds Crown Criminal Evidence Bill will mean Support Base at Christchurch conference to suspend a six and a Court exactly 11 months after she an increased possibility of the use International Airport, half year-long consumer boycott was arrested. The charges related Harewood. The Antarctic of force against them by of Nestle, the world’s largest to an arson attack on the Eros Sex research is a front for NZ’s oldest, policemen - on the streets, in their manufacturer of baby milks. Cinema and were two counts of homes and in police stations. biggest and most entrenched Nestle reached an agreement late conspiracy and one of aiding and foreign military base. Under the bill police will be last month with the INBC, in abetting criminal damage. She able: Nuke flights: More than 200 which the company stated that it was kept for seven days in police military aircarft go through • To stop and search you on the was now prepared to substantially custody during which time she was Harewood each year. None are streets using "reasonable force comply with the provisions of the forced to sign fake statements inspected for weapons or weapons if necessary” for an “offensive International Code. which incriminated her and were weapon” or “equipment" for components and the Government As from the beginning of the only police evidence against stealing. Offensive weapons has stated it has no intention of February, the international her. This was part of the police’s will include everyday items like inspecting. Half of the aircraft - boycott of Nestle is to be fruitless search for the “Mrs Big" . which receive annual blanket bunches of keys, hairbrushes suspended for six months, not behind Angry Women (A group diplomatic clearance from the and nail scissors if the police ended; intensive monitoring over calling themselves Angry Women government - are USAF believe you would use them to the next six months will test have been active in taking direct Starlifters, used throughout the defend yourself if attacked. Nestle’s good faith and measure action against porn and sex shops US military to ferry stockpiles of • To search your home on a the concrete changes this major in the Leeds area). magistrate’s warrant for nuclear weapons and producer has promised. If the During the month before she components. The Starlifters evidence, even though you are results are positive, the boycott came to trial she appeared in court stopover at Harewood on dogleg not suspected of any offence, will be formally ended, if Nestle nine times under a variety of bail flights from Hawaii and Australia. and to use “reasonable” force ignores its promises and the restrictions. When the verdict of They stay overnight, twice a week in doing so. Such raids may be International Code then the innocent on all counts was heard, on average. Cargoes are not carried out in the middle of the boycott may be re-activated and all the women in the gallery, usually unloaded. The USAF night without warning and may further means of pressure which was packed, women on the sends its Starlifters down here-to result in homes being wrecked exerted.□ picket outside spent the rest of the and property destroyed. get in extra flying hours to day celebrating! maintain maximum operational • To strip search you by force in NON-SEXIST KIDS The defence barrister, capability, i.e. as close as possible the police station. BOOKS Marguerite Russell, decided to to wartime conditions. • To carry out “intimate body Letterbox Library is a UK mail put evidence of police harassment NZ Sovereignty: The US searches" by force in the police order bookclub which specialises and irregularities before the judge station, if the police believe Embassy has declared the base innon-sexistchildren’sbooks. The in the absence of the jury. The you have any implement for and military aircraft sovereign US bookclub was started by Iven and police were shown up as liars and causing harm to yourself or territory and therefore outside Gillian after a year of research in fools in the witness box. other person. NZ laws, inspection and control. libraries and bookshops plus a Detective Chief Inspector NZers have been refused • "Intimate body searches” course for people wanting to Sadey, in charge of the case (probing into vaginas) may be permission to inspect parts of the acquire basic business skills. admitted that Connie had been base, including a suspicious Naval carried out by a woman police Two of the now seven-women refused access to her solicitor for officer or a doctor. Communications Unit. NZers group work full-time for the 44 hours in order to get her to talk working on the base have for 16 • To take from suspects detained bookclub but all important and sign statements. years been denied the right to join in the police stations some decisions, like what books to sell, The judge, who seemed a union and receive award wages. body samples. are made by the whole group. All amused, and preoccupied by the All base external security is The report also explains that the books are tested by children and term Angry Women, was provided by the NZ police and bill gives police new powers to adults before being taken into eventually forced to concede that hold a suspect for questioning for security personnel. The NZ stock. the police had breached the taxpayer is paying to preserve the up to 96 hours, and to delay Members of Letterbox Library judge’s rules. These are guidelines secrecy of a foreign military informing a friend or relative of pay a joining fee and make a as to how people in custody should base.D that person within 24 hours. It commitment to buy three books in be treated. Further Info: Citizens for the makes no provision for any the first year. A quarterly Even though the judge was Defence of Harewood, Box 2547, woman thus detained, although catalogue supplies details of reluctant to come down on the Christchurch. she may have dependent children recent additions to their lists and side of the defence, he was left at home, or aged or disabled the newsletter which comes with it NEW ACTION ON BABY with no choice but to disallow the relatives for whom she is has extra information about new FOODS police evidence, and therefore responsible.□ books and a column of news and their case against Connie From O u tw rite “The baby foods campaign is not requests from members. collapsed. over,” was the clear message to Letterbox Library is The Leeds Women’s Defence WOMEN DEMONSTRATE emerge from an international computerised. The group has Campaign who have been AT HOLY LOCH conference held in Mexico City received friendly, practical and supporting Connie, have affiliated from 2 - 5 February. free help from a local computer to the Campaign Against the On Saturday 21 January, 21 Organised by the International company. As they grow they’ll Police Bill. Although Connie was women were arrested during an Nestle Boycott Committee (INBC) pay for this service. Learning how innocent, she was acquitted on a anti-nuclear demonstration at the and the International Baby to key in information and orders legal technicality because the US naval base at Holy Loch in Food Action Network (IBFAN), has brought confidence and police had abused their present Scotland. the conference called for lawsuits demystified the computer powers. The base was set up in 1961 by a

8 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. MORE PILL PROBLEMS First women over 30 were discouraged from using oral contraceptives because of the increased risk of heart attack and strokes in that age group. Now a study reported in the British Lancet shows women under 25 without children who use high potency progestogen oral contraceptives run a higher risk of breast cancer. No association was found between pills used by older women and breast cancer. The medical director of Christchurch Family Planning Clinic says about half the oral contraceptives prescribed at that clinic contain less progestogen than the risk level suggested in the study. Presumably that means half were taking pills containing more. And See caption on page 13 NATIVE AMERICAN was legally theirs, since the what of the tens of thousands of WOMEN WIN HISTORIC Western Shoshone never gave up women who have had up to 25 private agreement between the CASE title. They challenged the years pill-taking and are only now UK and US governments, and is government to prove its right to finding out the risk they were now the home for 10 Poseidon “Land is sacred to the Western their homeland. The government taking?D nuclear powered and armed Shoshone,” declares Carrie has not proved its case. S.C. submarines (soon to be replaced Dann. “We get all that we need Carrie Dann comments: “We by Tridents). It also provides from Mother Earth, for our life. won all the legal questions that SURVIVING INCEST______servicing for submarines carrying Our religion and our life are tied were brought by the United States In Fairfield, California, USA,.a sea-launched Cruise missiles. together, we cannot separate in this case. This is a victory for the 12-year-old girl was held in Over 300 women from all over them .” These feelings for the land Western Shoshone people. Now solitary confinement for nine days the UK took part in the and for Shoshone traditions have our future generations will not be after refusing to testify as to demonstration in freezing cold sustained Carrie Dann and her landless and homeless - a people whether she had been sexually sub-zero conditions! It started sister Mary Dann during a 10-year without a country.”□ molested by her stepfather. with singing and Scottish dancing battle with the United States From Matrix. in front of the Ardnadam pier, government. The Municipal Court Judge used by 2,000 Navy personnel. The women have been the D E P O “H ARM FUL” FOR ordered the girl to be confined to a During the day women took part leaders of the Western Shoshone MEN small cell in Fairfield Juvenile in a blockade of the pier and a assertion that the United States Hall, with no visits from her “die-in” on the road in front of the never legally took their homeland The appeals court in Michigan is mother or lawyer, when she would base, after which figures were - 24 million acres - and that it to decide whether Roger not take the oath to testify as to painted on the road. remains Western Shoshone Gauntlett, will be chemically whether her stepfather, a military Police dragged women off by territory. In recent years, “castrated" by injections of the physician, had molested her. their arms instead of carrying however, the government progesterone contraceptive Depo The prosecutor said: “She is a them, which is their “normal” attempted to gain the Shoshone Provera. Gauntlett had agreed to member of society. She is not procedure for dealing with non­ land through a forced payment by the Depo treatment after plea beng beaten or tortured. She has violent protestors.. At least one the Indian Claims Commission bargaining about charges of been told to go to her room, as had her clothes pulled up around (ICC). The traditional in the sexual misconduct involving his* society requires of her, until she her neck. Another was dragged up tribe refused to accept the ICC 14-year-old stepdaughter and her tells the truth.” a flight of steps by the hair and judgement award knowing that it 12-year-old brother. Gauntlett The girl and her mother had called “cunt", “bitch” and other would mean a loss of rights to their pleaded no contest to a sex charge gone for counselling about her abusive names by the policemen land. with the girl and the other charges report that she had been arresting her. Another was strip- As Carrie Dann explains, “We were dropped. Gauntlett w'as molested. The counsellor then searched. have been against accepting sentenced to five years probation, told her mother that she had to Most of the women were kept in money for our land for all these the first to be spent in jail, and “to report the charge to authorities, cells at Dunoon police station for years. It is against our religion to submit to castration by chemical under Californian law. When the five to seven hours and then ,ell the land which the Creator means” as a condition of the girl refused to testify, the judge released, but five were held until gave us.” Mary and Carrie. 60 and probation. ordered her to a foster home for Sunday, and three until Monday 50-years-old respectively, were Gauntlett is the 42-year-old heir detention. Two days later the morning, when they had to appear born in sagebrush houses near to the Upjohn Co. fortune, charges against the stepfather before the local Procurator Fiscal. their present home, a 180 acre makers of Depo. Gauntlett’s were dropped for lack of None of the women held were homestead. appeal cited concern that Depo evidence. given anything to eat - which is a Ten years ago, the women were might harm his health. Meanwhile There is much concern by complete breach of prisoner's herding cattle when a Bureau of a San Antonio Rapist who was lawyers in California that the case legal rights. It is also alleged that Land Management ranger sentenced to “chemical will discourage other girls or the police lied to friends of the approached them and asked to see castration” for 10 years while on women from seeking counselling, women who were waiting outside their grazing permit. The Dann probation is pleased with the for fear that they, too, could end the station. sisters replied that this land was treatment. "It totally lowers your up in jail. The treatment of Western Shoshone. They showed sex drive. That’s what got me in The stepfather's lawyer said, demonstrators on Saturday is not the ranger the treaty supporting trouble. 1 hated the person I was.” concerning his refusal to plead an isolated incident but part of the their statement and refused to pay Side-effects are fatigue, a terrible guilty either to the charge or other growing “legal” attack (backed by the grazing fee. appetite and a tendency to bleed lesser ones, that the stepfather’s the government) on all women , A trespass action was brought easily. □ Info San Francisco medical licence was at stake. peace protestors. □ to court against the Dann sisters. Chronicle (29/2/84) and Auckland “And that is very hard to give From Outwrite The women argued that the land Star (9/12/83) up. "□ O ff Our Backs

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 9 BEHiNimiTa NEWS "In Germany we have been making sure that many many people all over become NOT SO GREEN experts over their own lives, become ex­ perts over their own security. KAREN MANGALL talked to West German peace worker “We have said very clearly that we are PETRA KELLY going to dismantle the blocs ourselves, and we will meddle in the affairs of all states Tootling down to the press conference I against old people, against the handicap­ and we will meddle in the affairs of all wonder if she’ll be another one day wonder ped, against minorities.” military blocs.” like Helen Caldicott, ignorant about The European peace movement is find­ The Greens are mainly a grassroots Aotearoa and the Pacific. When I meet her ing it very hard to understand her insis­ movement. They work in unions, provid­ at the gate, I overhear her Values Party tence that indigenous and Pacific issues are ing alternative employment ideas for woman escort comment: “That’s got to be equally important as Cruise and Pershing workers in the arms industry - seeing how the Broadsheet woman.” I’d heard she deployments. the parts of a tank can be put to better use, didn’t want to talk to anyone except from “Our campaigns could be successful and working at local legislative levels, using alternative or feminist journals. But there remove certain missiles but then they theatre and music to get the German they all were - Herald, Radio New Zea­ would just be pointing in a different direc­ people active rather than depressed by the land, the Listener and all the peacies hid­ tion; the USSR’s missiles at China, Cruise bombs. Giving people choices they never ing down the back. But she sure could talk. missiles on US, U-boats in the Pacific or had before. . . poor old journalists, only one token Pershings stationed in Japan or South “The Greens are not wanting to go back question about the Russians but there’s not Korea.” to pre-industrial agrarian society but we much stirring to be had from a woman who' ‘We are using the Pacific as the back­ are questioning very critically the real uses probably knows more about Aotearoa’s yard for our own testing, like the French of new technology. Like women are work­ “defence” than David Thomson. I think at Moruroa Atoll, waste dumping and ing a lot now with VDUs and they are the expression is “eating out of her hand”. treating people here as expendable or as completely finished after working eight Formal introductions . . . Petra Karin guinea pigs.” hours a day. Many women are being put Kelly, born in Bavaria, lived in the United So when the NZ Government proposes a into jobs with VDUs. States with her mother and step-father Pacific nuclear free zone which all the nuc­ “West Germany is also now doing a lot Colonel Kelly from the age of 14, studied lear powers will respect, she’s got to laugh. with genetic technology. We are just keep­ at the School of International Service, “Impossible! A zone which nuclear vessels ing up internationally and not thinking worked on Robert Kennedy’s presidential can pass through anyway! Not a very credi­ what is needed and what is counterproduc­ campaign. She returned to West Germany ble way for building up a nuclear free zone. tive.” and took up a job as EEC administrator for New Zealand could make itself nuclear Unfortunately the unions aren’t much social and health policy, investigating car­ free right away but the New Zealand Gov­ help. They would rather strike to get more cinogens in factories, but in 1976 began ernment sees itself right in ANZUS for risk money to work with dangerous sub­ work to found the Greens. The start of economic concesssions.” stances, or refuse to help migrant labourers seven years of moonlighting without pay, And all Labour parties or Social Democ­ bussed into nuclear power plants to clean sleeping maybe four hours a night, demos, ratic parties seem to equivocate and leave out radioactive wastes, than strike to stop rallies, arrests, and finally the day in all doors open. “They are very good at stir­ production of dangerous materials. The March, 1983 when the Greens took one ring up in opposition and when they get in links between the nuclear planning and million votes and 27 seats in the West Ger­ government they turn very conservative. sexism are clear in West Germany too. man Parliament. Today at 37, Petra has Mitterand is now fighting harder than “The West German government is put­ lost that gaunt, pale sleepless look, the Reagan for the European deployment. ting pressure on working women to leave shadow of her collapse from overwork last Labour parties betray their past, traditions the workforce, saying that while they’re year. She still protects herself by suddenly and values . . . I feel the same is perhaps working the children are suffering. At cutting off at public meetings, leaving happening with your David Lange on a the same time young women cannot get the queues of admirers waiting for a word, but nuclear free New Zealand.” skills training they need in the open work­ when she talks she really goes . . . “It is very important to see that the force. Now the German defence minister “It becomes clear that if you want to Pentagon sees ANZUS as it sees NATO, wants to draft women into the army and is have resistance to war and to the use of for significantly furthering US objectives. offering them the skills training they can­ nuclear weapons you must also have resis­ You are playing, as we are, the role of a not get on the open labour force. tance to sexism, racism, imperialism and to hired US gun.” “This hypocrisy we are discussing openly violence. Petra reels off an incredible list of this in Parliament. The other parties are get­ “You must also have resistance every­ country’s roles in US global nuclear net­ ting a bit of a shock at what we consider ap­ day to the little war being made against us works, amazing for a woman who has only propriate topics for parliamentary de­ as the weaker, as the women, the children been two and a half days in Aotearoa. I bate.” and the so-called weaker as they try to por­ don’t suppose the media, or the audience “At the same time we don’t want the tray us, against minorities, against the so­ that packed into the university auditorium, same rights as men, we want our own val­ cially weak, the economically weak. really grasped the complexity of the links ues. Women will be subservient in the “I think there is a profound relationship she was able to make. She speaks so army. Arms and force are not our values. between the big war being fought between quickly, a legacy no doubt of the German Exclusion from the army should make us the super powers against small countries parliamentary rule which limits her speak­ more creatively anti-militaristic.” and the little war fought against women ing time to about five minutes each time In spite of its sweeping manifesto, the] who are attacked, who cannot walk the because the Greens only got five percent of Greens party in practise finds it hard to live streets safely at night, against children, the vote. up to its feminist principles. “Women are I

10 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. Petra Kedy in Auckland, (by Gil Hanly) res e. e wl dsus hi own their discuss will Men men. Greens bycriticised and back put muchvery often soon as the women get competent there is there womensoon as aget the competent As army. the joining women of problems the not but resisters of being war problems this gets pulled back into make structures. structures. make into back pulled sure gets this make to men the by run strong very belief that the world we know is not as it as not is know we world the that belief the express which ecologists) male all of hope Ialso (and ecologists of beliefs basic through civil disobedience. through and change non-violent through this do to be should and this We must be changed. try If If I any get criticism it’s usually from men. ” gaol - one way of trying to demilitarise on demilitarise to way trying of one to going - gaol of risk the also and punishment of risk the take to preparing actively also our own.” our Fmns ad o-ilne r two are non-violence and “Feminism “Not to be passively to trying “Not to disarmbut ikd oehr Bt h dpe out, dipped she But together. linked and the nuclear free and independent independent and free nuclear the and rightsviewsPetra’s land asking on woman Maori a to reply The area. one inslightly way the in but whichwords ideasexact are ecology movement has to be a strong strong a be to has movement Any ecology movements. rights land indigenous that from you from that learn only canwe and movement spiritual while indigen­ of stopping short supporting Pacific movement: “WefromPacifichave to learn movement: ogt i fte ula ooil powers. colonial nuclear the of rid get to ousPacific landpeoples’ struggles as a way capable of capable unfor­ exploding atomic bombs, Africa South made perhaps has Germany “West Africa. to South technology nuclear sensitive of lot Westa exports from which analogy Germany an cited earlier She There is so much more, not somuch not the is more, somuch There That is co-opting indigenous spirituality indigenous is co-opting That ...” hc ae en aodd y ay active many by avoided being are which weapons of genocide. weapons al­ whichsorecently country A tunately.” cal levels.cal oe gs hmes o gncd now genocide for chambers gas lowed movement working on national and politi­ and national onworking movement peace white NewZealand the of members ep a ht speait tt t build to state supremacist white a helps violent groups it has been working with, with, working been has it groups non­ violent betray never movement, grassroots its betray never must It strategies: two on cal form of parliamentary party that sees that party parliamentary of form cal etn is tegh rm drvn its deriving from, inspiration. and of energy source strength its getting h Primn ol a aohr lc, a place, another as only Parliament the have successI do believe it try goshould to hr le I’ o nteprimn. It’s parliament. the in not It’s else. where sharing power of seeing point the to come party tionwill Green . ac­ never the I that hope non-violent do to also which in place oprn te w pris tiue to attitudes parties two when the particularly comparing comparison, by offen­ sive, rather Party Values the of goning only ending in the parliament.” in the onlyending important most the issue. as sense old the in woman stood to welcome the guests and and guests the welcome to stood woman Maori the when hisses and groans stifled pakeha the hypocrisyof the about said be lotalsocould be A movements. grassroots - kee oarah and tinacoco - using taha taha using - tinacoco and oarah kee - applauding then And question. her put two male questioners looking to overseas overseas to of looking questioners arrogance male two and ignorance The 10 points. well, pretty question tricky a handled Petra’s reply asenthusiastically if she’d just but audible the - evening that audience opting and massacring the Maori languageMaori massacring the and opting guests to tell them what needs to be indone visit would be a “shot in the arm for Val­ for arm the in “shot a be wouldvisit Aotearoa. The Values Party co-leaders Party co­ co-leaders Values The Aotearoa. just the media that likes having its consci­itslikeshaving that media the just As . . . righthere needed are what changes looking at never willing,consequently and un­ case) this (in willing or gurus, porting of im­ ahabit has Thiscountry merit? own ence massaged. ence □ not veryIt's well.”local people treat don’t they whenwell very guests overseas treat always media “The media: the told Petra What’s ues”. wrong withmaking it on your the that claiming cause, their for Maori THE POLITICS THE screamed the headline in a recent issue of recent ain headline the screamed “Killer Sex Disease Sweeps Country,” Country,” Sweeps Disease Sex “Killer the Cape Town Cape the OF PAP SMEARS OFPAP er’ fnl omns ae lessons have comments final Petra’s I a res oeet ol lk to like would movement Greens a “If “At the same the time “At it must become a radi­ Fr tik ht oe i qie some­ quite is power that think I “For hc md te osset bandwag- consistent the made Which Mother Jones Mother die in black South Africa. inSouthdie black PIPPĀ GORDON reported in reported GORDON PIPPĀ CityPress. raset uyAgs 94 11 1984. July/August Broadsheet, on one waywomen one on The article re- article The

