Women's Studies Resource Centre

THIRD FEMALE HIGH COURT JUDGE

2007-09-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

Justice Susan Keifal is Australia’s third female high court appointment. On the bench she will join Justice Susan Crennan; the first time two women have served together on a seven judge court.
-Jo

FASHION and FREEDOM of MOVEMENT

2007-09-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday (01/09/07) Radio national’s “By Design” program included a piece on women’s swimwear and Annette Kellerman, known as the “Original Mermaid” gained a mention. The Australian born athlete believed in health and fitness through swimming and throughout her early twentieth century career pioneered women’s right to do so. At that time women at the beach either sat on the shore or were expected to bathe in their dresses and pantaloons. (It is said that some drowned under the weight of their clothing). Annette Kellerman designed and wore a swimsuit (not unlike the men’s swimwear of the time) which importantly allowed for freedom of movement in the water. Famously, in 1907 in Boston she was arrested for indecent exposure i.e. she revealed her arms legs and neck.

RELEVANT ITEMS AT WSRC:
Fashion Jane Grove, 1971
Female costume in the nineteenth century Marion Fletcher, 1966

-Jo

RAWA - The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan

2007-08-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

RAWA - The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
"The oldest anti-fundamentalist feminist organisation of oppressed Afghan women"

RAWA is the oldest political/social organization of Afghan women and has campaigned for peace, freedom, democracy and women's rights in Afghanistan since 1977. RAWA believes that education is crucial in creating empowerment for women and they offer a secular curriculum at their schools teaching humanitarian principles and equality.

They are supported by SAWA-Australia, the Support Association for the Women of Afghanistan a group based in Adelaide, and WILFP, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Sohaila, a member of RAWA will be speaking at the Australian Education Union Hall, 163 Greenhill Road at 6:30 tonight the 8th August, for enquiries phone: 8333 3279.

Philosophy from a female point of view

2007-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Listen to ABC Radio National’s podcast:
Philosophy from a female point of view
an edited version of Catriona McKenzie’s lecture:
'History, Embodiment and Ethics: Themes in Australian feminist philosophy'

Associated resources: (available at WSRC)
A Companion to Feminist Philosophy
includes chapters by Virginia Held, Genevieve Lloyd, Moira Gatens and many others
Genevieve Lloyd The Man of Reason: “male” and “female” in Western philosophy
Carole Pateman The sexual contract
Carole Pateman The disorder of women: democracy, feminism and political theory
Carole Pateman and Elizabeth Gross (ed.) Feminist challenges: social and political theory
Carole Pateman and Jacqueline Goodnow (ed.) Women, social science and public policy
Moira Gatens Feminism and philosophy perpectives on difference and equality
Moira Gatens Imaginary bodies : ethics, power and corporeality
Val Plumwood Feminism and the mastery of nature

Thanks to Jessi for providing this link

- Cat and Jo

Feminist Art

2007-07-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

WACKsite, is the community driven component enriching viewers’ understanding of
WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution
a major show of feminist art created between 1965 and 1980.
Created by MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

“The WACKsite includes 42 Installation views of the exhibition, as well as a series of images from Walks Through the Revolution, a tour of the show held March 4, at which many of the artists spoke. There are also short audio tours, featuring individual artists talking about their work, such as Miriam Schapiro, and downloadable podcasts of longer lectures by Angela Davis, Griselda Pollack, and Linda Nochlin.” - the Scout Report (U. of Wisconsin), 20 July, 2007

Thank you to Susan Brunner for this link,
- Cat

2007-07-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Women vs the Media
The objectification and portrayal of women in the media, advertising, magazines, music videos and television presents a stereotype of women’s roles in society, which reinforces women’s subordinate status.

“Pretend(ing) to offer liberation in the guise of sexual promiscuity” - Catharine Lumby in Australian Feminism: a companion, 1998.

Female Chauvinist pigs : Women and the rise of raunch culture by Ariel Levy also addresses some of these issues.

Our library has both of these books, and more on women and the media.
- Cat

2007-07-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Men's Liberation
After chatting to some of the young men in the Le Fevre Women’s Studies class, I wanted to find some information on men’s liberation and its association with the women’s liberation movement:
Dr Michael Flood, a feminist, looks at promoting gender equality, concentrating on men and masculinity, and heterosexuality.

