Speaking out for women’s rights

The IWS pledges to support immigrant women, reports PALLAVI SINHA

The Immigrant Women’s Speakout Association (IWS) of NSW is a peak advocacy, information/referral and research body representing the ideas and issues of immigrant and refugee women in New South Wales. The IWS also undertakes community development projects and provides direct services including in the areas of domestic violence and employment, education and training. It is a community-based organisation, managed by women of non-English-speaking background.

On May 13, the IWS held a Mother’s Day celebration at the Granville Town Hall, and also launched a short film titled, 100 years of Immigrant and Refugee Women’s work, how far have we gone? It was a joint event with the Afghan Women’s Support Network (AWSN) and was well-attended by women and representatives of associations such as Asian Women at Work (AWW), and the Philippines Women’s Association of Australia (PWAA). The film was produced on a DVD in light of the recent centenary of International Women’s Day (IWD), and details the origin of this international event, including the first Australian International Women’s Day rally held at the Sydney Domain on March 25, 1928. The rally was held to call for equal pay for equal work, an 8-hour day for shop girls, no ‘piece’ work, basic wage for the unemployed and annual holidays on full pay. Between 1943 and 1990, most migrant women worked in clothing and footwear factories. Since then they have moved onto other industries as well, but over the years they still face problems such as harassment, discrimination, bullying, occupational health and safety risks, underpayment, language barriers, and cultural insensitivity and abuse.
The DVD provides a fascinating insight into the stories and problems faced by three women  – Irene Koutsanadis, a former worker at Westons Biscuit Factory; Jian Tang, a factory worker originating from China; and Lilia Yoshiy, former Residential Care Officer who came to Australia on a subclass 457 visa. These women tell their stories of mistreatment such as only being allowed to go to the toilet once while working in a factory which felt like a jail, and being called a “pig” that should “go home”. The DVD also emphasises the need for solidarity and unity between migrant women to give them collective power. It highlights the assistance women can receive from advocacy organisations such as the IWS, Migrante Australia, AWW and the PWAA. These associations also provide community education, support, crisis counselling and use of computer facilities. Lilia Yoshiy, one of the women featured on the DVD says that IWS gave her courage, and taught her how to speak out. Said Neena Sinha, Chairperson of the IWS, “Immigrant Women’s Speakout Association hopes that all who watch this film will gain some insight into the achievements of women in the last 100 years. Women will be inspired by the stories of these immigrant and refugee women’s struggle for fair working conditions in Australia and all over the world.”
I am particularly aware of the importance of information on women’s rights, as I have personally experienced harassment at a workplace. Initially, I was intimidated by the person harassing me, so I kept quiet. Then I mustered the courage to speak up and also went on to train and become a Harassment Contact Officer myself. The DVD produced by the IWS is an excellent tool for increasing awareness amongst women and the general population. Though some inroads have been made, there is still more work still to be done.

As recently as May 16, 2011 a decision was delivered by Fair Work Australia in relation to an equal remuneration case that appeared before it. The Tribunal concluded that they “…consider gender has been important in creating the gap between pay in the Social and Community Services industry and pay in comparable state and local government employment.” The Tribunal invited further submissions on the issue. Less than two years ago, a report by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling concluded that the gender wage gap in Australia has persisted over the past twenty years, and that, based on their analysis of the ABS Average Weekly Earnings Survey shows, the wage gap between men and women was 17% in 2009, which may be due to direct discrimination. The dissemination of information about women’s rights through DVDs, rallies and events, is an excellent step towards increasing awareness and making progress.

For more information about the IWS, their contact details are Phone: (02) 96358022, email: women@speakout.org.au or website www.speakout.org.au