ported an epidemic 01 cervical cancer burg’s University of the Witwatersrand from other Maori colleagues, the Maori among black South African women, at­ says, “The incidence is probably over 40 teacher is likely to find it easier to take on tributing the rampant disease to “too much (black women) per 100,000 per year, and protective “colouration” by adopting or sex too early with too many partners.” this figure is a conservative one." The rate pretending to adopt her Pakeha col­ As lurid as the account was, it did draw for whites is 8.08 women for 100,000 per leagues’ views and attitudes towards stu­ attentior! to a frightening problem. Ac­ year. “It's really appalling,” says a South dents in general and Maoris in particular. cording to Dr Gladwyn Leiman of the African community organizer. “But with In this situation, Maori teachers now exert South African Institute for Medical Re­ so much else wrong - people being dep­ far too little influence upon their col­ search, Soweto, a township of more than rived of their homes and having nothing to leagues, such as in the PPTA or NZEI. Even one million black residents, has the sec­ eat - it's treated as relatively unimportant. committees set up to look at Maori “prob­ ond-highest incidence of cervical cancer in Just as Hitler wasn’t concerned about cer­ lems” are probably stacked with middle the world. “Black women in Soweto have vical cancer among those whom he as­ class Pakeha for whom it’s all just another all the prerequisites for contracting this de- signed to the extermination camps, this academic exercise. sease,” Leiman reports. “They live in pov­ also is not one of the concerns uppermost That Maori language teacher may see erty conditions. There are enormous num­ in the minds of the government.” the school actually working not to save bers of single men - since so many are pro­ What makes the situation truly abhor­ Maori language or Maoritanga but to pre­ hibited from living with their families - and rent is that cervical cancer can be detected serve them in the same way as Latin and therefore there are high rates of promis­ so simply and inexpensively by periodic Greek are preserved - as academic studies cuity and pelvic inflammatory disease, Pap smears. And it is easily curable in early that do no one any harm because they can which is associated with high cervical stages. Leiman, who established “Opera­ challenge no one's thinking and self, be­ cancer rates.” The strict apartheid laws tion Screen Soweto” in an attempt to re­ cause they are treated as irrelevant to real limiting the number of blacks in “white” spond to the problem, laments the coun­ life. cities and the forced relocation of millions try's two-tier health-care system: “We are of blacks to rural reservations have dealing with a situation where the low-risk To sum up, then, the Maori language wrenched families apart, preventing blacks group (white women) have excellent teacher is likely to be feeling frustrated by in urban areas from establishing long-term health care, getting Pap smears at least an­ being a member of a system she seems to sexual relationships. nually, while the high-risk group (black be able to do very little to change. And Professor Charles Isaacson of Johannes- women) are receiving none.”D even where the school has a taha Maori, it’s probably merely a Maori Club or time­ tables periods for language and arts and crafts. But the school is most unlikely to THE FRUSTR ATIONS have changed itself so that it actually FEELS good to Maoris and actually works to give them an equal chance. Not an equal OF A MAORI chance at Pakeha education only, but the same chance that Pakeha students get for LANGUAGE TEACHER their culture for their own culture. The Maori language teacher every day MAIKI MARKS gave this taik at the Maori Education Hui at faces the victims of the system. I want to Turangawaewae Marae, Ngaruawahia, in March. talk especially about the Maori girls. These are the saddest victims. It’s often said that The frustrations of being a Maori language gether, plot revolution together is utterly the worst sins in New Zealand society teacher are the same as being a Maori in exhaustingly hard work. Furthermore, today are to be young, to be Maori, to be our education system. To show you what 1 what the teacher is, is what the students female, and to be the child of working class mean, when I was first hired as a high school get. The teacher’s limitations are passed parents. I see these girls coming into high teacher, I was not given a Maori language onto the students, circumscribe what the school with their selves battered and class. I was given a class of shattered kids learn. If the teacher is monocultural - bruised after eight years in the system I've youngsters to care for. and almost all of them are - then so is the just described to you. They have little con­ There are two big problems facing any class’s work. fidence. Their behaviour often reflects Maori teacher who see their taha Maori as Now the situation facing a teacher speci­ their inner pain and confusion. And all the absolutely crucial to their students’ de­ fically hired to be a Maori language teacher school does is to yell at them, to punish velopment. The first is that schools are de­ is even worse. This teacher is expected to them, to expel them. However, it is also signed to teach Pakehas, and middle class teach Maori language as if it were dead. true that some, a few, of these girls, are ones at that. Bringing the system across That is, to teach it academically, to prepare even at the third form level starting to work half the globe hasn’t altered that. So a their students for the exams of SC and UE. it out for themselves who they are, who Maori teacher and a Maori student is com­ If the teacher is given any extra role in they want to be. And to be proud. These pulsorily part of a system designed to treat the school by the principal, that role is are the girls who get on well with others, her as if she is Pakeha. And if she shows likely to be to hand on gimmicks and tricks these are the elder sisters, the helpers, the signs of forgetting that, to treat her as to her Pakeha colleagues on how to control hostesses. This is not necessarily to say that someone requiring to be made Pakeha, to Maori kids. they are the students the teachers like. oe assimilated. The system wants Maoris to The Maori language teacher is in a very Their inner confidence may lead them to forget that they are Maoris while they’re in delicate situation which makes it easy for reject the school and its inherent racism. school. And when they leave school, too. that teacher to be sucked into keeping the But these girls, too, are easily knocked The second big problem facing a system going. The Maori teacher is a highly down. And they have a huge variety of Maori teacher - or any teacher who wants visible part of the staff. The school’s public strategies to cope with rejection, boredom, to make changes - is that schools are di­ relations and the head’s “mana” in part de­ confusion, ranging from inattention to vided up into 30 students with one teacher, pends on the school’s success in the inter­ dropping out. And, of course some girls each in their own room. For teachers to school Maori and Polynesian contests. succeed in using the system to their advan­ cooperate, plan together, evaluate to- Furthermore, isolated as she usually is tage. I’m one of them. And you have to be

12 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. [Left] (Maori and Pacific Island students from more than 100 schools in Aotearoa boycotted secondary school classes on 1 June. Five schools from the Auck­ land area gathered in Otara. They talked about imple­ menting Taha Maori in schools, the reasons for the high Maori truancy rate, the lack of consultation about, changes in the core curriculum and forming student representative councils. After the Maori Education Hui at Waahi Marae in April, Maori students felt they needed time to discuss their own experiences away from teachers and princi­ pals. They want to set up active student representative councils, including Maori students and women, in all schools. They are planning their own hui later this year andhope to set up a national body representing all stu­ dent councils, so students will be consulted about their education. Any interested students contact Te Hemara Maipi at 12 Taniwharau Street, Huntly. [Below | Kohanga Reo from Koldri Id Rahuitanga turn out in support. Photograph by Gil Haniy. □

agents” or sponsors who receive considera­ ble fees and allowances. A private sector sponsor receives $47 per week, per trainee. In the private sector the trainees are work- based and usually on their own. The public sector programmes are provided by estab­ lished organisations, such as the Auckland Regional Authority, Salvation Army, Baptist Church and YWCA, which act as managing agents and provide a variety of training modules run by “supervisors”. They may also provide work based experi­ ence. For example, the Presbyterian Social Services (PSSA) provides a module in re­ tailing, utilising their own shops. Manag­ ing agents, who run several training mod­ ules, also receive equipment grants and all supervisors are paid wages significantly higher than the trainees. The average module period is three weeks. Trainees may remain on one scheme, moving amongst the modules, or transfer to other schemes. They are ex­ pected to work close to a 40 hour week as possible. Attendance records are kept and forwarded to the Department of Labour. The alleged aim of these programmes is to make the trainees “work ready”. While the Minister of Labour and his department have made many vague statements about the success of trainee job placement, they have yet to issue any comprehensive statis­ hell of a strong to do that. The frustrations up in the feeling that the education system tics to back up their claims. of being a teacher of Maori language are has invited you to be a mourner at the tan- The Department of Labour claims that it just the same as those of being a Maori in gihanga of your culture, your language - applies stringent criteria to any person or New Zealand society. They are summed and yourself.□ organisation, to ensure that the require­ ments of the trainees are met and that they are treated fairly, However, an examina­ tion of STEPS shows this is not so and the KEEPING THEM department is in fact carrying out a cynical political policy designed to cover up un­ employment. OFF THE STREETS Because the Department of Labour is Three ex-STEPS supervisors look at the scheme. chronically understaffed and does not have On the 18 May, the Minister of Labour, Mr Labour -15 year-olds get $15 and 16-year- the resources to monitor the schemes, it Bolger, announced that the funding for olds get $60, plus a small travelling allo­ hands over total control to the managing STEPS would be trebled to $16.5 million. wance. They can receive no additional agent or employer. Even though the de­ The School Leavers Training and money from the sale of goods or work. The partment has a statutory responsibility to Employment Preparation Scheme was set young unemployed are directed onto ensure the premises meet the re­ up in 1983 for 15 and 16-year-old school schemes by the Department of Labour vo­ quirements of the Factories Act, it per­ leavers. Young people on STEPS receive a cational guidance staff. mitted the Auckland YWCA to run its training allowance from the Department of The schemes are run by “managing scheme in grossly substandard premises.

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 13 Many of the managing agents are church Hikoi to Waitangi were blocked, com­ supervisor and trainee delegates asked the groups who already have poor records as plaints of sexual harassment were insensi­ Auckland Labour Department and the employees on this and other subsidised tively handled, and behaviour was mea­ Minister to continue the scheme under a schemes. It is questionable whether they sured in pakeha and middle-class terms. different and more suitable managing are interested in the needs of the trainees Instead of recognising cultural and class agent. or whether they are intent on increasing differences, the YWCA and some super­ It became clear during negotiations that their own resources. visors denied them. When a group of the Labour Department had held discus­ STEPS reinforces a pupil-teacher role supervisors and some of the original plan­ sions with the YWCA and consequently for a group of young people who have al­ ners challenged this they were labelled held untrue and disparaging views of some ready been “failed” by a biased education “radical lesbians”. Trainees who ques­ of the women involved. While acting on system. Most of STEPS supervisors and tioned decisions were dismissed as being this information, they did not check its val­ administrators are middle class pakeha, under their influence. idity with the delegation. despite the large proportion of trainees Those good old right wing standbys - at­ Despite considerable community sup­ being Maori and Pacific Island women. As tacking personalities instead of dealing port for a new and better scheme and as­ well as being racist, many of the modules with issues, authoritarian threats (docking surances of a positive approach by the reinforce sexist roles - the young women wages, dismissal, closing the programme), Minister, all efforts to set up a new scheme learn cooking and sewing, the young men disbanding of forums for open communica­ were blocked. The actions of the depart­ make kitset radios. tion - successfully divided a group of 40 ment in supporting the YWCA clearly de­ The schemes perpetuate exploitative women workers. monstrate that its interest in the un­ employer-employee relationships. After five months, the trainees and half employed extends only as far as the statis­ Trainees and supervisors have no union the supervisors presented a list of their tics. coverage and no award. Trainees can be grievances. The YWCA gave verbal assur­ Youth work is an important part of the refused entry onto a scheme by the Depart­ ances that they would look at and rectify YWCA’s international philosophy. The ment of Labour or the managing agent and these matters. But they were already New Zealand YWCA, and in particular can be removed if they are deemed unsuit­ in the process of closing the prog-’ the Auckland branch, has been sadly lack­ able. If removed, 15-year-olds are ineligi­ ramme. ing in this respect.□ ble for the dole and 16-year-olds may be Ironically, support for the unique aims Angela Boyes-Barnes stood down. of this particular scheme came from or­ Helen Boyes-Barnes Employers can make specifications over ganisations who had originally opposed Sandy Hall which the trainees have no control. There STEPS. The executives of the FOL and have been complaints of repetitive work, CSU made representations to the Minister At a Special General Meeting of the Auckland YWCA such as washing cars, and one private sec­ of Labour and his department. The Auck­ held on 21 November 1983, the following alteration to its constitution was proposed: - that officers “be rep­ tor employer insists that female trainees land Trades Council and the PSA resentative of age, occupations and ethnic group". It wear dresses. negotiated on our behalf. They and the was narrowly passed - 12 for, 10 against, 2 abstentions. STEPS is a band aid. The setting up of this programme was opposed by many groups, including the FOL. STEPS is largely irrelevant to eventual job place­ DON’T BANK ON IT ment. It is a free ride for public sector do- Women in banking have a long way to go before they’re treated equally. gooders, and a National government re­ JENNY RANKINE reports. shuffling of the unemployed, designed to keep “them off the streets."□ In March, the 16,000 member New Zea­ Banking is one of the few white collar in­ land Bank Officers Union (BOU) released dustries where employers have a public its study of men and women’s achieve­ policy of equal opportunity. The banks The YWCA Programme ments in banking, based on questionnaires have claimed that promotion is based on completed by nearly 1000 bank staff. The merit, aspiration, mobility, experience and From its inception the YWCA STEPS study showed that women in banking with study. This is the first survey to test this programme was controversial. Reserva­ the same career plans, mobility, study claim. tions expressed in a Broadsheet article in background and expressed wish for prom­ When the study was published the Ban­ October 1983 and in letters to the YWCA otion as men had made much less career kers Association chairman Mr Peter Gil­ were shared by some of the supervisors and progress. It concluded that sex was a factor bert said it was “bound to be slanted from trainees from the outset. in promotion in banking. the union point of view”. Individual banks We originally set out to cater for young It also concluded that since the banks repeated that promotion was on ability. women, in particular Maori and Pacific Is­ knew of the difference in career progress The union has had no formal reply from land women, avoiding the problems we'd between similarly qualified men and any of the banks to their list of changes seen in other STEPS programmes. But the women, their actions add up to a wilful needed to give women equal opportunity. scheme rapidly became the very thing it set evasion of the Human Rights Commission out to fight. Act, which outlaws sex as a basis for job The BOU said that real change will only Despite the initial good intentions of selection. begin when it is required by the Human some of the planners, the reasons for the The union drew up a list of steps to put Rights Commission, but it has been critical scheme’s eventual failure were already matters right and wrote to the banks about of the Commission’s past performance. present in the attitudes and organisational them. They included using a senior man­ “While useful corrective action has been structure of the YWCA and in the attitudes ager in each bank to promote an equal op­ taken in a few cases of employment prac­ of some of the women they employed on portunity policy, intensive training for tice,” said BOU president Angela the programme. branch managers about promotions, a Foulkes, “there has been a tendency to Many incidents highlighted the overt study of parental leave options, a union/ focus on extreme or bizarre individual and institutional racism, classism and management working party to implement cases, while the real structure of inequality sexism inherent in the programme - Maori and review progress every year, and an in­ in employment across the face of business language and culture was to be taught by formal procedure for hearing staff com­ and commerce has been preseved largely correspondence, plans to participate in the plaints about career progress. intact.”

14 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. [Left] The Neighbourhood Support Group (NSG) kit was launched in Auckland on 13 June. Two thousand copies have been printed and sent to all libraries, Citi­ zens Advice Bureaux and councils in the country. The organisers have opted for commercial sponsorship be­ cause they didn’t want to draw off funding that would otherwise go to rape crisis groups and refuges. They are negotiating with an overall sponsor to print another edition of the kit, more brochures (the original 25,000 have all been distributed), and stickers. The sponsor will be distributing the kit from 65 branches round New Zealand. The organisers, members of Auckland inner city NSGs, hope to travel to other major centres to share their ideas on setting up NSGs with women’s groups and CABS. One of the coordinators went on national radio the day before the launch and the St Mary’s Bay NSG received 200 letters in two days from women all over the country wanting to take action about violence. The kit is available for $1 (the price of postage) from PO Box 47370, Ponsonby. Donations are welcome. Pictured at the launch is Adrian Ngahiti Faulkner (left) employed under a PEP scheme to help research and collate the kit. (Photograph by Gil Hanly.)D Jenny Rankine

also toured New Zealand recently. He The union made a complaint about a is due to be released in July. spoke in Australia on the evils of affirma­ The union has been concerned about the Westpac document setting out different re­ tive action, and the “thought control” in­ cruitment and career guidelines for men to delay in publication of the Commission’s volved in eliminating sexism from school­ report. “In the meantime practices of in­ the Human Rights Commission in October books. Right wing groups didn’t have the 1982, and asked for an investigation of re- equality continue, and women cease to be­ numbers to stop the bill, but the atmos­ cuitment and promotion in all banks. The lieve that the law has meaning,” said Ms phere of crisis they create about anti-sexist report by ex-commissioner Pat Downey is Foulkes. The BOU hopes that the HRC re­ moves may defeat any new affirmative ac­ being edited and updated by new commis­ port will lead to dialogue with the banks, tion proposals. sioner Professor Margaret Clark, of the and changes based on the findings of the The bill has many loopholes. Discrimi­ commerce faculty at Victoria University. It union’s study.□ nation or sexual harassment in employ­ ment by State institutions or employees is not illegal. Church schools are allowed to ACTING FOR EQUALITY discriminate against women as long as it is “in good faith to avoid injury to the religi­ JENNY RANKINE Looks at the Australian Sex Discrimination Act. ous susceptibilities of adherents to that re­ ligion”. Superannuation schemes are After three years of controversy, rewrites been campaigning for this kind of law since exempt, as are sporting activities where and backtracking, an Australian bill out­ 1972. The 1981 bill provided for affirma­ “strength, stamina or physique are relev­ lawing discrimination against women has tive action in public and private employ­ ant”. The findings of the Human Rights been passed by Commonwealth parlia­ ment. At the time, Ryan said “It is not Commission, which will enforce the act, ment and is due to become law in the next enough simply to render certain forms of are not binding or conclusive, although the month. The Sex Discrimination Act will discrimination illegal, without taking posi­ Commission may use the Federal Courts to make discrimination on the grounds of sex, tive steps to provide for equal employment enforce its decisions. marital status and pregnancy in employ­ opportunity for women". Under the act, attention will be on indi­ ment, housing, education, the provision of But in 1983 some ministers were worried vidual acts of discrimination, rather than, goods and services, the disposal of land, about opposition from employers and sec­ for instance, the way in which women’s the activities of clubs and the administra­ tions of the public service, and the affirma­ complete responsibility for childcare limits tion of Commonwealth laws and program­ tive action part of the bill was dropped. our lives and choices. The act sets up an un­ mes illegal in all states. It will have most ef­ The government said it was still committed wieldy process of hearings and appeals fect in the four states which do not have to affirmative action and produced a long- which could drag a case on for years. It ap­ any similar anti-discrimination laws. awaited discussion paper about it earlier pears to guarantee women redress if they The bill was first introduced into the this year. are not treated equally, but the time and upper house of the Commonwealth parlia­ The bill was strongly opposed by right- energy needed to prove it would be more ment in 1981 by Senator Susan Ryan, now wing groups, headed by the National than most women could afford. It assures a labour cabinet minister. It was intended Party, which objected to the whole idea of women equal treatment under the present to promote equality between the sexes, the bill. Women Who Want to be Women, white-dominated capitalist system, rather eliminate sexual harassment in the work­ an anti-feminist group, has been cam­ than questioning the assumptions on which place and places of education, and fulfill paigning actively against the idea of equal­ the system rests. some obligations under the UN Conven­ ity for women since Australia adopted the However, legal acknowledgement that tion on the Elimination of Discrimination UN Convention on Women. They have women as a group are discriminated against Women, which Australia signed in made exaggerated claims about the impact against is worth having as a lever. In a few 1979. (New Zealand has not yet signed - of the bill, saying it will lead to the disinteg­ years time, the gap between the oppression see Broadsheet June 1984.) ration of marriage and the traditional one- that women still face and what was prom­ The Australian Women’s Electoral income family unit. They arranged for a ised with this act could be used to push for Lobby, which Ryan helped to found, has tour by US Professor Michael Levin, who more radical changes.□

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 15 SANDI HALL and KERIHULME talk about the bone book to read, and the most obvious kick-you-in-the- people. stomach scenes are when Joe goes to town - but there’s Easter weekend is really Easter week this year, and other things too. I’ve been interested in the three non-fam­ AN ZAC day falls on a Wednesday. All this means time, ily member Maori reactions - they have found the scene of time for my own life, as opposed to the life that earns the Hana’s ghost and the death of the kaumatua more affect­ rent money. I waver about going to see Keri Hulme, think­ ing. ing of manuscripts that need attention, furniture in the There are so many elements in the book which really get house that needs moving, people that I feel I should have inside me - which is my only criterion for a good book . . . re-met long before now, since I ’ve been home from Wel­ That’s exactly mine too - how involved do you become. lington for nearly two months. So - Simon - the examination of the way adults relate to But I want to interview her for Broadsheet, and the time children, and the perceptions of children . . . is now. I have written to her and asked if she wants the in­ Hmmn - which have fascinated me ever since I stopped terview, and, on receiving her welcoming reply, ring to see being a child, yeah. if she would have me as a house-guest for the long weekend And with the last part of the book, where Joe meets the of the Easter week. Again, she is welcoming, telling me that old man and all of that happens . . . there will another house-guest, but assuring me that that Yeah - where each character goes off and does their own will not present any barriers to the interview. thing . . . It’s the spirituality aspect of it that really spellbinds m e.. Getting to her is an adventure. The 6.30plane from A u­ ckland to Christchurch which I miss because I have left my handbag in the pub; catching the 8.30plane and arriving in Uhh - while as I suggest, odd things don’t happen as far as Christchurch, to meet old friends. I’m concerned and I mean odd as things that are normally Next morning, catching the plane to Hokitika, where I ’ve labelled supernatural - I find what is loosely called Maori not been before. Flying over mountains more covered with spirituality very congenial - a kind of instinctive response to the environment. fine dust that any other substance, though some patches of But there are so many - the way the old man finally the snow remain, looking like old white paint. Hokitika is small and, surprisingly to me, flat, though with an air of re­ realises that all of the things he’s been told he’s waiting for are actually happening - it has such a ring of truth about it! sidential pride that is good to feel. I am befriended by Be­ linda, a young nurse who has lived in Hokitika all her life, His belief was in his grandmother who was this incredibly and has that air of gentle friendliness that is often mistaken gifted and enormously strong dominating woman who had for country witlessness. In the two hours wait before the bus a fixed idea - which was the salvation of the soul of the country. arrives, we have drinks at the pub, play a round of pool. I buy a bottle of liqueur to take as a gift. Was she also psychic? The bus is, as Keri told me it would be, driven by Bill, Well, I think she must have been, inasmuch as she didn’t pick her husband or her kids very well because they died off who is very definite about me not smoking on the bus. I get before she did. But she knew who to pick, which was the old an insight into the meaning of “rural delivery” as Bill periodically hurls rolled newspapers from his window. We man, and to pass on enough information to make it worth dive deeper into the mountains, passing through a lush val­ his while waiting. Of course, she had a deplorable sense of humour - the fact that he only woke up (and in Maori terms ley and into an almost wintery area. Here, there is an air of this is a kind of a joke) to the fact that the grandmother had naivety about the trees, their limbs thrown upward in fro­ zen surprise. Round the edge of a calm grey lake, and Bill said “You eat a piece of me before you bury me”, that it was pulls the bus to a halt. A yellow A A finger says Okarito. I an awful joke that she had for him. Could you explain it? put my suitcase on the side of the road, and wait. Keri had said she’d be along about 4.30. It’s sunny and the sky is clear Not easily! One friend said “I wonder what she would blue. A bell bird sounds. Faintly I hear a deep sound, but so have tasted like” - he’s accepted that it was a joke. I kept faintly I don’t even think to wonder what it is. wondering what piece of her had the grandmother directed A rattle and shudder of metal, and an old grey commer that he eat? Wherein the core of the joke would lie. I took that to mean “you will assimilate my spirit”. van, rusting gently along various seams, pulls up. Keri. She looks anxious and begins to apologise for “being late”. She Hmmn - it used to be, in the old days, you could assimi­ says she was reading, and forgot about the time until she late the mana, which is really the personal fire of a person. heard the news on the radio. We must go into Franz Josef, It can dim, it can go out, it can burn with such a powerful she declares, and hopes that won’t be inconvenient. light that it renders everything around it diminished - but The following afternoon, with the absence of the other for that, you would eat a piece of arm muscle - or the liver. guest, we begin to talk. The conversation flows im­ There were specific parts. I think the old girl would have mediately, since both of us knew, as we were making the been quite capable of saying “you eat my ear, because that’s coffee, getting things settled, that this was the time. what you need!” The ear is also bloody close to being inedi­ ble. Sandi: I suppose forme, the most difficult parts o f the bone In the years of my being in New Zealand, I sank down people are the child beating scenes . . . into the culture - my first couple of years, I was like a fly on Keri: Hmmn - they were incredibly nasty to write, too. In top of the water in summer. . . fact, the original plan was to kill off Simon and work it out Ah, I see - the dancer . . . from there - and it turned out that it wouldn’t work - he still But you get down . . . had to be around somewhere. In the mail that’s been com­ On the evening pools - and then a fish got you . . . ing in, a number of people say they find it a very difficult And I was digested and spat out. I was very strongly

