Feminist forum attracts large turnout
By Margaret Allan
Is TV series star Zena a model for liberation? How can women change society? Who should take financial responsibility for raising children? These were some of the questions raised at a forum organised by the University of Sydney's Centre for Continuing Education on March 18 as part of International Women's Day activities.
Hosted by Julie McCrossin (from ABC-TV's Good News Week), the forum was billed as a "A Girls Night Out" with the promotional leaflet asking "Who says feminism's dead?".
On the panel were Democrat Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Aboriginal actor Rhoda Roberts, writer for The Sydney Morning Herald Emma Tom, writer and broadcaster Christine Wallace, and comedian Gretel Killeen.
With a lot of time allocated to participation from the 350-400 member audience, the issues discussed ranged from the difficulties of migrant women's participation in society to women and retirement. How to solve gender inequality was examined, with many expressing the view that having more women in parliament was not by itself enough. Many raised the issue of the policies that women in parliament support.
Unfortunately, time restrictions cut short what was developing into a lively and useful discussion.