He started XY a website focused on men, masculinities, and gender politics

Which has a very comprehensive links page on men, sexualities, gender and feminism

- Cat

Visitors - new potential avid feminists

2007-07-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

Lately the WSRC has been inundated with Women's Studies student groups, classes from Kildare College and Le Fevre came to visit for an introduction to our library.

A few topics that cropped up in discussion were the new Womens Political Party
(the more well known political women's group is WEL - Women’s Electoral Lobby - an independent women’s lobby group working to protect the rights of Australian women), and a recent post by Buffy/Angel/Firefly creator Joss Whedon on fansite WHEDONesque called "What's wrong with women?".

Meanwhile, in an attempt to attack feminists, the Australian media has been highlighting the Surrendered Wife movement. (More discussion can be found here [the link contains some strong language].)

- Cat & Danielle

"If you're a busy woman like me..."

2007-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Larvatus Prodeo has an interesting discussion about the Advertising Standards Bureau and the current Nando's ad (YouTube link):

"[L]ooking carefully through their past rulings I am a bit doubtful about the integrity of the complaints process as the ASB actually runs it. There are two factors which seem to make it difficult for sexuality & gender-related complaints against ads to get through: first, the Bureau concentrate on what is literally said or depicted in ads while most complaints have to do with things that are suggested or implied, for example through double entendres, visual puns and camera angles. Second, the Bureau appears to find mitigation in jokes, humour and what advertisers tend to call ‘lightheartedness’ - tendentious material seems more palatable if it’s clothed in some sort of attempt at humour. Putting these two things together I suspect the Bureau runs by a system which the advertising industry finds it extremely easy to game. And the incentives are high: sex sells."

- Danielle

Women leading change: policing

2007-05-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Fifth Australasian Women and Policing Conference is being held in Melbourne this year, from 26th to 30th August. More information, including a registration link, can be found here.

- Danielle

2007-05-17T00:16:00.000-07:00

Sappho at 60
by Ray Tyndale

Come to the book launch

Luscious love poems launched by Miriel Lenore

When: Friday May 25th at 5:30pm

Where: Women's Studies Resource Centre
64 Pennington Terrace North Adelaide
Phone: 8267 3633

A steal at $5 /book a great little gift published by Picaro Press

The Women's Electoral Lobby

2007-05-10T04:43:00.000-07:00

The Women’s Electoral Lobby - WEL is an independent women’s lobby group working to protect the rights of Australian women.

Established in 1972, WEL lobbies politicians, unions, employers, educationalists, and others on behalf of women, and seeks to change social attitudes and practices which discriminate against women.

These are two of the latest issues on the WEL website

Pregnancy Counselling
Online campaign group Get Up with Reproductive Choice Australia a coalition of 20 pro-choice women's organisations, is leading a campaign by a coalition of women's groups against deceptive advertising by some pregnancy counselling services.

The issue:
Pregnancy counselling services are deceiving and misleading women because of a legal loophole that doesn’t require them to disclose their actual agenda.

So Take Action:
“All women have the knowledge and power to take control of their sexual health and reproductive choices” Children by Choice.

How? read more, write letters to the editor, contact your local MP

Budget Delivers Bribes not Services
Women need services not bribes WEL spokeswoman Eva Cox said after the Federal Budget was handed down on Tuesday.

"Women will not go back to work because of small tax cuts and a slight rise in child care rebates," she said.

"Funding and finding quality care are essential for mothers of preschool children to take up paid work and this budget does nothing to assist either of these."

Augusta Zadow Scholarships

2007-05-10T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Augusta Zadow Scholarships award two scholarships per year of up to $10,000 for projects that aim to encourage initiatives that improve occupational health and safety outcomes by, or for the benefit of, women in South Australia.

In 1895, Augusta Zadow became the first female Inspector of Factories in South Australia. She played a crucial role in securing better conditions for workers in factories, particularly women and children. Many of the working conditions we now take for granted are due to the efforts of Augusta Zadow.

The deadline for applications is 31 August 2007.

Scholarships have previously been awarded to projects about domestic violence, bullying and manual handling.