16 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. Keri Hulme. ATOKARTTO CONVERSATION in protest againstWaitangi in protest ely ie eito o ta sne f os f ol of soul of loss of sense that of depiction fine really Aotearoa. mediate threat was Christianity. Now there really are ways ways are really im­ there the Now 1mean, Christianity. - was long so for threat threat mediate underr been has world, of your book of your and marches, tour Springbok the during all that of aware w cnuis fr ar siiul tiue t ean their regain to attitudes spiritual has Maori for Zealand New centuries, that two along, come - has has truth important that real isn’t there the believe we However, that what way that the feeling concerned. so this are been - that matters dimension spiritual as intance, far pakeha extra for an from given, have different cultural virtues a are it’s Christian people Christian Christian-people; Maori that been enlightened - and it’s taken a very long time, nearly nearly time, long very a taken it’s and - enlightened been as pakehas, most from different culturally is reacts Maori the following year, I went with went aI Waitangi tofollowing to the year, stand group I think that Maori spirituality, the way we perceive the the perceive we way the spirituality, Maori that think I -- again, I again,interpreted I - - and and to it that the end me seems - - seemed to me to be a be to me to seemed

former standing, to regain their mana. Because of that - we we - that of Because mana. their regain to standing, former of Maori in jail, other institution-type places. Pakeha Pakeha places. institution-type other jail, in Maori of people are taking more notice of things that indicate people people indicate that things of notice more taking are disproportion people gross the - statistics deplorable the know all child assault, drinking, committal for various mental read read mental various for committal drinking, assault, child spiritual diseases, among Maori people, and also, of of also, and people, Maori and among wife rape, diseases, of amount spiritual The pain. considerable in are suggest that everybody has lost out by Maori people not not to people Maori wanted . by I . . out alive fully lost country. has spiritually this being to everybody that transplanted suggest others course, people who were very widely separated, very strong com­ strong very separated, widely very were who people . ..we’ve lost so much dominant feature of life. At that stage, it is my feeling the feeling my is it stage, a that become At didn’t life. of war that so feature apart dominant enough far but munally, And not honoured at the time of colonisation of time the at honoured not And Ah, Keri Ah, My feeling is that things became imbalanced. We were a a were We imbalanced. became things that is . .feeling . My before it lost we feeling a have I well, - Hmm . . .. Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 1984. July/August Broadsheet,

1 mean, - 17

Maori was flourishing in New Zealand, everything was and six of you made it - were you close together? going according to plan. But things sort of deteriorated. I would say we were like glue - you know - you pull us You’ll know - you’ll know? - that the Takatimu canoe was apart and there’s all these strands, we’re still attached. probably one of the last canoes that came to New Zealand. Family is very important to us all. All the big erpotion-filled It brought new religious teaching. Kai Tahu tribal tradi­ moments as far as I’m concerned have been family ones. tions, like Takatimu canoe, from whom we spring - or one Anyway, when I was tobacco picking in Motueka, mum of the ribs from whom we spring - are slightly different. I turned up with this typewriter for my birthday. My mother feel that the Maori had already retreated, beforehand. was widowed when she was 31 and I was 11, and I was the Reasons? oldest of the six children. She had been really seriously ill Because Maori life had gone from being - uh, I don’t herself during the same year that my father died, she’d had want to sound anthropologically naive - I’m fairly aware of a hysterectomy and got septicemia, and was literally saved the work that has been done showing that this really was in­ by one of the wonder drugs. I think the closeness in the fam­ evitable once the population got to a certain level - but the ily definitely comes from that kind of situation. We clung emphasis had changed from just living and being with the together very very closely of necessity. land and exploring, if you like, your heads. Acknowledging Your siblings are? that it was a very short and a rather hard life, but it had gone Diane is next to me, she is a nurse and midwife; John is from that sort of living in sympathy with the land to being next, he’s nightshift foreman of a dye works, Mary’s next, still in sympathy with the land but having lost the pivot of she was the one who was given to my grandmother to bring your human relationships. Commerce had been replaced up, she’s a nurse, Andrew is the hunter and carpenter, and by war. Katherine is a nurse - and married a nurse. There were incredible trade trails around New Zealand. How did Mary come to be the one to be given to another One of my relations, one of my ancestors, nei, was respon­ home? sible for making a portage trail that led roughly from I think because she was the end one of a family - my Kaiapoi up to Picton area. These old trails, they’re more or mother hadn’t planned on having any more children after less known about, can’t follow them exactly any more, but Mary. Mary would be number five. She then had another they go all over the island, and of course from south to two miscarriages, and then had Andrew, and having had north. Andrew then decided very quickly to have another one, And commerce - pre-European commerce - prestaged cause he showed signs of being spoilt rotten! So had war, did it? Because of surplus. Katherine. Mary also got on very well with my uncle Bill - 1 No, what I meant was that before the European, contact think my uncle Bill takes the place of my father as far as between Maori and Maori was a largely commercial one, she’s concerned. And when she had been ill, at four-years- and the balance seems to have swung from being contacts old, it was when we were visiting them - he stayed on, re­ through that and contact between runaway wives and hus­ covering, and they formed an attachment. bands, which was a very common one, from the trading of Have you ever had at first hand the kind of violence that obsidian and greenstone to an ever more damaging set of Simon experiences? reprisals and raid, which generated more reprisals, and so No. on and so forth. The contact had swung to being a warlike Or met children you Ve worried about? one. Not within personal contact. Obviously, given the time Well, the archaeological evidence is that people had we were brought up, it wasn’t an uncommon thing - I can more difficulty in growing kumara, for instance, things had remember physically fighting with my father before he died got colder - and allied to that, there was a much larger - and for a ten-year-old kid that might sound rather dread­ population. The two things fit together - a population exp­ ful, but I weighed nearly 10 stone when I was 10 - 1 was big losion, plus more difficulty in doing things - it was easier to and very stroppy. What I’m saying is, like all kids of that raid than spend. It did intrigue me though, that my col­ generation, you weren’t unaccustomed to getting hit if you league on the Spiral collective, Irihapeti Ramsden, felt the did something wrong, and it’s also a continuing family same thing, that the pakeha only hastened something that habit. Someone steps out of place, you’re instant reaction is had already begun. But there is no doubt whatever that to knock him one rather than let us talk. I did four terms at once the Brits got here, things went down with a helluva Canterbury as a law student and about the same time as I whop. started there was a notorious case in Christchurch where a The book took you a long time to write . . . bloke picked up his four-year-old son and swung him by his It actually took longer than I’ve said - it really started off heels and swung his head against the wall. The kid wound being a story, which I actually typed on a typewriter my up a total vegetable and the bloke was sentenced to some­ mother gave me - this little portable, it’s done thousands of thing really grotesque, like six months in jail, it was some­ words. It was the first time I’d worked away from home . I’d thing that really caught people on the hop. Now at the same just left home, I’d just left school and all the talk was that time as that, one of my schoolmates was sent to jail for em­ I’d go to university, that was what one was supposed to do. bezzlement - for three years. I can remember thinking, Hope of the clan and all that. And I got this job tobacco there’s really something very strange going on here, and did picking! It was an incredible experience, really - it was the some research into the sentences that were given to people first time I ever heard the word fuck - people had said it be­ for crimes of violence against a person, as opposed to sen­ fore, but I’d never heard it! And it was also the first time I’d tences that were given to people who’d defrauded, or em­ been involved in a seasonal set up like that. Very lively and bezzled, theft as a servant, this kind of victimless crim e-re­ very interesting ... ally what you’re trying to do is beat the system. With very Did you have a full family life - like, your mum had nine few exceptions indeed, by far the heavier penalites came

18 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. down if you were a thief. One of the interesting developments for me was the way The suffragettes found that , didn't they, once they Joe started to grow - in the first story, for several years, h< started throwing things at buildings, destroying. . . was just a background figure - one of the reasons the boy Property, yes! And that of course still does exist. So, I was so wild was he had this bad-tempered father in the was hopefully creating characters that people could get in­ background - but he’d always been Maori, curiously volved with. Joe is not all nasty - he has some extraordinar­ enough. And I always knew right from the beginning he was ily good points - it just happens that his reactions to his son a widower. when he steps out of line are totally out of proportion. One And Simon ? of the things that I’ve discovered is that everybody, and I do Was always pakeba, with presumably Irish extraction - mean everybody, has a capacity for violencey and the most Simon’s blood father is one of the nastier characters going - unlikely people will have strange reactions to some kinds of there’s not very much about him there but - bad news all situations. I’m thinking of my Nana who was notorious - around. the only time in her life she’d ever sworn was at me - Why does Joe behave like this - OK - let’s find out some Stroppy girl, were you! of the reasons people can behave like this. Then Joe was a I would have been a fair bastard to be with - 1 was very character study - the fact that he’d had polio as a child, that solitary . . . he was brought up by his grandmother - (Grandmothers, And very bright, which would have been hard. . . incidentally, are there in the background in a very strong And very short-sighted, which wasn’t picked up until I way. They’re pivots - background pivots, whether they’re was seven. I discovered things like the Port Hills around Marama Tanui or Joe’s grandmother or the old man’s Christchurch! I knew when you turned switches on, light grandmother) - which led to such things as why he was good came on, but I discovered things like lightbulbs - lightbulbs as darts! He turned out to be a frustrated carver as well as a don’t really mean anything if you can’t see them . . . and frustrated patriarch. At one stage, the bone people was there was something which will be a dead giveaway - 1 also nearly 900 pages, there were a lot of little incidents and bits had nervous eczema - I had it very badly as a child. It is a that got pruned out quite severely, ’cause it was just me in­ disgusting skin disease to look at - you got very early on a dulging. The original short story, Simon Peter’s Shell, got knowledge of how people were. If people were nervous be­ written in M otueka in 1966 - it was a very bad story - it cause of this, or found it disgusting or whatever, you had a doesn’t exist any more, I made sure I destroyed it - but the set of insights at a very early age that you wouldn’t necessar­ characters wouldn’t go away, so you started writing it again, ily get otherwise. Combine that with being fairly large, hav­ writing about the bits and pieces. I’ve lead a fairly irregular ing a bad temper, being the oldest - you know, I would not kind of life, different jobs at funny times, and growing up as like to have dealt with me - even being myself! Anyway, I I was writing it. So when I was in Christchurch working as a drove my poor Nana to to blasphemy and swearing, which postie, on cold mornings you started thinking about fires, my Nana just wouldn’t do. And the other thing that struck so in turn went home in the afternoon and wrote about me was the almost convulsive motion of her hand to find Kerewin making them. When I came to Otago University, I something that obviously she could lash out with - and this dragged this vast heap down and realised all these things is my gentle Nana. Everybody has this capacity for violence weren’t really doing anything for the story - they were just and almost everybody indulges in it in one way or another. lovely abstractions. Food for instance - you might think The characters who came up in the story at Motueka - there’s a lot about food it in now, but there were whole re­ Simon Peter’s Shell - showed no signs of goifig away, and cipes! when I started writing it down, sort of discovering the I really loved the food and the food preparation, because characters, I did then do some more research into child as­ that is so much a part of our lives - and there are so many sault in New Zealand, obtaining for instance, the very well- books that ignore that we eat and send it out the other ends. known knowledge that almost all people who assault chil­ dren have been assaulted themselves as children - it’s a This used to annoy me as a kid. A lot of the stories were learned way of coping with a situation. The precipitating fascinating but they seemed to have no contact with reality factors in assaults on children is often alcohol - 1 wanted to - you didn’t have people blowing their nose, they didn’t have a factually correct background, particularly on Simon. spit, they never had colds - it was an unreal world. And be­ Kerewin I can cope with easily because in a lot of ways she’s cause I have a very strong streak of practicality, I have a wish fulfilment - oh to have Kerewin’s money . . . strong sense of what is real. I love food, it’s part of any big Oh to have Kerewin's tower! family event, so let’s put it in. Especially the Aihe II, which is her boat - it’s very very It also added markedly to the nurturing nourishing aspect briefly in the background, but my god I spent a lot of time that Kerewin has about her, and Simon is continually seek­ thinking about that boat! That is my perfect boat! Hmm. I ing . . . wanted to have a perfect background so the characters There is the other side of Kerewin too, she really isn’t a could grow straight. nurturing sort of person . . . You can ’t escape the fact, given your heritage, given that But in spite of herself, she is! this is a New Zealand book, and it's the most New Zealand Hmmn - yes, at one stage very early on, she rationalise: book I ’ve ever read-I'm positive of that. When Isay that, I her instinct towards hospitality to this bloody brat who’s mean a New Zealand book, not an Aotearoan book or an turned up, who she wants to get rid of very very quickly - English book - that Simon is white and Joe is Maori. her rationalisation of it is, you might be in the same position For me, I could see the conflicts being worked out, the sometime, therefore do this. She does have an instinct to love-hate relationship, the channels of anger, the frustra­ hospitality (she has sat on it for a very long time) to nourish tion . . . and to care for, and that of course is one of the things she

20 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. has learned by the end of the book, that she is a leader and what she thinks. She picked up things like: in the scene fie does have responsibility*^* -**'■' r where Simon throws away his tea because he’s going to get Kerewin’s development is interesting too, as far as Simon his hair cut, the line now reads “Kerewin looked at him, not goes, because not only are you shown her reaction to the saying anything”. And when I first wrote it, I used this child being in her space and her saying. I'm not going to string of about six different adjectives like “Kerewin looked take responsibility for you, even though you are a bedrag­ at him without any kind of involvement, attachment, no gled derelict - but you are shown her desire for a friend disparagement ...” this long long list. So Mother wrote coming to the fore, which opens further when she meets down beside it another list of about twenty words! Making Joe. I want a connection, a human connection. it very dramatically obvious that yeah, that was overwrit­ No more mummified games of chess - she is looking for ing! She acted as an eye for three of the chapters and I was that, obviously, and that’s because she’s cut off from her then able to go back and realise well, a lot of this is sheer in­ family, and she’s become extraordinarily lonely, she’s be­ dulgence. I then rewrote it in the garage and got 498 down come isolated. She’s a bloody bumptious person in a lot of to 367 pages. Now that was the version that was rejected - ways, you know . . . but Joe is lonely too, he has exactly the Collins still rejected it. That was pretty close to the final same needs. version. I was also absolutely riveted by the scene in which Kere­ Collins still rejected it - they’re mad! Well, more fools win gives Joe a taste of his own medicine! them . . You may have noticed I’ve got a lot of books on Japanese Well, David Elworthy was very supportive - he made the martial arts, because it interested me as a combining of lovely comparison, he said, “I keep on dipping into the mind and body. That fight scene came together very nicely, book, it’s like sipping fine claret”. I thought, hmmn, yes, simply because it was one of the few scenes where I deliber­ that appeals, but then, because it was so long and different ately used an emotional position. Said, hey what would he had to get the go-ahead from the people in London. And happen if you got angry and you know enough from reading it took them nearly four months to write back a letter that Aikido what moves are possible. What would happen, what said: “New Zealand Collins may be right, but we simply would you do? And it was sort of like watching a scene in don’t understand what you’re writing about”. When the ICI your head - oh, this, this, that. So that wasn’t hard. It was made 1982 a much nicer year than it otherwise was going to also very satisfying. Kerewin is a lethal woman, she has a ta­ be, I did look at two bits that I was unhappy with, so that lent for fighting and she’s trained in a skill that could be was the final final rewrite. But they were very small bits. deadly. Nice to have a character who could cope with male One was right at the end of Kerewin’s chapter, the last violence'like that, eh? Me, I’d probably use a knife or a chapter in the book, when she is writing in her diary more or hunk of four by two . . . Anyway that wasn’t hard, but there less what has happened - or, it’s not so much her diary as were incidents and chapters that were appallingly hard. For her whimper book, it’s so self indulgent. In the first version, instance, chapter eight. I lost chapter eight three times - she simply packed it away. Then I had this idea no, much lost it on the train in Wellington, I lost it in the post, I mis­ better idea to get rid of it altogether, so she burns it very laid it. I didn’t want to do it. carefully. What did you ultimately do, rewrite it? How did Spiral come in to it? Yeah - I’d just left Playschool, and I’d gone to Moeraki Ah! I was invited to exhibit at the opening of the 'cause I was in financial shit that was not funny and I Women’s Gallery, which surprised the hell out of me be­ thought I will hide away and work on the bone people in­ cause I wasn’t aware that people were aware that I painted stead of playing at it. And one of the chapters that was obvi­ or drew very much - certainly not people in Wellington! ously ready to come out at that stage did, it was chapter The women’s community had found you! eight, it just went zuut! Left me with the feeling at the end Must have been a pretty good grapevirfe, yes. So one way of the afternoon of - bone-tiredness and exhilaration - I or another, over the next two years, Marian Evans initially couldn't even sit down . . . and then other people as well discovered about the state of Yeah, that emptiness - and exhilaration the next time the bone people. Because at that stage I was pissed off, I you read it? didn’t want anything more to do with it. And I still have, sit­ Yeah, in that I knew it was going to work. That chapter ting there in the cupboard as an awful warning five cans of and the prologue were what I sent as my application to the embedding resin which was enough to swallow the manus­ Robert Burns Committee, so it paitji its passage, enabled cript. That was what was going to happen to it. me to do the final rewrite of the book - or one of the final re­ Keri! writes. I No, no - can you imagine - 1 still think it would make a How many times did you ? bloody neat chunk - can you imagine a better kind of door Th - well . . . stop? So Spiral decided that it was worth publishing. Ma­ Three! rian Evans very cunningly gave it to Irihapeti, who got *Hmm! When I finished it, as I thought finished it at hooked by the fact that there was some kai tahu oriented jOtago, I came back here (Okarito), and got in touch with spirituality and as she said herself as soon as she read about )avid Elworthy of Collins. His readers said great, great, the Mauri, there was no way she would see it not published. great, but it is mammothly overlong. At that stage it was Miriama Evans, incidentallly, also has Kai Tahu links. In 498 foolscap typed pages. So I looked at it again - and my fact, I’m beginning to suspect that there’s a Kai Tahu mafia mother did a really neat thing, she came over from Christ­ around! We know about each other!D church on a long weekend, and she said, I will read it, and I will indicate what I think is superfluous. She’s a very experi­ Sandi Hall is author of The Godmothers. The Women's Press. UK. Her book The Cosmic Botanist will be published by The Women's Press later this year. A second enced reader. I thought, great, because I have great faith in edition ot Keri Hulme's the bone people is to be published soon by Spiral.

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 21 Diana Jones talks about the value of physi­ cal activity for women. WOMEN DEVELOP MUSCLE Women’s reticence to move into physical The male analysis of sports performance; the space?) activity and physical independence is in of highest, best and fastest, has been Women who do attempt some outdoor contrast to our movement towards social applied to women in sport when terms like activities report that their efforts are often independence, Jill Abigail in her research exhilaration, enjoyment and sensuality discouraged by unnecessarily unpleasant (Broadsheet, February 1984), showed that may well be more appropriate if we are experiences and unnecessary risks such as women who limit their involvement in considering women’s recreational activity sleeping out inadequately protected. physical activity also limit their employe- rather than elite performance. “I just spent all my time trying to keep ment opportunities. Personal prejudices We need to closely examine the relation­ up.” which say that women are not interested in ships between our supposed physical de­ “I’d only just got to the resting place and, physical activity; that women injure easily pendence on men and the state. We need everyone would get up and move off - their breasts and ovaries being particu­ to examine role definitions within family again.” ; larly susceptible; that those who take part structures and within paid employment “I was frightened but no-one helped in physical activity aren’t “feminine”; and structures. Physical dependence might me.” that only activities which show grace and well be another form of social control. “They said it was easy but it wasn't for beauty are relevant to women. This pre­ Elizabeth Darlinson recently explored this me.” judice affects both recreation choice and in Physical Activity and Culture — A Criti­ “I didn’t think it was safe to cross the paid occupations which supposedly require cal Connection.* She sees physical activity river but they did anyway.” strength; fire fighting, scrub cutting, truck as an important element of culture which There is a clearly expressed difference of driving, road ganging, sailing, sport in gen­ reinforces dominant ideas and values, but opinion between women and men’s real­ eral, rugby in particular. which also can act as a liberating force to ity. Men appear to see the end product as Sex-stereotyped activities which exclude challenge those dominant ideas and claim the important thing. The goal and doing it strength, power, speed and endurance de­ personal and social power. well (as fast and as skilfully as possible) is velop limited concepts of self and ability and Sport and physical reaction have much the reward for them. Women enjoy far therefore potential. Opportunities for risk­ to offer. Women develop feelings of more the processes involved in arriving. taking, or choice-making under stress are mutual support and co-operation. These They enjoy the company and the shared denied. If women have these experiences qualities are extremely important to the talk and experience. The stated destina­ with a “playful” context, they are more feminist movement. We can use physical tion is less important. likely to try them in other settings. activity to explore our potential for action, There are good things: Women’s joy is Sport is the institutionalised version of both individuallv and collectively. □ infectious. Women can: play and should be used as a testing ground Topics from Diana Jones. Victoria University. Wgtn. • do anything to provide certain experiences; co-opera­ ■ • learn to give themselves permission to have fun tion, mutual support, power over self and WOMEN WALK others. Early sport experiences for many • be helped to gain and regain physical In 1982 Pauline Cara and Alison Mary women are without sensitivity to their competence began providing outdoor experiences for needs and encourage achievement as indi­ • learn to value and enjoy each other’s women of all ages and fitness levels. They viduals in gymnastics, swimming and dance; company aim to help women gain confidence in their and to compete against each other in fenc­ • have their own reality and learn to rec­ abilities, learn about the environment and ing, volleyball, squash and tennis. Sport ognise it gain skills in tramping and camping. Here for males presupposes they will learn • have a strong appreciation of the they write about their ideas and motiva­ leadership and team spirit; such experi­ spiritual values of the natural world tions. ences for females have not been encour­ • be resourceful and capable outdoor aged. In our schools and communities. We believe that women often reach adult- companions

Stoppers - Ploys to put and keep you indoors. Ridicule - “You’re not going to wear shorts." Derision - “Look at her trying to swim/ski/jog/row.” Rudeness - “Can’t you keep i{p for goodness sake?" Aspersions - “What will you do if something goes wrong?" "You'll never make it.” Guilt Inducers - “I suppose you'll be tooltired to get dinner." (Too right!) Laughter - "All girls together huh?" “You man haters or something?” Trivialising- "Really? We did it in two hours.” "That’s a really easy climb." women are actively discouraged and at hood with poorly developed physical Its fun to be with women. times prevented from participating in con­ abilities.Girls are taught to stay clean, stay There are difficulties: tact sports and intensive physical activity. indoors, stay close to adults. Girsl are fed • an acknowledged lack of fitness Fears of lack of stamina in women athletes ideas of being weak and less capable. Con­ • feelings of incompetency from never has led the international Olympic commit­ versely boys are admired for being dirtier, having learnt outdoor skills tee to “protect" women from the Olympic rougher, stronger and more capable. • negative perceptions of themselves with marathon until this year and women still (Check this out by looking at kindergarten endless gratuitous reinforcement from have no race between the 3000 metres and or school playgrounds - who is using all the their children and male partners the marathon. outdoor equipment and taking up most of • a prickly bunch of fears which give a pic-

22 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. One easy way to become physically stronger is to train with weights. Weight-training is an activity which is easy to learn and it isn’t time consuming. But there have been at least two unfortunate outcomes for women with the recent commercial develop­ ments of health and fitness centres. The first is that weight-training is being mar­ keted to women on the premise and promise of a better looking body, presumably for someone else to enjoy, rather than being marketed from a personal health perspective. Secondly, many women interested in improving their strength are being met by poorly trained and ill-informed staff who have a false base-assumption of the innate weakness of women. So, behind the “individual programme” proposed it is accepted that because the individual is female, she is weak. Women’s domestic experience, in­ cluding lifting and carrying children, and occupational activity in handling merchan­ dise, or food or hospital patients, is discounted. Automatically women are given fewer exercises and lower beginning weights than those given to men. The result of this is that many women do not experience and increase in their fitness and strength because their “individual” programme is not challenging them. Normally, decisions for lower beginning weights should be based on past exercise ture of women stuck all over with little experience, including domestic labour. If the women has not been involved in physi­ pin flags with word labels - looking cal activity for some time, it is preferable for her to first learn the basic exercise stupid, I can’t, no skills, too slow, fai­ techniques correctly before moving onto weights which will begin to help her de­ lure, nervous, getting lost, unfit, hope­ velop strength. In most instances, that would take one or two sessions. less, no proper equipment, too fat. One of the first and considerable advantages weight training has for women, is There are many ways women can gain that it requires an assertive physical stance. Your body is always symmetrical with competency in the outdoors. Some of the your weight evenly distributed over both feet. If capitalised on, this can give the indi­ ways we choose to do this are by skills vidual an immediate sense of confidence and control because of the simple nature of teaching. These include map use and read­ the exercises, using only one group of complementary muscles at a time physical con­ ing, river crossing (and when not to), basic fidence and competence are easily attained. In a well-devised programme, notice­ rock climbing, route finding, scree des­ able increases in strength and flexibility are evident after two or three weeks, en­ cents, safety techniques, weather observa­ hancing feelings of competency. tions and weather awareness, photo­ One of the many myths surrounding women and exercise is the fear of becoming graphy, plant bird and animal identifica­ larger by the development of bulky muscles. Many men take up weight-training for tion. precisely that reason, in order to make themselves bigger, and stronger, particularly There can also be positive experiences in the upper body - and therefore more dominant? However, women do not have such as praise and recognition of achieve­ sufficient amounts of the hormone testosterone to develop muscular bulk and should ment, mental and physical support over be reassured that their increase in strength from weight-training will not mean a difficult patches, acceptance of fears, fos­ larger body. If a women has not been involved in physical activity for some time be­ tering of trust and caring attitudes and just fore taking up weight-training, there may be some increase in muscle development having fun skinny dipping, yahooing down as the muscle reaches its normal size. Beyond that, none.D a slope, group massages, letting one’s child Diana Jones. out.

There is great value in seeing women as | Left I Snow fun on Mt Oxford. [Above] Lois and Judith at the Motunau River. [Below] Jo, Jeanette and Al cros­ leaders and co-workers as well as sharing sing the Fox River. Photographs from Women Walk. the skills and knowledge of a group and being involved in group planning and deci­ sions. Just knowing that you’ve got the cor­ rect equipment and clothing and nutritious and tasty food for the venture adds to sec­ urity and confidence. Our aim is to help women cover themselves with positive • labels — I did it, Yahoo, I coped, new skills, achievement, I made it, strength, confi­ dence, I know how, success, I feel great. Increased awareness of spiritual and en­ vironmental values strengthens women’s confidence in our own reality and in our ability to make changes in this nuclear threatened world. “• • • to have added one tiny spark to the ever-growing beacon lighted by the women of this generation to help their fellow- travellers climb out of the dark woods and

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 23 valleys of conventional tradition and gain from the Copland ridge, where a belay may the fresh, invigorating air and wider view­ be necessary before the enjoyment of the point of the mountain tops.” [Freda du wide snow basins and glissading on the F aur1915] more gradual western slopes to the top of Whaia e koe te iti Kahurangi the zig zag descent to the Copland River. Ki te tuohu koe Parties are strongly advised to discuss me maunga teitei their intentions with the staff of the Mt Seek the treasures of your heart - if you Cook National Park at Park Headquarters. do bow your head, let it be to a lofty moun­ Guide books state clearly that attempting tain. □ the Copland is always a serious business ■ and that the Copland Pass itself is for ex­ THE COPLAND PASS perienced climbers only. Our idea of “Let’s do the Copland” crys­ AH, Jay, Cynthia, Ros, Morag, Alison and tallized during a pot luck dinner meeting Pauline of the Watersong group crossed where open discussion aired the fear and the Copland Pass on 28 - 31 December anxieties of the non-mountaineering, inex­ 1983. They describe their adventure. perienced members of the party. The con­ The Copland Pass is the best known alpine cept of responsibility for oneself and the crossing of the Southern Alps. The pass role of the experienced mountaineers were crosses at 2,150m (7,050 ft) between Can­ clarified. Methods of climbing with ice-axe terbury and Westland. The usual route lies and ropes were explained and the best up the Hooker River Valley from the Her­ matching of people’s strengths and abilities slope. I rate it as “the most continually mitage, over the pass and out to the West on the climbing “ropes” were worked out. stressful day of my life” but others find it Coast, 30 miles south of Fox township, via A month later eight of us journey in a exhilarating. the Copland and Karangahua Rivers. The van to Mt Cook National Park. An intro­ A great snow field bursts upon our up­ trip usually takes four days.* ductory session gives everyone a chance to ward sight. Small black dots near the rock The climb to the Copland Pass involves a talk about themselves and discuss their ex­ ridge on the left are roped climbers. Soon steep 3+ hours climb up a narrow rock pectations and concerns about the forth­ we too shall be labouring up in the soft ridge to the Copland Shelter Hut. Freda du coming trip. The next one and a half days snow steps. Well, let's get roped up and at­ Faur, the first woman to ascend Mt Cook are spent relaxing, waiting for the weather tack the challenge. It’s hot work and takes (1910) and never one to exaggerate her to clear (it’s always wise to allow extra days over an hour to the top where the tradi­ achievements, describes it as “A long steep for trans Alpine crossings). The second af­ tional can of pineapple, opened with an ice rock ridge’which presents no difficulties, ternoon it’s “packs up” to follow a gently axe, is enjoyed by all. An icy wind blows only a steady grind for 3000 feet”. Of climbing track among the alpine splen­ through and round the jagged parapets of another occasion she writes of “several dours of the Hooker River and Glacier to the pass and we have women-hugs and strenuous hours toiling up the Copland the overnighting Hooker Hut, 27 people in women-circles for warmth as we wait our Ridge”. The rock merges into a steep, a hut built to accommodate 12. It is a bit turn on belay down the steep, icy slope. snow slope. Permanent snow of varying like being at a cocktail party crush, with Ali, for whom the mountains are a familiar steepness and condition is then encoun­ everyone in drag. People cook their dinner place, holds us firmly, confident in her tered. It is on this section that inexperi­ in relays and the rising smell of drying ability and strength. Crampons for most of enced parties need a mountain guide as woollen socks is enough to send one to bed us are unfamiliar but reassuring as they climbing on a rope and using an ice axe are early even if the anticipation of the 5 - 6 am bite into the ice and we practise crabbing necessary safety procedures. There is a start is not. Our trip is blessed by the down and front pointing an icy descent for short, steep, sometimes icy descent down mountain goddess when, later in the even­ fifty metres. At last the comparative ing, the snow ceases, the clouds roll back warmth of a large snow basin and time to and Aorangi in its grandeur is displayed, look at the twin spires of Mt Sefton and less than two kilometres across the valley. marvel again at those who climb them - for Cameras click before we retire, still in day­ pleasure! light, to sleep with varying luck or skill in “Again at sundown I have watched the tents or double bunks. tussock, glow and fade to pallor, merge with It’s hard to consi me muesli sitting up in darkness, where rain-hewn rocks, ice-chisel- your sleeping bag at 5.30 am but hot tea led bastions, bleed to death in cataracts of helps and we are away by 6 am. “I am calm stones.” [Mary Ursula Bethel, Looking and centred and have the energy I need to down on Mesopotamia, 1937.] climb this next section. I am calm and A relaxed trudge across soft snow, some centred ...” The mantra helps me many giggly yahooing as we bum-slide a few times in the next hours as the long steady slopes and at last a flat area where we can Typical of her, she has to do everything at once. grind continues. There may be no technical plonk down for a late lunch. Drink, scrog- difficulties on the climb but for people un­ gin, oranges, cucumber and Christmas *Day 1 - about three hours to the Hooker Hut, 10km; Day 2 - over the Copeland Pass to Douglas Rock Hut, 8 sure of their strength and abilities and for cake make strange combinations - we are - 10 hours, 11km; Day 3 - to Welcome Flats Hut, 3 whom the mountain environment is not all eager to share and lessen our pack hours, 8km; Day 4 -o u t to Highway 83,5 hours, 18km. weight. Discussion brings a general agree­ For information about the route see Phillip Temple’s home the climb is physically strenuous and The Copland Pass. stressful. Adrenalin holds one firmly to the ment that nobody wants to rush through

24 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. Caroline Bree and Caroline (centre) 10«.2 t such magnificent scenery to spend the the spend to scenery magnificent such we decide to fly camp and sleep out. Now out. sleep and flycamp to decide we night in a crowded hut. With fine weather fineweather With hut. crowded a innight o eey ottp ht ut e safe. be must that footstep every for care the only danger, apparent isno there Cameras appear more frequently. Drama­ frequently. more appear Cameras pagas per pkn truh new through poking appears speargrass us, small mountain surround ticmountains nw wtral tudr rm c caves, ice from thunder waterfalls snow, beauty is admired out loud. We sit to rest to sit We loud. out admired is beauty egt n te pca feig o being of feelings special the and height lose to now reluctant up, slow and again high amongst the peaks. At the foot of of the foot the At peaks. the amongst high zig zag we lie in happy humps, under our our under humps, happy inlie wezag zig tent flies, actually across the track which istrack acrossactually the flies, tent h ol lvl rud Wks oe curi­ poke Wekas ground. level only the ously in one end, out the other, keas fall keas other, the out end, one in ously aig hi trioy Tl, trl white starkly Tall, territory. their vading in and squawk at shrubs the about us for in­ mountain buttercups nod at head and and foot. athead nod buttercups mountain stars glistenstars as we say “We did to ourselves finallyand the hoherias the shake Breezes it. I did it. We MADE it. I made it. For For it. made I it. MADE We it. did I it. each one of us, leader or learner: I coped. II coped. each one of learner: or us, leader achieved and now I sleep under the stars. the nowIunder sleep and achieved eerto i bt proa ad com­ and personal both is celebration Year’s New celeb­ FoxGlacier the at later ration. We had made it and were safe; the the safe; were and it made had We ration. stamp our feet in the Bavarian singalong. Bavarian inthe feet our stamp munal .Lustily we and sing;shout boldy we Joyously we dance the polka and “Zorba’ “Zorba’ and polka the dance we Joyously smelly bush shirts. Farewell 83, welcome 83, Farewell slightlyshirts. bush smelly and socks woolen sandshoes, in aoie re an srnt ad confi­ and strength gains Bree Caroline joyful company of women.□ company joyful ’84. Let’s plan another mountain trip - in - trip mountain another plan ’84. Let’s When Artemis, the goddess the of crescent the Artemis, When How hugely we enjoy ourselves two days RI HELETES TH IA .TR dence asdence atriathlete. ■ took her on his knee and asked her what what her asked and knee his on her took Zeus father her old years was three moon, gifts she would like. Her answer - "a saf­ "a - answer Her like. would she gifts and arrows, all the mountains allin world, arrows, mountains the the and bowand hem tunic awithred hunting fron e se et ad o e urin f the of guardian be to and went, she ver 60 nymphs ocean accompany her where­ to girl, my best friend Jan and I built huts, huts, built I and Jan friend best my girl, little a was I When ’. harbours and roads swam, cycled, ran, skipped, shot myswam, skipped, cycled, ran, Junior uo et ec Bt uet ad Pal­ and puberty But etc, belts Judo Junior for went arrows, and “BowLady’s merston North convention overtook me. Ime. overtook convention North merston had to wear “girls togs” with a top which top a with togs” “girls wear to had felt restricting - my body became heavier heavier became body my - restricting felt n akad n a js 1 I a a had I 11 just menstruation. - hide to at secret shameful and - awkward and pn h et 5yasdigvr ite-- little very 15doing years next the spent Imy faults. camouflage to trying - looked xet eoig nrxc A 2 I came I 27 At anorexic. becoming except out with aout woman who was intensely physi­ a, opttv, las okn fr new for looking always competitive, cal, challenges - and she opened a to back and door she opened challenges - the rest of me - I began teaching self-de­ teaching began I - me of rest the fence classes, sampled a variety of martial of martial avariety sampled classes, fence arts, learned to roll, kick, fall and punch. falland kick, roll, to learned arts, to keep fit and lose weight, and found that that found and lose weight, and fit keep to after the initial struggle to overcome overcome to struggle initial the after my whole day. As I ran longer distances I distances longer ran I As day. mywhole itgave calmof feeling the loved I asthma, experienced a feeling of euphoria and self- and a feelingof euphoria experienced confidence. joyed the friendly Sunday morning group morning Sunday friendly the joyed time” weekday early morning runs. morning early weekday time” my to “thinking runs aspeaceful a contrast n h Cmln arna Women’s Tauranga Complan the in of my life! It was a very hot day and many and day mywashot verylife!aof It days best of the was one it and Marathon, women pulled out so 1so out sense of pulled awomengreat had accomplishment to finish, however however slowly!finish,to accomplishment bcm osse wt hw y body my how with obsessed became I Like many other Like women Imany other running began In May 19831InMay en­ and YMCA the joined I ran my first marathon in October 1983, in ImyOctober ran firstmarathon odtoig icesd eoi capacity aerobic increased conditioning, tic and alert. Running made me appreciate me appreciate made Running tic alert. and more energe­ and makesher feel healthier, from it. It iffrom made it.me that confident I could what Icanmyit expect do, what can body, most anything. It also makes my dog’salsomakes It day anything. most al­ do can I then kilometres, those all run to get out and stretch her legs me. withher stretch and get out to o te ol o ins Iowmn and Ironwoman Fitness of World the for a t lan o wm Te raho i a is triathlon The swim. to learn to had train to years two took who Weeks Hilary hc srntes h upr oy and body, upper the strengthens which swimming,fitnesstotal incorporating sport running and cycling which strengthen the the cycling strengthen which and running legs, and all three condition the heart and heart the condition allthree and legs, ug. h titln s ulcsd s an as and some like publicised eliteahtlete for event the the is triathlon The lungs. certainly are! But I’m talking to and about about and I’m But to talking are! certainly (2.4 swim,mile ocean Hawaii Ironwo/man ordinary women not elite athletes. Almost athletes. elite not women ordinary 112 mile cycle, marathon run 26.2 miles) 26.2 run marathon cycle,112 mile anyone can finish a triathlon with less st­ less with triathlon a finish can anyone an n mr fn hn unn a running than fun more and rain the idea certainly appealed to me. to appealed idea certainly the I Now couldthat do running the marathon. champion at Primary School.But at champion when the backstroke was and nine was I whenmile winter my mother was afraid I would be­ would I afraid was mother my winter the over train weight to us wanted coach come “unfeminine” and stopped me com­ me stopped and “unfeminine” come went to the Glen Innes Pool and swamsix and Pool Innes Glen the to went So itIwhen waspeting. surprising not that back twice a week I gradually improved, improved, gradually I week a twice back going However, exhausted! was I lengths klmte ad fe tre ots I months three ofter and kilometre! a - got daystuckat 20 one did 30then lengths, could swimcould easily. mileaquite eto o eet n I a rnig 15 running was I and event of section a n polm I yl t wr, eight work, to cycle I problem. no was withY the kilometres every Sunday so that Running gives a woman better physical better woman givesa Running I first heard about the triathlon from Dr Dr from triathlon the about Ifirstheard sacid lvd ntewtr sa a swam water, the in lived I child a As o I nw cud o h swimming the do could I knew I Now Broadsheet, July/August 1984. July/August Broadsheet, 25 kilometres each way every day so I’d been ket of water to throw over me. Other cyc­ relying on that to get me through the cycl­ lists swooshed past me at a suicidal pace; I ing section. Then one day - panic! The flat wouldn’t be beaten by that Shore Road waterfront ride of the previous year was Hill and my legs tightened painfully with changed to the hilliest possible course each circuit. Every time I passed the finish through Parnell and Orakei, four times! line friends from the Y clapped and Suddenly everyone was out on weekend cheered and called my name and I felt won­ EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE and mid week mornings slogging round derful. Alison Fell those hills and I began to meet other Beginning to run was hard, my energy A brilliant first adult novel by poet and childrens writer, women competitors. Alison Fell. This book explores the counter-culture of was low. Ann asked me if I wanted com­ London in the 1970’s, a time of electrifying possibilities. My triathlon buildup for the World of pany. I said no but she intuitively ran with We see London through the eyes of a Scottish working Fitness Ironwo/man in November took six me anyway and I was grateful to be dis­ class girl, June Guthrie. months. tracted by conversation. After the turn VIRAGO ORIGINAL FICTION $14.50 Swim (Pool twice a week - build up to a around I had a great surprise, I wasn't last! mile), Coming into the finish was almost an anti­ Cycle ( 2 x 8km four times a week plus one climax. I felt dazed and very proud. It had longer run fo 20-30km), been easier than I feared and I wanted to Run (50km a week including a longer run do another soon. I competed in and en­ of 15km), joyed the North Shore Challenge Weight, Triathlon in February. Entering an event is Train (One hour a week), a challenge to myself and completing the Jazzercise/Jazzergetic once a week to keep course gives me a great satisfaction but A FAVOURITE OF THE GODS supple. most important are the benefits of total fit­ & A COMPASS ERROR ness and my increased self-confidence. Sybille Bedford A month before you should try some These two books trace three generations of strongwilled combinations of run/bike/swim. The week The triathlon has reclaimed the Artemis and independent women through Italy, France, England before force yourself to slow down and (Diana the Maiden of the Silver Bow, Lady and America. rest. This will be hard. of the Wild Things) in me.D There are two other factors to getting ■ strong, diet and weight training. It’s impor­ A FAVOURITE OF THE (iODS Sue Price wins a bet in the Auckland Iron/ tant to have a well-balanced diet consisting opens ip the 1920s and is wo/man Contest. the story of the American mostly of complex carbohydrates, fresh heiress Anna and her fruits and vegetables, grains, with not too There I was - pleasant surroundings, con­ daughter Costanza. much protein or dairy foods. Good runners vivial company, three glasses of wine and VIRAGO MODERN CLASSIC are very light whereas triathletes have $11.50 hey presto! Yes of course I’ll enter the Au­ stronger bodies with well-developed shoul­ ckland Iron Wo/man Contest! ders. I didn't have to starve myself to be a Next morning realisation sets in. I could triathlete! run (although no record breaker), had Strength gives you a great feeling of con­ been a good swimmer and hiked to school fidence and makes all practical jobs easier. occasionally 15 years ago. Now I didn't A COMPASS ERROR Women are incredibly strong, stronger have a bike! But, a bet is a bet! is Constanza’s daughter Flavia’s story. Flavia’s than we think. Lower weights with higher First stop was the bike shop. It was easy idealism is tempered repetitions build strength and muscular en­ buying the bike but not so easy getting on it by her legacy from durance. You can work out at a gym if you and getting used to the gears. My only pre­ Anna and Costanza. live in a city making sure there are separate VIRAGO MODERN CLASSIC vious experience had been on a real old but equal training areas for women and boneshaker. $ 8 . men. at the Women’s Recreation Club, or Then I started - up at 6 am, either bike at home with your own weights. Buy at or run for an hour, breakfast, shower and least 5km dumb bells, avoid the “ladies” off to work. Evenings I would swim, bike BUY A BOOK AND 2.5 kg ones you will be offered. There are or run. Saturdays and Sundays, long bike SEND FOR FREE useful charts of workouts in many rides, long runs, long swims, sometimes a COLLECTORS CARDS magazines and books - look for the serious combination of all three. Hell, the sea­ approach using a fit-looking model, rather water was cold in mid-winter. After a while than glamour and no substance. it became fun and I eagerly anticipated that 1 remember standing among 180 mus­ date in November. cled athletes looking at the cold greasy It was exhilarating lining up at water of Mechanics Bay. I should have felt Mechanics Bay. Then into the sea, trying apprehension but I was just eager to begin. to make headway in a maelstrom of bodies, WOMEN IN PRINT The starter pointed out the buoys marking and finally into the clear with room to ' Books by, for and about women. our course; I couldn't see a thing without swim. my glasses. I had to keep up with the mob Out of the water and onto the bike. Half­ AVAILABLE AT ALL BOOK HEPS to know where to go. I enjoyed the swim way up Gladstone Road a tangle with GOOD BOOK SELLERS (In Mill LIMIIII and came out of the water two thirds back. another cyclist and down we went. De­ Trisha was waiting with my bike and a buc­ pair. The bike battered and me not much Broadsheet, July/August 1984. and sharpening the hand shears involves a high degree of skill not learned overnight. Glenda attended a special school at Bur­ nham Military Camp, embarrassing those concerned by being the only woman among 200 men to enrol. Where will she sleep? Special permission was obtained to use the army women's quarters and she had to live under army rules. I These hardworking women ask for no concessions and get none. They are shear­ ers and I pay tribute to them. They get a pretty hard time but do so much for feminism amongst these “rugged chaps”. As Glenda says, “When we start in a new m gang, we sure get the shit, but you don’t have to say a word, you just beat them and they go dead silent. Back to the old male ego once again.” Another woman shearer said, “We sweat the same, but we do a better job, and, as well, my sheep are ‘old sweeties'.” Christine Wiri (left) of Fielding and Marina Burt, shearers dream. That makes a big difference, it’s the same Featherston, competitors in the Golden Shears Inter­ Adrienne Shaw in the North Auckland with the woman in the cowshed or the mediate Semi-finals, March 1983 /7VZ Herald/ area, Daphne Marsh in the King Country woman with horses. Animals respond to better. Luckily my support team were and J. Burley of Fielding have made their the female voice and touch, as country mark. In the South Island the sheep are close behind with a spare bike. After four women know. often the huge, wrinkly merinos but the laps (35km) over quite a hilly circuit I still The few women I know have bought felt good. Then it was off the bike and into women handle them easily. small amounts of land, or hope to eventu­ Glenda Betts, from the Waikato, works the running shoes and away to St Heliers ally, although some women shearers are this area and is the “gun" in her gang. The and back to Les Mills to find 1 was 14th married and have families, like Daphne Gun is the one who sets the pace and has woman. I had won the bet and my chal­ Marsh of Te Kuiti. the highest tally for the season which lasts lenger (male) hadn't even started. Please forgive me for mentioning just a approximately eight months. She also Triathloning grows on you. It has such a few names, but I know the conditions will holds the Three Stand Record (NZ) with balanced programme of exercise with one apply to all the rugged women with guts Margaret McAuley and Maureen Hyett. sport complementing the other. It hurts a and determination who work really hard in This record was made in adverse condi­ little at first but you get strong, gain confi­ a tough climate for the money they make. tions. The women were determined to dence, and have a lot of fun. Try it!D Pity Godfrey Bowen couldn’t give credit show that three women can work as a ■ where it’s due. Maureen Hyett at the age of team, but were let down by men who 24, has done 522 sheep in full wool, as well “GUN” SHEARERS promised to help with the shedding during as 569 lambs in nine hour days.D Jean Rhodes talks about the women who the attempt. can handle a blade with the best of them. On the day when the women arrived, no­ I wrote this article after seeing the inter­ thing had been done, and bystanders had Backus, Sharron, Inside Softball for Women, Contem­ view with the famous Godfrey Bow-en in to help. The sheep, chosen to be an even porary. lot, ran out during the day, and the three Balaskas. Arthur and Stirk. John. Soft Exercise. Allen the NZ Herald. It talked about the hard and Unwin. work that shearers do and said that “he is a women ended up by breaking the record Cooper. Mildred and Kenneth. Aerobics for Women, using all sorts of rough sheep no man Bantam. rugged chap”. Dyer. KF. Challenging the Men - Women in Sport, Many women are working in the sheds would have expected to use for a record. University of Queensland. and they have learned how to shear and so Glenda said that her absolute fury made Edwards. Sally. Triathlon, A Triple Fitness Sport, her determined she’d “show up those Contemporary. advance from being shed hands (also Fonda, Jane, Jane Fonda’s Workout Book, Allen known as “rousies”). These hardworking men”. Lane. women are shearing better than men and Once the record fell, guess who lined up Government Printers. Outdoor Education Series, 10BX Fitness Exercises. are breaking records. Mr Bowen is proud to be in the photographs and speak to the Kaskie. Shirli, A Women’s Golf Game, Contemporary of doing over 400 sheep but so can women reporters? Leen. Edie. Strength Training for Beauty, Anderson Glenda Betts is probably the only World Books a lot younger and with less experience than Lytollis. Sue. Self-Defence for Women, New Womens he had when he first broke the record. woman who both machine and blade Press. The job is rough, sweaty, harsh, as are shears. She loves the high snow and tus­ Navritilova, Martina, Tennis My Way, Allen Lane sock McKenzie country. Blade shearing is Orlick. terry. Co-operative Sport and Games Book, the living conditions. Washing hangs on Writers and Readers. the fence to dry for up to three weeks in the not done in the North Island where elec­ Roe. Alison and Elliot. Gary. Every Runner’s Com­ high country of Otago. Some of the women tricity is available but a lot is still done panion, Self-published. down South on the huge stations where the Runners World. Complete Woman Runner. I know sleep with a knife under their pil­ Ryan. Dr Frank. Gymnastics for Girls, Penguin. lows. It’s the great male world. “A bitch in gangs can still disappear up the gullies and Yanker. Gary. Complete Book of Exercise Walking, the bed and a crate of beer under it", is the mountains for two to three weeks. Setting Contemporary. Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 27 Feminists have been called man-haters for hundreds of years and their jockey shorts to wash, and men who, despite all this, sys­ it is still one of the worst thought-crimes women can commit. We tematically exclude us from the spheres of money and power. We are accused of “berating" men in our plays, Warwick Roger must love them, for they are not all the same, because they are not bleated in Auckland's Metro about how miserable it is to be a all individually responsible, and because, above all, one must not white affluent man because of our hostility, and the latest More generalize. But why then must we say that we love men in general? magazine comment called for an end to man-hating. To answer And why is loving women so poorly regarded? Why did they the same accusations, Montreal's feminist magazine La Vie En teach us to keep clear of women in general? Why was it so fre­ Rose published this editorial in their June 1982 issue. quently and variously repeated to us that it would be a man, and not a woman, who would be the Love of our Life. Why was it not left to us to choose? And why do we so quickly forget that we Do We weren't given this choice? Because some of us manage to pair up with a man we might actually want ? Because those of us who are more daring, or more strategically placed, manage to choose the men we wish to associate with? This ideal is brought about by Hate Men? chance, not choice. Since we started publishing La Vie En Rose, and actually, long be­ fore that, ever since a number of women began calling themselves The First Brain- Washing feminists, we have been asked repeatedly: Do you hate men? All Heterosexuality is not a choice. It is a way of life. Obligatory. An of us together and each of us individually have been asked this institution inherently defended - refined - because it leaves us the question, from distributors of the magazine, from the man in the illusion of our liberty. But how can we pretend to have chosen corner store, from people in bars, at family dinners, at parties, by heterosexuality when we were brainwashed for it from our earliest telephone and by letter. infancy? How do we know what we might have chosen if, for in­ The question is posed in various ways, from the subtle and ob­ stance, we had been raised by two or three lesbians? If we had al­ lique, to the directly offensive. Why do you not accept men to ways known that women could love other women, love to make work on La Vie En Rose? Are there some among you who refuse love with other women, find other women passionately attractive? to talk to men? Are there more lesbians than heteros? Why do you And if the whole world accepted this love between and among hate men? women? Initially, the question seemed to us simply stupid. Eventually, But heterosexuality is the dominant life-style and whatever else however, because this question seemed to somehow trip us up, to exists becomes marginal, that which must be tolerated, that which tie our hands, and because it made some of us feel decidedly ill at might as well be accepted, or at least, not discriminated against ease, we began to understand that it was not, in fact, harmless, and too much. After all, we live in a liberal society, don’t we? This that it should be looked at with a critical eye in order to put a stop marginal existence, homosexuality, gathers both men and women to it at once. The question is a false one, but at the same time, it is fundamental. First of all,which men? Reagan, Jean-Paul II, Trudeau? The postman, the next-door neighbour, hit-and-run drivers, the “Why is loving police, officials, rapists, bosses, our fathers, our brothers, each of our male subscribers? All together, or one by one? On the bus, when having a heart to heart talk, in a photograph, or in bed? With ketchup, or mustard? women so It is a false question because a feminist presented publicly with the question is expected to respond with a definite and enthusias­ tic No, or a reassuring smile, as if at last we were given the chance poorly regarded? to exonerate ourselves. To be sure, we at La Vie En Rose are re­ garded as suspect. A feminist magazine, OK, but don’t carry things too far, eh? Are we serious, reasonable, intelligent, normal .. . Obviously women, and do we have good sense? Good sense, reasonableness, seriousness and intelligence, for a feminist, is to love men, they imply. Or are we, alternatively, completely hysterical, demented, all women could and aggressive - radical lesbians who hate men? You doubt? Make this test. They ask you: "But just the same, you do like men, don't you?” You answer: “No, to tell the truth, I don’t like men. I much pre­ be feminists, fer women." Or: “You know, to be perfectly honest. I'd have to say I'm rather indifferent to men.” Observe the reaction! Yes, this is very instructive. And it is pre­ regardless of cisely here that the question becomes fundamental. Women do not love men by choice. In general, one must love men. It goes without saying. It’s normal. It is men, men in general, who they who rape us. beat us, abuse and exploit us by pornography, men who refuse to hire us because we are women, men who have us laid off because we refuse to serve coffee, who hold us in contempt, sleep with.” men who ignore us, men who give us their children to raise and