Lowtija O'Donoghue Oration

2007-05-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

Lowtija O'Donoghue Oration
http://www.dunstan.org.au/events/lowitjaoration.html

Black and White together, we shall overcome, someday
with Professor Lowitja O'Donoghue AC CBE DSG

Date: Tuesday 29 MayTime: 6:45 for 7pm start to 8:15pmVenue: Bonython Hall at the University of Adelaide Cost: $15, $10 DDF Subscribers/ConcessionBookings: Essential by Thursday 24 May

The Oration has been established to honour the tireless work of Professor O'Donoghue in promoting the rights of Indigenous Australians. The Oration will be held during Reconciliation Week each year and in 2007 will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum when Australians voted to remove language from t he Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal people.

During the evening the Hon Jay Weatherill MP, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs & Reconciliation, representing the Premier will make a statement of reconciliation on behalf of the Government.
Funds raised from the Oration will be directed towards Don Dunstan Foundation projects and scholarships that are concerned with Indigenous Australians.

Blogging as a feminist issue

2007-05-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Feministing has a link to the latest Scholar and Feminist Online, which is focusing on feminism and blogging this issue. See also the corresponding blog, which features a particularly interesting discussion on the issue of trolling in feminist online spaces.

Are blogs the consciousness-raising groups of the 21st century? Do you contribute to a feminist online community? What are your thoughts?

"This hardest of all fights"

2007-04-27T02:45:00.000-07:00

Britain's Guardian newspaper is highlighting Emmeline Pankhurst's 1913 "Freedom or Death" speech today as part of its Great Speeches of the 20th Century series.

More information about Emmeline Pankhurst can be found here and here.

- Danielle

Fancy a night out?

2007-04-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

Vitalstatistix is Australia's only full-time women's theatre company, established in Port Adelaide in 1984. They are staging a couple of events this month that we thought you'd like to know about (all held at Waterside, 11 Nile Street Port Adelaide):

The Second to None Dance
Saturday 21 April 7 pm to midnight.
Put on your Saturday best and kick up your heels to music old and new.

A collaboration with Kurruru, recreating dances from the 50s and 60s held in the Maritime Workers Waterside Hall for the whole local community.

Thanks to support from the Port Adelaide Enfield Council, entry is a low $5 (children under 16 free), you’re welcome to bring your own supper-plate, or a plate to share.

The Forest. An Interactive Installation.
A Celebration of the Environment, Community and Recycling!
Friday 27 April to Sunday 6 May 12 to 2pm, Weekends 12 to 4pm.
Other times by Appointment.
(Gold Coin Donation)
A unique exhibition of 3.5m trees, winding pathways, imaginative plants and weird little critters, all created from recycled materials, within Waterside. An environmental wonderland created by professional designer Cath Cantlon and groups of community volunteers.

For bookings and enquiries, contact Vitalstatistix on 8447 6211.

For more information on more upcoming events, see here. A little blurb about the theatre company itself is available here.

We hope to see you there!

- Cat and Danielle

A Fat Rant

2007-03-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

This YouTube video by Joy Nash is fantastic, and I recommend you all check it out:

- Danielle

The new blog is here; the new website is pending!

2007-03-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that our website is down at the moment; we're in the process of transferring to a new host (and a new URL - http://www.wsrc.org.au) and building a whole new site from scratch, so please bear with us while we spend the next week or two figuring out how to use Dreamweaver and cobbling something together for display.

In the meantime, here are some things to read:

Feminism 101 (link courtesy of The F Word's blog). It is, as Jess points out, a bit US-centric, but it's still a work in progress and could become a great resource. Constructive comments and suggestions are welcomed; just click on the comments link at the bottom of any post.

The next Carnival of Feminists is due out on the 21st, so now is a good time to catch up on the archives!

Larvatus Prodeo's Feminism category - an Australian blog, regularly updated. Recent entries cover Santo Santoro's anti-feminist spending habits and women and WorkChoices.

Feministing, an excellent US-based blog (not always work-safe).

A recent Guardian article on new measures in the UK to prosecute against domestic violence, which includes the disturbing statement that "[f]or [British] women under 44, [domestic violence] is the most common cause of death - above both cancer and road accidents." (See also The Guardian's Special Report on Gender Issues.)

Don't forget that the WSRC is now open from 10.00am every weekday (until 5.00pm most days; 6.00pm on Thursdays), and that you can contact us any time on 08 8267 3633 (you can leave a message if we're not there or are on another call) or at womenslibrarysa@wsrc.net.au.

- Danielle