28 Broadsheet. July/August 1984. together under the same roof, as if there were no fundamental dif­ ference between homosexual men and lesbians, as if everything can be explained under the umbrella of the word gay. DOWNSTAGE An Instrument of Power As feminists we think that there is a difference between a presents heterosexual man and a heterosexual woman. Even though both men and women practise seduction, make love, marry, live with someone, have children, raise them, grow old, it is never the same reality. For women, heterosexuality is a well-worn path which leads them to housework, for this is the traditional form that WEDNESDAY women’s love for men takes. If you really love them, you make a home for them. It is here where our heterosexual feminist existence or our les­ bian feminist existence becomes more than defiance, more than TO COME something marginal; as for male homosexuals, this is a veritable rupture with our roles as defined by the institution of heterosexu­ ality. This is why at La Vie En Rose we believe it is so important to by affirm a pro-lesbian position,and not simply one that is anti-dis­ Renee criminatory or anti-heterosexist. Lesbianism is a refusal to obey, a fundamental rebellion against the order: we have to love men, and Directed by George Webby as such, it is an outright refusal of a life which is predetermined, August 1 7 - September 22 pre-ordained, and obligatory. The question is not whether it is necessary to be a lesbian to love Four generations of women face the 30s women, or to be a feminist. Obviously, all women could be depression feminists, regardless of who they sleep with. But the existence of lesbians gives to all women the possibility of living their heterosex­ Bookings at State Opera House phone uality with greater freedom and fewer obligations, and it offers 849639 or 850832 Wellington. Door sales at them the possibility of choice. Lesbianism is therefore an instru­ Downstage from 5pm. Concessions for ment of power which is important for all women, in the same way group bookings, students, and schools. that feminist groups within, for example, leftist political organiza­ tions brought greater freedom for all women by affording them an alternative: the choice of where to put their energy. The Ways of Deviance THE HOME OF . . . There are many ways to refuse the constraints of heterosexuality. Becky Bush First, one can refuse the illusion that heterosexuality is a choice. One can refuse to marry, refuse to bear children, refuse to be av­ Clare Bear ailable a priori for men, refuse to work for free in the name of love Dana of a man, refuse to interrupt an absorbing conversation with a woman when a man approaches. Hattie St John Above all, one can affirm actively that relations are not only possible with other women, but something to be energetically Hilz worked toward on all levels: political, social, or sexual, at work, in Jess Hawk Oakenstar friendship, and in love. This rupture can be highly subversive, if we are careful to avoid continuously undermining ourselves by re­ Peter T. (our singing barman) peating: Yes, I love men. For, what purpose is served if after rip­ ping up the strait-jacket, we are the ones who go back and sew it Red Beryl up again? & Friends If men are afraid to find themselves alone in their bed, or in their lives, they will be moved to be more attentive, to pay more attention. And if we have the possibility to go elsewhere, we will only be freer, and stronger, because, in the words of Adrienne Rich: “It seems more possible that men really fear, not that they will have women's sexual appetities forced on them, or that women want to smother and devour them, but that women could be indifferent to them altogether, that men could be allowed sex­ ual and emotional - therefore economic - access to women only on women’s terms, otherwise being left on the periphery of the mat­ rix. ”*□ TAVERN This is an edited reprint from Broadside, a Canadian feminist magazine, translated KINGSTON S FEDERAL-AUCKLAND from the French by Marlene Wildeman. * Adrienne Rich. Signs, Journal of Women in Culture and Society. Summer 1980. Vol 732-376 5. No 4. Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 29 Angie Nell talks about the problems of sexuality. asked what would it do to our bodies? This remains of particular concern to older women who have been taking high dose hor­ monal pills for a good part of their lives and who now reap the con­ sequences. Reports of a university study looking at the relation­ ship between oral contraceptive use, smoking and heart disease For Young (Dominion, December 12, 1983) confirm our apprehensions. De­ spite continued use of Depo Provera and the IUD we cannot be as­ sured of their safety. (Heterosexual) However the sexual journey does not end at prevention of pre­ gnancy. In fact it is quickly becoming clearer to young heterosex­ ual women as it has to women before us, that the issue of con­ traceptive choice is only the beginning. We are starting to realize Women contraceptives are not an unspoken writ to say “yes” every time. We are learning to live with our choice and discovering how it ef­ fects our sexuality. As our older sisters look at the influence of the sexual revolution The birth control technology puts the responsibility and control on their lives, while unwrapping their sex-worn bodies from the over women’s bodies back into their own hands. In the past it was arms of men, we younger women are also questioning the parts we the men who had to take some responsibility for contraception since play in the sexual arena. Have the rules changed over the past de­ condoms and withdrawal methods were most frequently used. Yet cade, we ask? Will we deplore our role in the “sexual revolution” despite the apparent control women have over their bodies due to when we hit thirty? How much further ahead are we in making the more sophisticated birth control methods, we are still constrained loosened sexual attitudes work for us instead of against us? by the limitations placed on innovation within the birth control in­ My thoughts travel back to the beginning of my own sexual jour­ dustry by male-dominated business concerns. We are both freed ney as a naive nineteen-year old (old compared to many). A jour­ from a set of archaic assumptions that sees women as having a ney dominated by a fear of pregnancy. Only in recent days have I primary role as mothers, and captive to another set of assumptions met with other young women and heard their stories. that encourages an image of women as sex objects. Pills carefully hidden in drawers or purse, the secret visit to the “The technology of birth control, like all technology, is in itself clinic to have an IUD put in, the haemorrhaging soaked up by an value free: people must impute the meaning to it; people deter- extra supply of tampons because the loop was misplaced. Like re­ fugees we discuss our experience together. We talk of the ways we first learnt about sex; from our sisters, brothers or parents, from the “gutter”, or snippets we gathered from school. We share the uncertainties we had about contraception. Were our sources of in­ formation reliable? Some of us now know they were not. The local doctor or the Family Planning Clinic would have provided us with factual information but our fear of being found out, or accused of promiscuity (the double standard is alive and well), too often pre­ vented us from seeking the truth. Accessability to such clinics was also a problem for many of us. In one provincial city for instance, the Family Planning Clinic is open one night a week between the hours of 4.30-6pm and is on the bottom floor of the maternity hospital on the outskirts of the city. For women in this city the choice is either to see their local

“I am becoming increasingly less convinced, even wary and antagonistic as each time I hold out the hand of friendship to men . . . the arm is jumped on, chewed up and spat out. So I retract, grow, extend again, repeat. . . I think it is time to grow strong with women, fan the flickering flame to a bonfire so that men are either warmed or burnt by it, but do not extinquish my little flame ...” (Letter from Jennifer) doctor which for many young women may be a hard option, espe­ cially where the doctor is the family doctor, or to organize their lives around the limited clinic hours. For those of us brave or determined enough at that age to gather the facts, we were faced with the inevitable decision about the type of contraceptive to use. Some of us chose the method we were most familiar with, perhaps the one our sisters or friends used or the one the doctor emphasized. Or we chose the most convenient and reliable method. A pill certainly sounded less messy than £ % creams or a condom but would I remember to take it? Thirdly we

30 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. mine the uses to which it will be put and the consequences of those A POEM BY A. LEIDER uses. This is why women must enter actively into the process of de­ fining the values that surround birth control technology. Will new developments simply make us more efficient sex machines in a world of unchanged sexist domination?” When we went on the pill, who told us that we would find it har­ Song der to withstand the pressures from our lovers to have sex? Who told us that our sisters who chose to remain virgins until they were twenty or twenty-five or thirty would be rejected because we gave of a Cynical so freely? Who told us that the acceptable excuses we used as six­ teen-year-olds would be irrelevant now? Who told us that once women were freer from the worries of pregnancy their sexuality would still be constrained by double standards. “Dirty Sally’s” Woman would prevail while men would continue to sow their oats from a bag full of assumptions. Our heads were a mass of frustrating thoughts: “He assumes I’m No dear, I won’t talk of love, on the pill, he assumes I want to make love with him now and be­ that thirsty mirage. Nor what cause I want sex then I’m on the pill . . . He assumes I’ve had sex bright moons compel the race before and I’m experienced. (But hell I’m only eighteen!) He as­ for life, for lust. Just don’t rock sumes I want sex more than I want to cuddle or hold him, or laugh the boat that’s stranded in the sea, or talk or feel relaxed with him . . . He assumes that sex means in­ our fallen bodies struggling in the dark. tercourse . . . He assumes that he has he right to assume! Why the hell doesn’t he ask me, why don't I tell him? When I say 'No I don’t feel like making love tonight’, why does he continue to touch me? I’ve seen the pretty girls with dark Don’t my words mean anything to him?” faces set hard in the dance for love, Such assumptions are frequent in both casual and more lasting that flailing limbswept frothy sea relationships particularly for young women who have not learnt of its dance; dance for what how to bed-talk! It is hard to learn that responsibility for our seems to matter; really, clutching at a rock bodies stems from our heads as well as our contraceptive packets. for fear of the nauseous spinning race. Responsibility means being assertive about turns us on and what turns us off. Responsibility means opening the often closed A matter of gastric principles, this race, channels of communication. of keeping back the vomit before the dark Certain methods of contraceptives may influence the ease with oblivion hits you in the face; then the rock which we can discuss sexuality with our lovers. comes in handy. W hat’s that you say? Ah love, Condoms, diaphragms, creams, rhythm methods, while less reli­ that’s one prize. In the end, what able statistically than hormonal or IUD methods, are important really matters is not drowning in the sea. because they make it harder for men to ignore the issue. The inti­ mate relationship between contraception and sexuality becomes obvious since contraceptive responsibility becomes part of sex it­ Come dear, let’s bathe in that mucky sea self and is not distanced by time. Barrier methods are not only before it dries up and there’s no danger in the race spermicides, they are in some sense a barrier to the assumptions left to dazzle and wallow in; for what and expectations that have arisen as birth control technology has use is a reclaimed danger when the dark pushed responsibility further into the hands of women and al­ pulses want adrenalin, when mutual love lowed men to get off scott free. While we celebrate that we can is founded on saltwater mud and a lonesome rock. control our physical bodies, we are only just beginning to realize how easy it has become for men to act out their sexual fantasies at I’ve seen the bottles emptied into rock- our expense. It is all too easy to stumble into a magical passionate hard mouths, into each softly rotting sea, alcohol-induced frenzy only to find it harder the next morning to “out of sight, out of mind”, like love, rescue our dignity from the ashes of yet another vacant lover. whispered about like some illicit race Listening to the demands of our bodies and the thoughts in our where the bets are always placed on dark heads goes beyond the technical details involved in choosing and horses, and faces politely mouth: “what?” successfully using contraceptives. Listening to our anger, frustra­ tions and fears is part of the process of preserving our human dig­ nity. Learning self-control, recognising the effects of alcohol, not Sure, we all think we know what’s what, allowing ourselves to feel guilty when we refuse to have sex, being like the bloke who built the house on a rock, unassuming and speaking honestly about our feelings, is part of and it’s healthy to keep truth in the dark the way we learn to love ourselves again.□ and kids silent. Brings us back to the sea, where swimming/drowning are only part of the race, References Boston Women's Health Collective. Our Bodies Ourselves. Simon and Schuster. part of the choice, not the first prize. That’s love. New York. 1979. Cisler. L. “Unfinished Business: Birth Control and Women's Liberation. In R. Mor­ gan (ed Sisterhood is Powerful. So I say love can conquer what D o m in io n . 12 December 1983. "Grant aims at hearts of Women". the race dictates. All you need’s a rock Ingham, Mary. Now We Are Thirty. Methuen, London. 1981. Personal Letter from Jennifer. or a piece of seaweed, to fondle in the dark. Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 31 THEANNEXE

FICTION BY LORA MOUNTJOY

Jo lay still for a while, listening to the clinking of trolleys, “No babies in the ward till after breakfast dear. Then the chirruping of nurses, feeling the blood saturate the we’ll show you how to have a shower.” Big deal. Will they bulky pads between her legs then spread out to form a show her how to use the toilet too? She sat up gingerly. It sticky pool on the plastic backed sheet. hurt a lot, there was no way she could get comfortable. Why did they wake you up so early? It was still dark, The woman in the bed opposite was rearranging the cards couldn’t be much after six. Already Jo could hear the clack­ on her bedside table. There were so many they threatened ing footsteps approaching, that damned squeaky door. to topple over on all sides. She had lots of flowers too, a sc­ “Good morning ladies!” Well, she was cheery enough, reen of them beind which she bounced around, pink and shiny white front, thermometers at the ready. Perhaps, Jo self satisfied. Jo watched her with irrational and uncharac­ thought, perhaps if I just shut my eyes they’ll leave me, teristic dislike. come back later. But she knew there was no real chance of “Did I hear Nurse Aston say the Princess has had her that. At least she’d be able to get that mess under her bot­ b a b y ? ” tom cleaned up. “Yes, yesterday,” “Hullo nurse, I’m afraid I’ve had a bit of a flood here.” Same day as you. Oh you are lucky. I had been rather “OK, dear, we’ll fix that up soon. Temperature,” the h o p in g ...” Her voice trailed off, then she gave a little glass tube was thrust into her mouth,” “Pulse” her wrist laugh, “Never mind, I’ve got a dear wee girl. Aren’t the held. It was contact, but more like the touch of a finger on a staff just lovely? I feel so lucky. Mind you, I didn’t know it phone dial than person to person. Imagining a friendly would hurt so much, and they weren’t very sympathetic. I hand holding hers, Jo almost started the day with tears. think they’re a bit stingy with the drugs here, but that’s my “Did you sleep well, dear?” Brought up to be polite, Jo only complaint. Of course she was eight pounds, her started to mumble an answer, but the thermometer in­ father’s a big man, mind you. I am looking forward to being truded and she sank into silence. home, then he can do some of the getting up at night. They Pete would be getting up now, going out to milk the cow wake you up here, you know, to feed the baby at night. At before the girls woke up. At the thought of his warm bulk, home Jim can get up and bring her to m e.” her hand reached out and met the slippery white sheet. You’ll be lucky, thought Jo, but aloud she asked, Tears started again, she blinked and swallowed. Get a grip “Your first, is it?” on yourself, she chided silently, breathing fast and deep. “Yes. Yours too?” The nurse was back now, to take the thermometer, to “My fifth.” change her. Like I’m a baby too, Jo thought, but was too “Really!” She started rearranging her flowers. Jo felt tired, too sore, to offer to do it herself. censured, as if having five children was excessive, beyond “Oh you are a mess down here, dear. Do these stitches th e p ale. h u rt?” She hadn’t been too struck on the idea herself. For the “Y es.” Of course you fool, she added under her breath, first time she had tried to ignore the fact that she was pre­ but out loud only “He was breech.” gnant, as much as she could anyway, with her back slipping “Yes, we all heard you. Still, its over now. And have you out all the time like a delinquent daughter, her bladder so heard the news?” squashed that an unexpected cough would make piss spurt “No, how could I? I’ve been trying to sleep.” down her leg, and the vein on her calf throbbing and sore by “W ell, you are just so lucky. Your little boy was born on the end of the day. At least that lot was over. the same day as the new Prince. Fancy that!” There was a baby crying in the nursery next door. Jo “Yes, fancy that,” and I bet they don’t wake his mum up knew it was hers, and rang for the nurse. in the middle of the night to stick disinfectanty thermomet­ “My baby is crying, can I have him please?” ers in her mouth. “No babies in the ward till after breakfast, dear. Anyway, “Where is my baby, can I have him now?” it isn’t yours.”

32 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. “How do you know,” muttered Jo at the retreating back. had been their life, she and Peter, shifting around and she Slowly, gingerly, she inched out of bed. What the hell did had enjoyed it really. But just sometimes, like now, she they do to her last night? She felt so sore. After an eternity wished she had some real old friends around, friends who suspended between the high bed and the floor, her feet thought it worth the twenty mile drive to the hospital to see made contact with the lino. Slowly she shuffled out the you. Of course, Pete came when he could, but it was hard, door, found the nursery, made her way to the noise. Baby with the animals to look after, and the kids. Jo envied Mrs M cDonald, said the card on the end of the see-through plas­ Hammond, the one whose baby had been born in the car on tic crib. It was her baby. She picked him up. So big, he'd felt the way here. Her husband came every night, brought their inside her, kicking and punching all night. So tiny and help­ kids and fish and chips and they all sat in the lounge, watch­ less now, eyes closed, mouth working. Reminded her of a ing TV and eating tea together. nest of mice she’d dup up once, when getting in the kumara. Visiting time was the hardest thing to bear. Next was that She shuffled up to a chair with a rubber ring on it, an bloody Royal baby. obscene thing like a soft toilet seat. At least she could sit “Are you going to call him W illiam?” down though. She opened up her dressing gown and pressed “N o , w h y ? ” the mouth to her nipple, the head so small it seemed “After the little Prince, of course.” dwarfed by her swollen breast. She tickled gently under his “Call him Royal. I’ve got a cousin called Royal. Royal T. chin and he sucked, just a little, just enough. P o tik i.” Jo stroked the spiky black hair. First baby she’d ever had “Have you seen the paper? The Princess looks so w ith hair. radiant.” I’d look radiant too, with all that attention. Or “Hullo boy,” she murmered, “you and I’ve got to get to maybe not so much attention, more just getting what she know each other.” Bending down, she kissed him. Why did w a n ted . babies smell like that? Such a beautiful baby smell. He had “Come on Mrs McDonald, we’ve got to make this bed.” his eyes open now, deep blue baby eyes. She rearranged “But I’m trying to rest.” him a bit and he started sucking again. “Make the ward tidy, the doctors come round in half an “Only five minutes on each side.” The voice boomed hour.” Hell I’d get more rest at home. Suddenly Jo made a over her shoulder, the speaker, when she looked, was decision, went to the phone and rang the Harpers, leaving a young, not over twenty with thicksoled white shoes and message for Peter to ring her. spotty face. Jo decided to ignore her completely. “Only five He came through on the nurses phone by mistake. minutes each side or you’ll get sore nipples.” Jo sat still, “Hurry up please, Mrs McDonald, just don’t take too baby nuzzling. “Well, don’t blame us if you get sore nip­ long. This is a staff phone.” ples. Anyway, breakfast will be coming soon.” “Hullo love, what’s wrong.” “Good, I’m starving,” She changed the baby and wrap­ “I want to come hom e.” The nurses behind the desk pre­ ped him again in the many layers of hospital cloths, then tended to be busy. tucked him in. He lay still, so small and fragile she felt her “W ell, love, if you want to come home I’ll try and borrow heart lurch, literally lurch with love. Jack’s car and come tonight for you.” Two days later Jo still felt sore, still found it agony to get “W hat’s wrong with ours?” rising voice, sinking feeling. in and out of bed. There were ice packs for “between your “Nothing much, it’ll be ready at the end of the w eek.” legs“ as they put it, but to get them she had to climb down “Make it the end of the week then love.” She felt she the cliff to the floor and shuffle along the corridor to the was giving up too easily. “Are you all OK?” linen room, and then back again. At least she had the baby “Yes, we miss you.” in a crib by her bed during the day, and could get him out “Me too, I mean I miss you.” Jo knew she sounded dis­ without too much difficulty. Mrs Cards and Flowers had tant, wished she could explain, but it was so hard with those gone home to her newly papered baby’s room, and a warm up themselves nurses sitting just there. She went back to natured young woman had taken her place. It was Pat’s sec­ bed and cried a lttle. Pat was crying too. After a while she ond baby, now she had two under two and herself only nine­ felt she could trust her voice to come out properly. te e n . “Hey, Pat are you alright?” Jo desperately wanted to go home, but when Pete came “Yeah, really, there’s nothing wrong. How about you in with the kids, and Jilly bounced and bounced and J o ? ” shouted, she just knew it would be too much for her, too “Yeah, nothing wrong, just crying.” much to expect of Pete too. Different if they had friends They compared red eyes and giggled a bit. Silently Jo and family around. What was it the sister had said, looking blessed Pat. At least she never talked about the Royal at her records? “W hat’s this, a baby in every port?” W ell, it b a b y .D

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 33 zey, Human Rights Commission, free­ No. 86 Jan/Feb 1981: Contraceptive and revolution, Broadsheet’s road­ dom of information. dumping, sexual politics of body lan­ show. BROADSHEET No. 66 January 1979: Feminist periodi­ guage, identifying as a lesbian, feature No. 104 November 1982: Women's cals, DPB again, “Feminists are made on fitness, Fletchers merger. Pacific Health Conference reports and re­ BACK ISSUES not born”, daughters of Mother Earth, women meet, women’s studies, equal sponses, Norma Svenson, rape and the lesbian health. opportunity and the law. law. Rape symposium, Nga Whaea O The following issues are available at No. 67 March 1979: Charlotte Bunch No. 87 March 1981: Teenage feminist, Te Moana - Fiona Clark’s calendar, 25 cents each or 5 for $1.00 interview, womens sewing co-op the sexual harassment at work, women’s Women’s Political Party, Sonja Set of available back issues; (Nos. 44- mens conference, sterilisation. 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3 4 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. broad spectrum antibiotics, second most common cancer can be a husband as well as any will suppress it, but usually among women. If diagnosed other man. NOT JUST will not cure it. in the early stages it is curable, Every woman who has ever THE CLAP The cause of NSU is un­ basically by destroying the tis­ had unprotected intercourse, known. It is a collection of sue in which it is growing in even if only once in her life, symptoms, rather than a single some way. Theoretically it is needs to have a PAP smear ERICA COX works in an Au­ disease. One organism which entirely preventable in the every two years. Early diag­ stralian VD clinic.In this arti­ has been associated with it cer­ first place. nosis can make a great differ­ cle she argues that diseases tainly is chlamydia, but this The current theories of ence to the outcome of treat­ which threaten women’s lives does not occur in all cases. As what causes it are: ment. Women at particular and fertility should be clearly the cause is not known, there • Smegma (secretion under risk should have one every identified as venereal dis­ are no laboratory tests for it foreskin) - this one is no year, and this is the current re­ eases. Then women would and diagnosis is made purely longer favoured by most au­ commendation here for know how to protect them­ on what we see in the clinic. thorities; women with evidence of selves. Women merely carry it • Some component of sper- herpes virus or papillomavirus At the recent Australian without suffering any ill ef­ matozoal DNA; (warts virus) on a previous and New Zealand Society for fects. Or so it was thought. It is • Herpes virus; PAP smear. Research on Epidemiology now clear that the same • Venereal warts virus. Many cancers for which a and Community Health (AN- chronic relapsing inflamma­ It’s easy to see how you get causative agent has been iden­ SERCH) Conference, Uni­ tion may also occur in the these substances on your cer­ tified have a very long incuba­ versity of Waikato researcher female genital tract, and in vix. tion period and cancer of the Vicki Grace reported on her particular in the fallopian It may well be that ulti­ cervix is probably no excep­ study which showed that tubes. One organism clearly mately something entirely dif­ tion. In other words we need women most at risk of cervical associated with infection, fol­ ferent will be shown to be the to continue to have PAP cancer - older women and Maori women - are least likely to be checked for cervical cancer. Maori women have twice the European rate of in­ C ancer o f the cervix vasive cancer, yet are less likely to be offered a smear by their doctor. i s a venereal disease. NSU AND CHLAMYDIA There is one venereal disease about which very little is known, both by the general E a rly diagnosis can public and the medical profes­ sion. It affects men only (but is clearly venereally transmit­ m ake a great d ifferen ce ted) and is a much milder dis­ ease than gonorrhoea. Even its name invites us to regard it as benign - non-specific uret­ t o . . . t r e a t m e n t . hritis. Nothing could be more mis­ leading. Recent evidence lowed by scarring and bloc­ cause. Many cancers have smears for life. points to very serious con­ kage of fallopian tubes, is been shown to require at least I sometimes hear people say sequences for women. chlamydia. We can begin to two agents or events, an in­ about condoms - “They are Non-specific urethritis, or think more clearly about pel­ itiator and promoter acting in not much good, are they” - a NSU, produces in men an ir­ vic inflammatory disease sequence, and it may turn out view being put about by men ritating discharge and burning when the above facts are taken that cancer of the cervix also is who don’t like to use them. on urination about two weeks into account. caused by more than one They give excellent protec­ after sex with a woman who is One of the truly unpleasant agent. However the evidence tion, not only against VD but a carrier. It is the most com­ experiences at a VD clinic is to strongly suggests that at least against pregnancy. (A-local mon veneral disease seen at have a 20-year-old woman sit­ one of them is sexually trans­ massage parlour forbade the the clinic and at any one time ting in front of you telling you mitted. girls to use them, then half the over 50% of the men in our she doesn’t need the well It we use the correct de­ workers had to leave because waiting room are suffering meant advice on contracep­ scriptive term, namely ven­ they got herpes and now their from it. We give them antibio­ tion you are trying to force on ereal disease, to describe this use is compulsory). tics for 12 days and tell them to her; she hasn’t been using any illness we can then begin to We need to make informed come back if that doesn’t clear for over a year in spite of al­ think clearly about how to pre­ decisions about our sexual be­ it up. It usually doesn’t. most daily intercourse and she vent it. How do we protect haviour. Because we are the The normal course of the knows that something is ourselves against every other reproductive sex we possess disease is a chronic relapsing wrong ever since her boyf­ venereal disease? the more extensive and com­ one. It lasts for a variable riend had NSU two years ago It is not only our own sexual plicated reproductive ap­ period from several weeks to and she had stomach pains. past that matters but also that paratus. It is more susceptible several months and relapses There is little you can say to of our partners. Sex with only to serious effects of infection even after apparent cure are comfort her. one man can transmit the than that of the male. We had common. Treatment, with Cancer of the cervix is the agent if he is carrying it and he better know it.□

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 35 H O G W fcS h

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(from the ’New Internationalist’ “I could speak bits and AMUSEMENTS March ’84.) pieces of Maori through my involvement with the HEAR HELEN CLARK MP culture group but when ANO CHARMAIN POUTNEY my daughter knew more SpeaK on the UN Declaration on Senifby S+ell* than me I decided it was Discrimination Against Women. Tuesday, M ay 22, 8 pm, Maun- time to learn properly,” gawhau School, Ellerton Road, Mr Ludden said. M t Eden. All women warmly / f l a y , ! ^ % k f e s u e . J Invited. Sponsored by New Zealand 'D o m i n i o n 1 U f 'S f t y Labour Party. £

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© 1981 King Feature» Syndicate. I nr World rights reserved. R.H. Campbell said he was in favour of appoint­ ing a person from the community — someone ‘Please, dear, not in front of my new s-e-c-r-e-t-a-r-y.” with experience or perhaps a woman.

PAGE TEN FLETCHER CHALLENGE NEWS 'Thanks -fo ōtt\ZS Cjznbr/bufor^.

3 6 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. WHAT’S NEW? titudes, computers and farm ac­ music about the experiences of times. The support group can be counting, preparation of personal women in NZ. The book will be additional to other clinics you may COURSES histories, 6 & 7 July at Lincoln distributed as widely as possible at be attending. For users who wish WEA July/August/September, 21 College, Christchurch, phone cost price. Because of this we are to cut down as well as users who Princes Street, Auckland. Phone 252-811. unable to pay for songs, but we wish to stop completely. Non- 732-000 for further details. Com­ will acknowledge authorship. For judgemental, confidential, all les­ YWCA Courses, unless otherwise munications, a week-long work­ more information, write to bian, with shared facilitating. As­ stated are at 397 Queen Street, shop for Maori women on writing, “Women’s Song Book”, PO Box sistance will be available from the phone 778-763. Photography - printing, speaking skills for radio, 466, Wellington. Lesbian Psychologists Group. newspapers, TV and video, 2-6 The workings of a camera and im­ Lesbian Bibliography - Winter July, $25 waged, $15 unwaged. proving your photographic skills. New Zealand Women’s Political reading for lesbians. Miriam Merata Mita, Ripeka Evans. 7 July, 10am, please bring camera Party Auckland branch meets Saphira has compiled a bibliog­ Women and the Law - How the if you have one. Car mechanics every Monday at 7pm. Details, raphy of over 300 books with main law in NZ affects women, 7 July, What makes your car run and why phone 695-443 Auckland. lesbian characters which are in the 11am - 4 pm, Epsom Community doesn’t it sometimes? Theory Auckland Public Library. The list Lesbian Mother’s Gatherings Au­ House, 202 Gillies Ave, Epsom. workshop 7 July, 10am, part 2, 8 is partially annotated and is based ckland, for details phone Frankie Linda Kaye. Phone 687-444. The July, 10am at Herne Bay Service on Barbara Grier's The Lesbian in 268-239 or Jan 498-527. Childcare The Emerging Pacific in relation Station, you may bring your car. Literature third edition. $2 from can be arranged by phoning Claire to the colonisation, militarisation Massage Learn how to ease ten­ Broadsheet or from Papers Inc, or Michelle 763-133 Auckland. and nuclearisation of the Pacific, sion and stress bring one large and one small towel, 14 July, 10am. PO Box 47-398, Ponsonby, Auck­ late July, 7.30pm - 10.30 pm, $5 SEMINAR Women and the Law - how the land. waged, $3 unwaged, Ripeka Women and Backlash organised law and the legal system affect Adele Bertei as Isobel in the film Born Evans and others. Understanding by Women’s Studies Assn,. Wel- Current Events in the Middle East women, 21 July 10am. Home in Flames (see p 46). - 10 sessions, video & slides, Handy Woman would you like to (Course outline available from know how to do general repairs WEA), starting 2 August, 7.30pm around the house and what tools - 9.30pm $25 waged, $14 un­ are required for this? 28 July, waged, Willi Frey. Ratana - Part 10am. Lawn Mower Repairs at of the “Thinkers for Today” Richmond Mower & Garden series, the spiritual and political Centre, 481 Richmond Road. insights arid influence of the Bring along your lawnmower, 4 Ratana movement in Aotearoa, 7 August, 10am. Car Mechanics 11/ August, 7.30 - 9.30pm, $4 waged, 12 August, same details as out­ $2 unwaged, Ngaire Te Hira. lined above. Alternative Health Anarchism - discussion on the How women can begin to take re­ philosophy behind Anarchism, 29 sponsibility for their own health, August, 7.30 - 9.30 pm, $4 waged, 18 July, 10am. Co-operative Gar­ $2 unwaged, Gina Murray. dens, the basics of organic garden­ Feminism - some of the different ing, compost making, and the perspectives that come under this French intensive system using general heading, 5 September, raised beds, Kelmarna Gardens, 7.30 - 9.30pm, $4 waged, $2 un­ 25 August, 10am. waged. Making Changes - Self Es­ Woodworking Courses We are teem For Women, 8-week course trying to organise women-only designed to develope self-confi­ carpentry/woodworking skills dence and assertion in women, 17 courses. Some of these would September, 7.30 - 9.30 pm, $20 probably have a male tutor. We waged, $11 unwaged. Claire- need to have some idea how many Louise McCurdy, course limited women would be interested. If to 12 women. you are, could you please send the Women’s Studies Assn (Auck) following information to: Nancy, Seminar 8 July, 9am - 4pm Kohia 15 Keppell Street, Grey Lynn, Teachers Centre, Kohia Tee (off Auckland 2, or phone Deborah Gillies Ave) Epsom. Creative Un­ 762-935 .W e’d like your name, ad­ Problems and Prospects for liington, Saturday 7 July, Cross- employment - How to Survive on dress, phone number, (2) your Women on Farms edited by Mary ways, (Cnr Elizabeth & a Benefit budgeting, nutrition, particular interest (basic hand tool Sparrow and Barbara Young, Brougham Sts) Mt Victoria, 9.30- op-shop sleuthing, political post­ skills, furniture craft, carpentry), contains the papers and a discus­ 4.30pm. The seminar will concen­ ering. Share your skills and exper­ (3) Preferred times, (evenings, sion of the issues raised in work­ trate on women’s employment tise with other women. Soup, weekend workshops, 1-2 week shops from a seminar attended by and the unions. All women wel­ bread and coffee provided: bring block courses during school holi­ 200 farm women. come. extras if you feel affluent. Mem­ days), (4) Level of skill you al­ GAY/LESBIAN bers $3, non-members $4, un­ ready have, (none, basic hand MEETINGS WELFARE GROUP tools such as hammer, saw, plane, waged $2. All women welcome. Lesbian Drop-in every first Tues­ Telephone Counselling & Infor­ power tools, hand or shop Centre for Continuing Education day of the Month 7.30pm on­ mation Service, phone 33-584 Au­ machines) (5) Do you have your Victoria University of Wel­ wards, Dunedin Women’s Re­ ckland. Coffee evenings are held own tools? lington, Saturday seminars. 28 source Centre, Rm 10, 2nd floor weekly. July, Women in a High Technol­ RALLIES Regent Chambers, the Octagon, WOMEN’S APPOINTMENT Dunedin. Dunedin Lesbian Line ogy Future: Active participants or Unemployed Workers Union, FILE 778765 Mondays 7- 10pm. passive consumers? 9.30 - 12.30 New Lynn, 12 July, 11.30am, New Federation of University Women pm, Myra Harpham, $6, Rm Lynn Community Centre, Memo­ Lesbian Alcohol and Drug Abuse have the chair for June/July & call K301, Kirk Bldg, Victoria Univer­ rial Square, New Lynn. Support Group has been set up at for more women willing to serve sity. Further details phone 721- PUBLICATIONS the Women’s Health Centre, 63 on statutory boards. Please for­ 000 ext 683 Wellington. Womens Song Book - we are a Ponsonby Road, Mondays 5.30- ward names to: Women’s Ap­ Rural Women Stepping Out non-profit making collective that 7pm. There may be opportunity pointment File, Box 10-351, Wel­ Exploring strengths and ap­ is compilng a book of songs with for small groups to meet at other lington.

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 37 IN SEARCH OF OUR MOTHER’S GARDENS ON TH E Womanist prose by Alice Walker The first collection of non-fiction SHELF from the author of The Colour Purple. Limited stock. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, $26.25 hdbk. Also by Alice Walker, Meridian $12.50 and You can’t Keep a Good Woman Down $10.50 both published by The Women’s Press. A FEMINIST TAROT Sally Gearhart, Susan Rennie Revised and expanded edition of GOOD FRIENDS, JUST this popular work. Peresphone Anne Leaton I KNOW W H Y T H E C A G ED Press, $9.25 BIRD SINGS Maddy is in love with Gergina’s neck and shoulders but thinks the Maya Angelou MOTHERPEACE ______rest of her leaves a lot to be A moving biography about a black Vicki Noble desired, especially her penchant woman growing up in the A way to the Goddess through Pat Califia (illus. Tee Corrine) for the opposite sex. Chatto & southern USA in the 1920s. On Myth, Art & Tarot. Harper & The book of lesbian sexuality — Windus, $8.95 TV soon. Virago non-fiction, Row, $22.25 revised edition. Naiad Press, $12.95 ■— ■ MASK______$13.95 JUST ARRIVED FROM RADICAL ROSE Fumiko Enchi THE PRICE OF SALT RECORDINGS USA______First of her novels to be translated Claire Morgan Cassettes by and for lesbians. into English. Relationships A reprint of the 1952 lesbian $17.75 ea between an older woman, her classic. Reviewed in this issue. Talking About Myself . . . Flying widowed daughter-in-law and the Naiad Press, $13.95 Thundercloud Radical Dyke of two men in love with her. THE NOTEBOOKS OF Colour; We Were AH Outlaws.. . Aventura, $10.95 LENICLARKE ______Lesbina and Herstory by K CHINESE WOMEN Sandy Boucher Krepps; I’m in Love with Lesbians WRITERS “Stories you will want to read, re­ . . . Interview with Maxine Ru Zhyuan et al. read and lend to your friends,” Feldman; Dyke Pioneers . . . A selection of stories and articles Jane Rule. The Crossing Press, Lesbian songs by Sidney Spinster; by seven contemporary women $12.25 Dykes Resist! First hand accounts of lesbians fighting male violence; writers. Panda, $5.50 AGAINST THE SEASON The Lesbian Frequency No 1 - Jane Rule Two cassettes of songs, humour, HOM E GIR LS______How the cycles of birth, growth political action, $35.90 (the pair); and death affect every character. Barbara Smith (ed) The Lesbian Frequency No 2 - Naiad Press, $13.95 A Black Feminist Anthology. Two cassettes as above, $35.90 Thirty-four contributors write T H E M IRROR DANCE (the pair); Jewish Lesbian Culture about myths and realities. Kitchen Susan Kreiger and Anti-Semitism in the Lesbian Table - Women of Colour Press, 78 interviews in this study of Community - a presentation by $19.25 identity in a lesbian community. Mineapolis, Minnesota Jewish Temple University Press. $15.75 Lesbians recorded live at a SASSAFRASS ______Women’s coffeehouse. Two Ntozake Shange DAUGHTERS OF A CORAL cassettes, $35.90 (the pair). DAWN______From the author of the theatre OVERSEAS PERIODICALS piece for coloured girls who have Katherine V Forrest considered suicide/when the “By the time they observe that THE BLATANT IMAGE rainbow is enuff. Shameless there has been an astonishing Women’s photographs which Hussy Press, $2.95. Also her new number of births of baby girls, it convey many insights about our book of poetry, A Daughter’s will be much too late.” Science lives. The Blatant Image, $14.50 Geography from St Martins Press, fiction from the author of Curious $17.50 hdbk Wine. Reviewed in this issue. FEMINIST STUDIES Naiad Press, $13.95 Vol 10 No 1 Spring 1984,' with a GAINING GROUND ____ variety of contributions that focus on women’s experience. Feminist Joan Barfoot Studies, $8.95 Abra leaves her husband, children and suburban security to live as a OVERSEAS MAGAZINES hermit. The Women’s Press, Manushi - Women and Society in $13.95 India $3.75 ea or may be ordered LIGHT A PENNY CANDLE direct. See details on page 48; Kinesis - Canadian Feminist Maeve Binchy Newspaper $1.40; Girls Own - The story of 20 turbulent years in Sydney Feminist Newspaper the lives of two women. Coronet $1.40; Off Our Backs - USA Books, $7.95 Women’s Journal $2.00; LOOK ME IN THE EYE Womanspirit - Spring 1984, FIN E LINES Barbara Macdonald with Cynthia OUT FROM UNDER ______quarterly $5.25; Spare Rib - Edited and with an introduction Rich Jean Swallow (ed) British Feminist Magazine $2.60. by Ruth Sullivan. The best of Ms Old women, aging and ageism. Sober Dykes and our friends. For packing an postage please fiction. Charles Scribner’s Sons, Reviewed May Broadsheet. Reviewed May Broadsheet. include 50c per book or cassette $11.95 Spinsters Ink, $10.50 Spinsters Ink, $15.75 when ordering.

38 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. THE DEMETER FLOWER Rochelle Singer Story of a female utopia whose broadsheet peace is shattered when a man and a woman from the medieval bookshop patriarchal culture arrive at their village. St Martins Press, $12.95 9am - 5pm Mondays - Thursdays THE PREMENSTRAL SYNDROME 9am - 5.30pm Fridays Dr Caroline Shreeve 10am -1 pm Saturdays THE LESBIAN: A The curse that can be cured. A CELEBRATION OF DIFFERENCE practical self-help guide to identifying, understanding and BACK ISSUES OF BROADSHEET Bernice Goodman alleviating symptoms of the From the list on page 47 I am interested to read back issues of Nurturing and the Lesbian premenstrual syndrome. Broadsheet. Please send me the following issues (44 - 98 at 25c each Mother; a force for posivite social Thorsons Publishers, $13.95 change. Foreward by Adrienne or 5 for $1.00) ...... Rich. Out and Out Books, $6.25 W OMEN AND HARASSMENT AT WORK LOVERS IN THE PRESENT AFTERNOON Nathalie Hadjifotiou A detailed account of workplace A set of back issues (nos 44 - 98 for $20.00) □ , Issue 99 $1.60] □, Kathleen Fleming activities for stopping sexual When Lynn meets Ruth and falls harassment. Pluto, $14.50 Issue 100 ($2.50) □, Anniversary Issue 101 ($3.50) □, Issues 102 - deeply in love, both women must 119 $1.80 - specify which) ...... make irrevocable decisions about WHAT DO WOMEN WANT their lives.. Naiad Press, $14.95 Luise Eichenbaum & Susie Orbach SATURDAY NIGHT IN Highlights the fact that women are THE PRIME OF LIVE I enclose (including postage of 30c for one, 36c for two, 50c for each brought up to understand men’s Dodici Azpadu emotional needs but men are n o t multiple of three back issues) $ ...... Though primarily Neddie and her brought up to understand Name...... lover Lindy’s story, the context is women’s. Fontana, $6.50 the male-dominated Sicilian Address ...... culture that affects the women AGAINST THE GRAIN____ who exist inside and outside it. Written and illustrated by Dale Aunt Lute Book Co, $11.95 McCormick. A carpentry manual for women. Iowa City Women’s Please also advise us of anyone else who may be interested in back Press, $15.75 issues of Broadsheet, twelve years of herstory. S IT A Kate Millett ORDER FORM The author records the lingering Please send these books: decline of her affair with an older woman. Virago, $14.50 TO THE CLEVELAND STATION Carol Anne Douglas LOVEYOUR ENEMY Brenda tells us why she can’t go to Leeds Revolutionary Feminists Cleveland. A novel of lesbian The debate between heterosexual lives. Naiad Press, $12.25 feminism and political lesbianism. Onlywomen Press, $5.50 COM E COM E My name is ...... Jo Jones My address is: ...... Portrayal of the interactions of LOVING IN THE WAR friendship between women and YEARS lesbian love. Sheba Feminist Cherrie Moraga I enclose (including 50c packing and postage per book) $ Publishers, $12.95 A collection of essays, stories, AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE poems, which explore the political and personal meaning of being a Janet Frame Chicana and a lesbian in the USA SUBSCRIPTION The second volume of her today. South End Press, $14.50 I would also like a $24 subscription for myself □ , for my friend □ , to autobiography from this brilliant writer. Hutchinson, $24.95 hdbk sustain Broadsheet ($35) □ , other rates on the Contents page: . . . COLONIAL TEARS AND SWEAT Julia Millen The working class in 19th century New Zealand. Reeds, $24.95 My name is: . hdbk My address is: WA H INE TO A Painting and drawings by Robyn Send to Broadsheet, PO Box 5799 Wellesley Street, Auckland, or Kahukiwa, text by Patricia Grace. call at 43 Anzac Avenue between 9-5.30 Weekdays, 10 -1 Saturdays. Women of Maori myth. Reviewed June Broadsheet. Collins, $39.95 Phone 794-751 for other orders or enquiries. hdbk Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 39 NEW WOMEN’S CLASSICS REDISCOVERING WORKS BY NEW ZEALAND WOMEN WRITERS

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40 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. HASSLED Our first shipment of about completing NEW SOCIETY your Tax Return??? books includes WATERMELONS NOT WAR Let the experts do it for you, and receive free A Support Book for Parenting in the Nuclear Age TAX SAVING advice. All dealings by the Nuclear Education Project What does it mean to be a good parent committed to your confidential and conducted by Mail. child’s welfare in the nuclear age? How do you deal with the emotional contradictions of nurturing life in a world seemingly Please complete the details requested and gone mad? Howdoyou deal with whatyou knowand whatyour post to E.A. Price & Associates, kids are finding out? $19.95 approx. Tax and Investment Consultants, A MANUAL ON NONVIOLENCE AND CHILDREN Compiled and edited by Stephanie Judson P.O. Box 30-854, Lower Hutt. As adults we now have the responsibility to inspire in our children the determination to resolve conflicts without the use We need (please print) of weapons. This manual contains over a hundred exercises, games and agendas which help children gain these skills. Your Name ...... $19.95 approx. Your address ...... DESPAIR AND PERSONAL POWER IN THE NUCLEAR AGE by Joanna Rogers Macy This is the first major book to examine our psychological This is a TIME SAVING service for those responses to planetary perils. Dr. Macy provides the framework for helping to overcome the “psychic numbing" which prevents who wish to conduct their TAX affairs from us from coming to terms with the real threats of nuclear and the privacy of their homes. Reasonable fee, ecological disaster. $17.95 approx. TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Accuracy guaranteed or DISTRIBUTED IN NEW ZEALAND BY fee refunded. BENTON ROSS PUBLISHERS P.O. Box 33-055, Takapuna. Telephone491-357 PROVIDED BY WOMEN FOR WOMEN.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT by Marilyn Duckworth Marilyn Duckworth established her reputation as a fine novelist with four novels published in London between 1959 and 1969. After a fifteen-year silence, during which time she brought up seven children, she returns to fiction with DISORDERLY CONDUCT, a superb comedy of manners and a penetrating look at “the human condition ... 1980s version — urban colonial”. Available at all good booksellers mm HODDER & STOUGHTON ■ Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 41 Bombs Don Y Discriminate: and men in opposition over an issue of human concern only Do women have a “special” interest in nuclear war? No, reinforces the artificial constructs of gender which form the says the American Radical Feminist Organising Commit­ basis of women’s oppression. Simone de Beauvoir spoke to tee, a nuclear disaster would be the most equal event in the these issues when she answered a question about women in history of the world. So why are women and feminists flock­ West Germany calling for peace in the name of feminism. ing to the peace movement in droves? She replied, “that’s absurd. Absurd - because women should desire peace as human beings, not as women! That whole line is completely irrational. . . And if they’re being From Greenham Common, England, Seneca, NY, the Pen­ encouraged to be pacifists in the name of motherhood, tagon, and from many other places and perspectives, large that’s just a ruse by men who are trying to lead women back numbers of women are massing together to oppose the to the womb. Besides, it’s quite obvious that once they’re in weaponry and ideology of a system which they claim is power, women are exactly like men.”1 based on the “masculine” values of violence and aggres­ sion. The threat of nuclear annihilation is, according to Women Better Than Men? them, as much as feminist issue as rape or abortion. Some A prevalent defense of the women’s peace movement lies in groups even contend that the peace movement should take the appeal to the superior quality of women’s “nature.” An top priority in women’s organizing. What astounds us as understanding of the reliance on and celebration of radical feminists is that they are waving the banner of women’s “special qualities” is important to any criticism of feminism while they organize. the women’s peace movement, since so much of its theory Two points are at issue here. First, the women’s peace and strategy rests on this way of thinking. Qualities such as movement claims that women have a special interest as nurturing, sensitivity and, in fact, peacefulness are said to women in preserving the life of the earth and in ensuring the belong either inherently or as a result of social conditioning future for the benefit of their children. Secondly, it claims primarily to women. This line of arguement basically states that women are specially suited for this task by virtue of that if only men would give up their aggressive, violent, their nurturing and sensitive awareness of life. We are sup­ “masculine” values, injustice would disappear and peace posedly more peace-loving by nature than men are. would reign. We believe that a substantive critique of these two points To our way of thinking, the notion that “women’s qual­ is important since they relate directly to the notion of ities” are somehow better than “mens qualities” is in basic biological determinism, which states that women’s nature is oppositon to the theory of feminism. Feminist theory states defined by innate biological features. We also intend to ad­ that the potential for all qualities - from aggressiveness to dress the strategies for change employed by the women’s nurturing - exists within each person. But under a system of peace movement, their effectiveness, and their implica­ male supremacy, certain traits are deemed “masculine” and tions. others, “feminine”. Since gender is not innate but is socially constructed, the goal of feminism is to eradicate the In Whose Interest? categories of “masculine” and “feminine”. An appeal to Flow can women have a “special” interest in nuclear war? A women’s distinctive characteristics only reinforces these nuclear disaster would be the most equal event in the his­ categories. Moreover, this position does nothing to change tory of the world. Bombs don’t discriminate. (An exception the essential conditions between women and men; it merely would be the neutron bomb which will leave buildings in­ seeks to reverse the qualities that dominate. The inability to tact.) Women would be neither more or less affected than effect basic change which characterizes the ideology of the any other group. The real point of this argument is the pre­ women’s peace movement stems in part from an excessive mise that women are somehow responsible for life on earth. preoccupation with psychological factors. Focusing as it This line of reasoning states that since women possess the does on men’s and women’s character traits, the movement capacity to bear children, the continued existence of the ignores the structural aspects of male supremacy.2 world and the fate of its inhabitants are of a greater concern There is another reason for feminists to reject the to these producers of life, these women, than to men. celebration of women’s personality characteristics. His­ Whether this argument is used to glorify their power to af­ torically, the notion of women’s difference has been one fect world events or to pin the responsibility for world source of our oppression and, in the current context, ex­ events upon them, the basic idea is the same. Simply stated, tolling it traps us once again in the male supremacist sys­ women’s fate and women’s interest is defined by the capac­ tem. As Ellen Willis so succinctly put it, “the claim that ity and duty to bear children. women are superior to men is nothing new; when men As radical feminists, we reject this notion that women are make it, it’s called ‘putting women on a pedestal’. Men defined by their reproductive capacity. This idea was one of will gladly concede our superiority so long as they get to the basic tenets of the early women’s liberation movement. keep their power”.3 And as Ti-Grace Atkinson has pointed out, the ability to Before moving on, it should be noted that Seneca, bear children is a capacity which individual women may or which was the site of a women’s peace march last sum­ may not choose to exercise. Radical feminists should object mer, is close to Seneca Falls, where the first wave of to the equating of motherood with womanhood. Women as feminism originated. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth human beings share an interest with other human beings Cady Stanton fought against equating womanhood with (men) in the preservation of life on earth. Setting women a special women’s perspective. How ironic that today 42 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. Men Do the town is used to undercut their vision of feminism. women is not absolute or inevitable; it derives not from Women & Imperialism biology but from a system of male supremacy. Further­ The women in the peace movement claim a special affin­ more, it is our conviction that men are neither innately evil ity with other oppressed people both within and without nor incorrigible. As radical ferninists, we believe that men the United States. It is their view that as victims of every­ can change. day male violence they have special insight into its man­ If the tactics of persuasion are rooted in pessimism, what ifestations overseas. As they put it, “We came to this ac­ were the women doing in Seneca? The answer to this ques­ tion as women and as feminists, connecting crimes tion is linked to the unique quality of women’s oppression. against us in our daily lives with the world-wide violence The most striking and difficult aspect of that oppression is of the military machine”.4 But violence against women is the ordinariness of it all. It has to do with our everyday rela­ not the same as imperialism, and direct, constant, every­ tions with men. it has to do with everyday violence. (If we day oppression is not the same as the fear of possible did a survey and asked women from all walks of life what nuclear disaster. One of the strongest statements of the hampered their day-to-day activities more, the threat of supposed link between feminism and imperialism comes nuclear war or the fear of being attacked or raped by a man, from a group called the Continental Front of Women. the latter response would undoubtedly be the prevalent The group states that “it’s a common front of women one.) But the violence and exploitation which make up the from all over the Americas against intervention in Cent­ fabric of our oppressioin are rarely dramatic or overt. ral America. It is based on the idea that women, more Women’s oppression is everywhere we turn, and yet it than anyone, know the value of peace and the need for rarely appears in a form which we can grasp and confront peace’ / dramatically or immediately. Imperialism is “the policy, practice or advocacy of ex­ In contrast to women in ordinary life situations with men, tending the power and dominion of a nation”. We feel the women at Seneca are able to confront the military certain that any Nicaraguan woman could tell you that dramatically and concretely. And there is a heroic aspect to the people of the United States as represented (however the activities of the women at Seneca. They courageously inaccurately) by their government are an imperialistic leap the chain link fence into the very arms (literally) of the power and a direct threat to her safety as a human being. enemy. They weave webs in front the entrances to their She would not and should not exempt from responsibil­ targeted installations. It seems obvious to us and must be to ity those women who spend a hard day weaving webs at them that these activities have never had one concrete re­ the Pentagon. The fact is that every citizen of the United sult, have never disarmed even one bomb. But then that is States benefits materially from the imperialistic and not the point. It is more rewarding, perhaps, to deal with an exploitative power of the government of the United issue like nuclear disaster than to confront the difficult and States. It is therefore inescapable, if unpleasant, fact elusive issues of everyday life in male-dominated society. that every citizen of the United States, male or female, Nuclear disarmament has a further appeal. It is monolithic bears a share in the resonsibility for the actions of the enough to fire the imagination. Furthermore, participation government. If the women’s peace movement were seri­ in the peace movement is socially acceptable and never re­ ously concerned with the imperialism of the govern­ quires you to step out of your role as a woman. Finally, it is ment, it would be working to change or overthrow that a cause that no sane person would oppose. Even Ronald government. Instead it chooses to identify itself with the Reagan claims to support it. victims of imperialism and thus escape its inherent re­ What is the Greater Danger? sponsibility for u One of the most common arguments associated with the Tactics of Persuasion women’s peace movement deals with the pressing and im­ The women’s peace movement often presents the view that mediate nature of the threat. This line of reasoning states men are inherently, some say biologically, motivated to­ that every group of people on earth is threatened in a tangi­ wards violence. “. .. We do not want that dominance which ble and immediate way by nuclear power, and that there­ is exploitative and murderous in international relations and fore we should all set aside our petty concerns and work to so dangerous to women and children at home - we do not end this worldwide threat. This argument is, of course, al­ that sickness transferred by the violent society through the most a tradition in the history of women’s liberation. In the fathers to the sons”.h However, after espousing the view 19th century, suffragists in the US were asked to step aside that men are inherently violent and evil, it bases its entire for the black man. Women who have participated in various campaign for peace on a heavily symbolic appeal to men’s socialist revolutions around the world have received prom­ “better nature”. Surely, if men are as bad as these women ises of liberation which were never kept. But the nuclear ar­ say they are, they can hardly be expected to change their gument does seem to carry more weight, at first glance, violent ways by being exposed to a group of women protest­ since no one could argue that if the plant were destroyed, ing in loving harmony. Making such an appeal to the op­ women’s liberation would be of pressing concern. So, the pressor is a move rooted in hopelessness and despair. It argument goes, women should put the preservation of the says, in effect, that men hold complete power, that men will planet first. always hold complete power, so that the best that women Now, none of us denies that nuclear destruction is a life can do is ask for concessions. But we refuse to accept this and death issue, but then so is women’s liberation. It seems assessment of the situation. The dominance of men over clear to us that the chances of a woman being hurt or killed

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 43 Waiheke Women Walk for Life on Earth, leaving Auckland on 24 May, expect to ar­ have had no choice but to be non-violent and men have al­ rive in Wellington early July, photographed by Gil Hanly. ways counted on the fact that women don’t fight back with physical force. in some random act of violence tomorrow are many times Although violence is used by men to exert power over greater than her chances of being killed in a nuclear explo­ women, violence is not inherently male. It is a tool that can sion. It amazes us that a woman should be asked to set aside be used by women against women, women against men, the question of her right to control her body in favor of a and men against each other. Moreover, women have some­ campaign to preserve the human race. While we live in a times been actively involved in warfare. A current example world that denies us the opportunity to achieve our full po­ is the women of Nicaragua. (Interestingly, these women do tential as human beings, how can anyone expect us to sac­ not have the right to abortion. Some feminists have excused rifice what we have for the good of mankind? the Sandinista government for this, since they have more Pacifism is Sot Integral to Feminism urgent matters to deal with.) To label women’s relative lack In contrast to the women’s peace movement, we would of participation in recent wars as the result of an essentially argue that pacifism is not integral to feminism. One can be a peace-loving nature makes about as much sense as attribut­ feminist without being a pacifist. One’s opposition to war ing women’s relative lack of participation in the work force should be based on political and personal reasons which in the 1950’s to an essentially home-loving nature. Women have nothing to do with being a woman. serve willingly in the armed forces of many nations. There Let’s keep the issue of violence in perspective. Women are a lot of women in the US who support governmental

44 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. policy on nuclear weapons. Many men and women oppose women’s liberation ... the ending of male supremacy. Not these policies, but these are political differences. Pacifist only that. It has also diluted the meaning of feminism. If ev­ men still oppress women; Phyllis Schlafly and Jeanne erything is feminist, as the women’s peace movement and Kirkpatrick are still oppressed as women. other elements in the women’s movement would have us We do not believe that feminism equals pacifism or that belive, then nothing is feminist. Furthermore, feminism war is the bedrock of male supremacy. Male supremacy is cannot be expected to have the answer to every injustice in about the relationship of power between men and women. the world. No one ever put that burden on the black libera­ We could have complete peace and men would still oppress tion movement. (And you certainly don’t see exclusively women in countless ways. black groups fighting nuclear power from their special perspective.) Feminism is not a total world-view. It is about How Men Benefit: the Military the oppression of women. To try to turn it into a world-view The women’s peace movement has an analysis of militarism is theoretically unwise and ultimately self-defeating. (It is which we do not think is a valid one. In addition, this ironic that just as some socialists are denying Marxism, or analysis says nothing bout the sexism of a social institution any other “ism”, can be a total theory, some feminists are which benefits men in several important ways. Without de­ arguing that feminism is just such a theory.) nying that men suffer and die in the armed services, a sound Feminists have to recognize that there will always be, as feminist analysis of the military should look at what men there have been in the past, other important and competing gain from participating in it. struggles. And these struggles will be considered by many Military service brings several advantages to men. They to be more important than women’s liberation. In the light learn how to use aggression in ā systematic way. They also of this, it is unfortunate that large numbers of women, of experience an intensified form of male bonding. And basic feminists, do not take themselves seriously enough to fight training, according to spokesman for the military, teaches for their own interests first. It is also expected that women you to be a MAN. Being a man includes dominating women unselfishly put others first, whether it be the children, the and other men. (Meanwhile, on the home-front, women disadvantaged, or the fate of the earth. Lest we seem to be enable men to go to war by giving them emotional support blaming women for this situation, we should note that, his­ and by working in the factory and the home.) torically, men have had more influence on social norms and Then there are the tangible gains that come to veterans. roles than women have had; that men have defined us as un­ Since the end of the World War II, over 200 billion dollars selfish and morally superior from the late 18th century on. have been spent on the country’s 30 million veterans. And this legacy is still with us. Among the benefits are the following: unemployment com- The legacy of altruism and moral superiority hurts us as ensation; training and education under the GI Bill; hiring women and as a movement. One of the ways it harms us is in preferences for governement jobs; low-interest mortgages; our relationship to men as a group. What do men feel when and health care.7 they see hundreds of women marching for peace as Not only do women in the peace movement ignore these mothers, lesbians, or feminists? They surely don’t feel benefits, they also misdirect their energy by organizing threatened. We have not noticed any liberal men complain­ women against the military. Since it is men who participate ing about these all-women gatherings. In fact, men would in it and suffer because of it (despite the benefits), they are prefer us to focus on the pentagon rather than on their be­ the logical ones to organize it. This would also give men a haviour. Certainly men would rather see women climbing vantage point for criticising male supremacy. fences than disturbing male privilege. How the Women’s Peace Movement Hurts Feminism Conclusion It is hard to blame new women coming into the movement As radical feminists, we question both the assumptions, for joining the women’s peace movement. They are eager and the consequences of the women’s peace movement. It to do something, and for several years now there have not has encouraged women to celebrate the very features that been any groups which are vigorously working for women’s mark our oppression. Exalting the qualities which men liberation on a broad front. So the women’s peace move­ have assigned to us and which keep us in our place in no way ment fills a vacuum. In addition, the peace marches and en­ weakens male supremacy or brings our own liberation campments give women a group to identify with and a place closer. Let us return to the principles of women’s liberation to belong. . as they apply to women in the 1980’s. It is time we put our­ Although it would be nice to say that women in the peace selves first. No one else will.EI movement should go ahead and do their own thing while we This is a position paper of the Radical Feminist Organizing Committee. We are in­ do ours, feminists do not have that luxury. Every year, the debted to the work of Brooke and Ellen Willis in connection with this paper. We also basic tenets of women’s liberation become more and more want to thank Ninia Kamberos for her ideas. Reprinted from Off Our Backs. diluted. This has occurred for several reasons. First, we 'Interview with Simone de Beauvoir, Ms. August 1983. 2In a recent essay, Alice Echols discusses this theoretical weakness with regard to have been asked to subordinate our struggle to more “pres­ cultural feminism, whose most prominent proponents are Mary Daly, Andrea sing” concerns, such as getting rid of Reagan or fighting im­ Dworkin, Robin Morgan, and Adrienne Rich. She also analyzes cultural perialism. This has diverted our energies and hurt us as a feminists’ belief in the essentially different natures of men and women. As op­ posed to radical feminists, cultural feminists think that the liberation of women, movement. Secondly, there has grown up within the as well as the solution to many of the world’s problems, will come through the women’s movement the notion that there is a women’s growth and spread of female values. Alice Echols, “The New Feminism of Yin and Yang,” in Ann Snitow, Christine Stanselle, and Sharon Thompson (eds). perspective on everything. According to this view, Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality (New York; 1983) pp 439-59. feminists should work on a wide range of issues in order to ’Ellen Willis, The Village Voice, 23 June, 1980, p28. humanize society; they should bring women’s values to 4“WPA C-D Statement OOB, 12/81. ■‘’Interview with Margaret Randall, Kinesis, November 1983. bear on a variety of social problems at home and abroad. ft“W PA Statem ent of Unity" 11/81. This approach to feminism has diverted us from the goals of 1 The Village Voice, 8 November. 1983, pl4. Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 45 REVIEWS May, and responses to that con­ who wanted to make a film that got Nash (who lived in Auckland firmed that nothing much should "contains gay women yet isn't a for a time) Margot Oliver and Jeni DEPRESSION LIVES change. “Most comments were to gay film per se," and from the re­ Thornley, comes For Love or ONSTAGE make it longer. One woman said views of this film she has suc­ Money, an Australian compila­ she wanted to spend more time ceeded in doing not only that, but tion film that tells the story of Renee’s fifth play Wednesday to with the characters, so I expanded in achieving a low budget, highly women's working lives through­ Come will be staged by the play slightly.” visual film that accents the views out Australia's history. The film Downstage Theatre from 17 Au­ Workshop director was George of a variety of women. Her vehicle draws on the material in over 200 gust to 22 September. Webby and Renee is pleased he is two private radio stations, one films produced in Australia bet­ The play is set during the depre­ will be the producer for the play’s run by white women, the other by ween 1906 and 1983. The idea for ssion. Renee was born in 1929,she debut. “George had a great em­ black women, and thrown in for the film was first discussed in grew up during the Depression, pathy for the play and I liked what good measure, is a racially mixed 1977, and in the years between, and for her New Zealand in 1984 he did with it. He, too, grew up Women’s Army and a Party news­ the filmmakers spent years track­ parallels 1934. That was the year during the Depressiion. He was paper edited by white intellectual ing down the material which in­ her father shot himself and her one of 10.” women. "I made the film out of cludes photographs, letters, mother faced the desperate strug­ The action of the play takes distress at the splits in the diaries, autobiographies of gle of bringing up three children as place in a house between Pal­ women’s movement - and out of Aboriginal women, and feminist a woman alone. “My family was merston North and Wellington on distress with the left; women come historians. Taut, exhilarating and very, very poor, there was no the day a march of unemployed second even there.” superbly crafted. widow’s pension then. I saw how goes past from Gisborne. “This Labour of Love brings us In the pro-ecology, anti-war women were the ones who always march did take place - the mar­ another film from the deft hand of genre comes the Secret Agent, by had to manage, but you never chers were met by police with guns Margarethe von Trotta, who has American director Jacki Ochs. read about it in history books”. In in Palmerston North. There were given us films such as The German This film is the first comprehen­ researching Wednesday to Come four women on the march and in Sisters and Marianne and sive look at dioxin, the contamin­ Renee looked for writing by the play one woman comes into Julianne in previous film festivals. ant of the herbicide 245-T, which women about the Depression and the house? There are four genera­ This film demonstrates von we are very familiar with here in discovered that apart from Mary tions of women in the house - one Trotta’s increasing absorption New Zealand. Diozin is also the Findlays Tooth and Claw and woman is waiting for her hus­ with the ways in which women can main ingredient of the defoliant Robin Hyde’s The Godwits Fly band’s body to come from a relief harm each other. Olga and Ruth named Agent Orange, more than women’s experience of the Depre­ camp. The play examines reac­ are heterosexual friends, and 11 million gallons of which were ssion is undocumented. tions to why he killed himself, but when Ruth attempts suicide, it is sprayed over Vietnam in the coun­ “It was nearly always the Renee’s major intention is to Olga who saves her, thus taking try’s awful war. The film docu­ women who stood in queues, “show how little things have responsibility for her life. But ments the history of chemical war­ often with their children. They changed from then to now.’’D Olga has needs of her own that fare, the damage to the environ­ had to ask for food chits for meat Sandra Coney. threaten ultimately to destroy ment, and the plight of the people that might be rotten, or for shoes their friendship, and Ruth’s life. exposed to Agent Orange in Viet­ for their kids.” Renee really SEEING THE LIGHT- Jill Forbes, in the Monthly Film nam. noticed the difference between A feminist son et bulletin, says: “The film has an For those of us who are dedi­ the poor and those not hard hit by amazing capacity to reveal both cated to protecting ourselves from the Depression when she went to luminiere this year at the horrifying destructiveness of the effects of a nuclear future. school: “You could tell by who Wellington Film human beings and their ability to Dark Circle is mandatory viewing. had lunches, and who didn’t.” Festival love. It is because German women An American film produced by Today, says Renee, women still film-makers are not afraid of emo­ Judy Irving, Ruth Landy and get the rotten end of the recession, If anyone should doubt that the tion that they are light years ahead Chris Beaver, and co-directed by they’re still most likely to be un­ role of feminist film makers is a of the rest of the field.” Extraordi­ Judy Irving and Chris Beaver, employed. “The only difference less important one that that of nary performances from Hanna Dark Circle tells of a life in the now is it is less visible. We don’t other feminist activities, they Schygulla and Angela Winkler as nuclear age by those who live in queue, we get our benefit cheques haven’t felt the huge wave of re­ Olga and Ruth respectively. the vicinity of a nuclear power through the post. But women still lief. excitement and anticipation From France, and the director plant. Shot on location at the can’t afford to send their kids to that I felt on getting the list of Chantall Akerman, comes Les Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons the doctor.” Another difference: films from such film-makers to be Annees 80, eighty minutes of Facility near Denver, Colorado Renee remembers the rotten blac­ at the Wellington Film Festival. comedy and satire that address the and two other locations, one in kened teeth marking children fed How gratifying to have our female experience of losing your California and one in Japan, the on lots of cheap starch foods. New dreams, aspirations, ideas and be­ man. Seemingly an old-hat sub­ film releases recently declassified Zealand’s free school dental ser­ liefs up there on the big screen! ject, Akerman manages to lam- footage of the secret world in vice has removed that visible con­ First up is On Guard, a film by bast women's dependence on ro­ which the nuclear bombs are man­ sequence of poverty. the producer of Witches, Faggots, mance while retaining our sym­ ufactured. A film about the cost of Renee wrote the play early this Dykes and Poofters - Digby Dun­ pathy for the women themselves. nuclear weapons even in the ab­ year, with a concentrated burst in can. She's a Sydney film-maker Akerman's film is comprised not sence of nuclear war.D January. One of her difficulties with total commitment to lesbian just of episodes where women get Sandi Hall was catching the way people visibility, and the film is a fast their hearts broken, but literally spoke in the 1930s. “We don’t paced lesbian science fiction of the rehearsals of such scenes. realise the cultural effect of story, about four women who un­ “Each saccharine line,” says Mar­ American slang on our speech. dertake to sabotage a multina­ cia Pally in Film Review, “with My family, like a lot of others, tional firm engaged in reproduc­ some awkward bit of blocking, didn’t have a radio ’till 1938 and tive engineering. This film is a each silly song with even sillier we didn’t go to films. It was six­ must for those readers who have lyrics (all Akerman’s own inven­ pence to go in and we didn’t have been following the ethical debate tion) and each vapid dance it. But I have a good memory for on biotechnology as a potential routine is performed over and what speech sounded like.” threat to women and our rights to over by some 64 actors, so that By the time Renee finished self-determination. Directed and when Akerman puts them to­ writing the play she felt happy co-scripted by Susan Lambert, gether, one sees the final product with most of the play. It was with associate producer Sarah with the benefit of one's reaction selected from nearly 80 other en­ Gibson also sharing the scriptwrit­ to all its ridiculous parts. Rarely is tries to be workshopped during ing. doggerel used to such wise effect.” the New Zealand Playwrites’ Born in Flames is an American From a collective of four Workshop in Auckland during film from director Lizzie Borden women, Megan McMurchy, Mar­

4 6 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. LETTERS also because the Y deviated from that if I was raped, I would want to FRONTING UP the original aims of the scheme kill my rapist. I’m not sure I could The Broadsheet Office is on the BOUQUET which was, amongst other things, channel my anger into positive first floor of the Gane Building, 43 to recognise the pervasiveness of forms. So I cannot condemn the Anzac Avenue, Auckland. Office Dear Broadsheet, sexism and racism in society and women who tied an accused rapist I am enclosing a cheque to bring and Bookshop hours 9am - 5pm to work on ways to combat it. The to a tree. my sustaining subscription up to Monday to Thursday, 9am - Y later proved itself to be racist by I like Sue Lytollis’s theory of $35 as well as a bit extra to help 5.30pm Friday, Saturday 10am - wanting to start an outside mod­ self-defence. Let us change the at­ lpm for the bookshop. Our box you with price increases. ule to machine tool Maori mosphere of fear to one of asser­ Broadsheet is very important to number is PO Box 5799 Wellesley souvenirs. tion. (If you need to, put your me and 1 usually read it from cover Street, Auckland, New Zealand. Also the PSA were never going blow in and then take off and get to cover as 1 get the opportunity. Phone 794-751. to be part of the "Trust” set up to out of trouble.) Thank you for keeping me in­ run the scheme, but the AUWU A last point - rapists won't de­ formed about things which con­ DEADLINES FOR was. crease until the new generation FUTURE ISSUES cern women in Aotearoa. If Broadsheet readers want has positive role models to follow. Dawn Patterson more information about the Y Deadline for September-July 10, Pat Ocean STEPS dismissals they should October-A ugust 10. Small items, Papatoetoe Christchurch write for a free copy of the unions I thought the article on PM$ was ‘What’s New? and advertisements newspaper, Out of Work. The ad­ can reach us up to two weeks after YES TO EXTREMES excellent - Thank you. dress if AUWU, Private Bag 5, this date. Dear Broadsheet, Newton, Auckland. I'm still with you - a died-in-the- CHOOSING STUFFING Doreen Suddens wool feminist until I die. In spite OUR WORDS for Auckland Unemployed Work­ Stuffing of the September issue of ups and downs - in spite of bad Dear Broadsheet, ers Union will be on Saturday 1 September publicity, in spite of old age creep­ You’ve boobed! Your description at the Broadsheet office from ing on - and in spite of the old in­ of symptoms of PMS in last THE 10am. We would welcome more come dwindling. It enrages me the month’s issue listed among words FIGHTBACK DEBATE women to help us with this time- way women who have made it in like depression, misery, gloomi­ consuming job. The more hands the business world say they don’t ness, etc - “blackness”. So what’s Dear Broadsheet, we have the less time it takes, and believe in the feminists who de­ I think, in theory, that the best “blackness”? Your reader can its one way to learn a little about monstrate and fight for their rights only assume that it is related to the form of violence is non-violence - our geography. All women and - one this morning on radio said passive resistance - for example, former unhappy states of being. children welcome. she didn’t approve of extremes (a the civil rights movement led by Whilst we quite rightly agitate cool English lady). I longed to ask Martin Luther King, and the ac­ to have sexist terms eliminated FILES her how she’d have risen to her tions of Gharidi, Te Whiti etc. and replaced by neutral language. present prominent position if the We have take up the offer from suffragettes and women like the one woman to paste cuttings onto Pankhursts hadn't tied themselves paper for us. Is there anyone else to railings and gone to prison to who would have the time (and the suffer the horrors of force feeding. inclination) to do some more of We didn’t get where we are today this work? We’ll post or deliver by being ladylike and passive. the materials to you. Good wishes to you all - in fact, APOLOGIES loving thought and keep the flag flying (not the Merv Wellington To Karen Mangnall and Melanie sort!) Read whose names were misspelt in the June issue, and to Chris (Mrs) Julia Bradley. Forbes whose name was left out of Paihia the acknowledgements on the MORE ON STEPS contents page of both May and June. Dear Broadsheet, I wish to point out the inaccuraces ADVERTISING RATES in Sandra Coney's report of the We are increasing our advertising YWCA STEPS scheme in the rates and following is a list of May 1984 issue of Broadsheet. costs. However, items for What’s The omission of the two groups, New? will still be published free the Auckland Unemployed and some classified advertising Workers Union and the Auckland space is still available to feminist Trades Council, who did a major From the film For Love or Money. (non-profit making groups). part of the work on behalf of the Classified $3.80 per column STEPS women is very strange in­ History also has shown that we should also be aware of how Quarter page $73.00 deed. Why was this? when the oppression is too great, language can serve to shape racist Half-page $140 It was the PSA who approached when the wealthy and those in attitudes. Look for loaded words Third page $97.20 the AUWU to help the women, power won’t listen to the people in your kids books - “primitive", Full page $260.00 then violence erupts. And it has “savage”, “lazy”, “superstitious”, and through this union's participa­ Inside covers (two colours) tion the Trades Council became been shown many times that re­ “inscrutable”, “backward” - often $360.00 forms occur purely due to the ac­ reinforce racial stereotypes. And involve. It was AUWU and Outside back cover $720.00 tion of this violence.And some “blackness”, “black moods/looks/ Trades Council who approached Please contact Renee or Diane. the YWCA and not the PSA. Al­ would say that if those in power outlook”, “the dark side of life”, though the PSA was later involved are so short-sighted, or that they “jewish” (as in stingy) - there are SEPTEMBER ISSUE with the AUWU and Trades deliberately turn their gaze away dozens more, all promote nega­ Council in negotiations with the from oppression then they de­ tive images. Watch those words - This issue will see the return of Labour Department. serve any violence which is di­ they're dangerous. “Feminist Fanny” - watch for her The YW scheme failed, not rected at them. words of wisdom . . . also we’ll be only because the Y “tried to im­ However, in practice, the above Barbara Lambourn starting a TV commentary in the pose a hierarchical structure”, but doesn’t help me much. I think. Whakatane arts section . . .

Broadsheet, July/August 1984. 47 WOMEN AND BACKLASH The A seminar organised by Women’s Studies WOMENS Association Wellington Saturday 7 July, LIBRARY Crossways (Cnr Elizabeth and Brougham flDUTS 63 Ponsonby Road Streets, Mt Victoria), 9.30am - 4.30pm. Hours 12 - 6pm weekdays Seminar will concentrate on women’s 11 - 1pm Saturdays employment and the unions. All women RECORDING Books on all Women’s Issues welcome. FRIENDSHIPS ALL WOMEN WELCOME We are a group of women who are interested in recording women’s THE WOMEN’S PLACE friendships. We would like to con­ (Feminist Bookshop) tact women who have had close 289 Cuba Street, PO Box 19086 friendships over a number of years Wellington. Ph 851-802 with other women. This may in­ volve owning a house in common. Hours: 10.30am - 5.30pm We have a particular interest in hearing about older women's lives (late night Fridays), 202 High St Christchurch 10.30am - 1.30pm Saturday together as this is an area that has been largely ignored. Weekdays 10 am - 5.30 pm RECORDS, BOOKS, POSTERS If you are interested in assisting Friday 9 pm Ph 790-784 CARDS, MAGAZINES, BADGES us with this project, you may Feminist, lesbian-temimst — T-SHIRTS, STAINED GLASS, choose either to write down an ac­ theory, novels, health, poetry... JEWELLERY count of your friendship and send it to us or to contact us and ar­ BOOKS. MAGAZINES, POSTERS, range a meeting. Confidentiality RECORDS. CARDS, JEWELLERY.. will be respected. LESBIAN SOCIAL GROUP Coffee evenings and outings, Paula, Miriama, Pat, Peta, FURNITURE RESTORATION Tanya, Stephanie, Hilary d - 13 Sideboards, dressing tables, chests of Write to LSG, Box 19-139 Momona Rd, One Tree Hill, Au­ drawers ... Very reasonable rates. Avondale, Auckland. ckland Phone Colleen 605-116 Auckland.

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Send me Broadsheet Send my friend Broadsheet Outdoor experiences for women of all New Zealand’s feminist magazine A gift subscription to: ages and fitness levels. My name ...... Name ...... Day trips, weekend tramps and camps Address ...... Address ...... from Christchurch. Phone Ch’ch 841 -921. FREEDOM HOLIDAYS. Tramping and camping throughout the South Island I wish my subscription to Gift card should read from: Costs include transport, guiding and food. start in (month): ...... For brochure and programme write to: Pauline and Alison, 21 Toledo PI, Ch’ch 8. Send to: Broadsheet, PO Box 5799 Wellesley St, Auckland, NZ.

48 Broadsheet, July/August 1984. PRESENTED BY THE WELLINGTON FILM SOCIETY PARAMOUNT THEATRE FRIDAY JULY 13th-28th

BORN IN FLAMES Dir: Lizzie Borden . a comic fantasy of a female rebellion in the not-too-distant future. BORN IN FLAMES is a funny, gutsy break through in independent feminist filmmaking ... an inspiration to smile and imagine a different future.” [Martha Nelson] LABOUR OF LOVE UJ Dir: Margarethe von Trotta. .. perhaps because German women filmmakers are not afraid of emotion, they are light years ahead of the rest of the field. With LABOUR OF LOVE, not least because of the stunning performances turned in by Hanna Scygulla and Angella Winkler, von Trotta is firmly established at the head of this excellent group.” [Jill Forbes, Monthly Film Bulletin] THE GOLDEN EIGHTIES Dir: Chantel Akerman "... a wicked satire on the folly of I'am our, both in life and in theatre, all the more pointed for its seeming lightheartedness.” [Marcia Pally, Film Comment] FOR LOVE OR MONEY A film by Megan McMurchy, Margot Nash, Margot Olover and Jeni Thornley. “Not since the ironies of THE ATOMIC CAFE have we had a documentary How is it that a small group of women, living so powerfully illuminating and critical of history and rough in their “benders” on a patch of Berkshire the myths that have kept people blindfolded from scrubland, have come to be seen as a focus their own realities.” [Anna-Marcia Dell'Oso, Sydney worldwide of our hopes for a better future - or Morning Herald] indeed for a future at all? ON GUARD Dir: Susan Lambert. “ON GUARD maintains a dark Here are the voices of the “Greenham women” and relentless seat-gripping pace. With a chillingly themselves, describing in diaries, journals, letters beautiful music score written and played by the what it is like to live up against the fence of an Stray Dags, ON GUARD is thought-provoking, airbase crammed with weapons of total urgent and witty . .. a masterly first feature and destruction; to face eviction, court cases, prison, certainly one of the most innovative Australian movies showing in this timid local year.” [Anna and yet find the courage time and time again to Maria Dell’Oso, Sydney Morning Herald] sit down in front of trucks and tanks; to respond DARK CIRCLE with continual inventiveness, in an unarmed Dir: Judy Irving and Chris Beaver. A film about the women’s guerilla campaign, against the most cost of nuclear weapons, even in the absence of threatening weaponsr-known to men; and to be nuclear war. “A useful and technically highly- engaged all the while with each other in evolving crafted protest document.” [Chris Auty, a new way of living together. GREENHAM COMMON: WOMEN AT THE WIRE is a moving, terrifying and in the end an exhilarating book. It tells us that this place, from which we step back to look, appalled, at the murderous world we live in, also represents our first tentative steps towards a sane society. Available in September, 1984 N.Z. Price $13.95 ANOTHER GOOD BOOK FROM HUTCHINSONS!