By Freya Pinney
and Joy McEntee
BRISBANE — Organisers of this year's Network of Women Students Australia (NOWSA) conference in Brisbane expected 250 women, but 500 arrived — double the number who attended NOWSA '92 in Adelaide. Many were young women, serious about advancing women's causes, but inexperienced in the politics of the women's movement. Many conference participants were confronting issues surrounding the oppressions of race, class and sexuality for the first time.
Pat Brewer, a long-time women's movement activist, said, "More women came to NOWSA '93 than ever before because NOWSA '92 was a good experience. NOWSA '92 made a point of acknowledging the diversity of the women's movement, while highlighting the need for united action."
This very diversity can be confusing for women encountering the movement for the first time. At NOWSA '93 there were so many of these women that "Introduction to Feminism" workshops were organised to further understanding of the various political currents.
The large numbers of women new to the movement also challenged and stimulated more experienced activists in ways they have not been challenged for years. "Taboo" questions were asked which called for serious and detailed explanations.
These queries highlighted the lack of information about issues of the oppression of women, of race and of class available to people outside the progressive movements. The onus of educating the new layer of young women was thrown onto older activists during NOWSA '93, and collectives in every city will have to look seriously at how to facilitate access to the ideas and methods of the women's movement for those previously not involved — not only young women, but also country women and isolated women.
Gai Lemmon, who led workshops on women's sexuality, said, "I understand there were a few issues with
regard to sexual identification. It was enlightening to see how some straight women responded to what appeared to be 'an overabundance of dykes'. NOWSA is becoming famous for the tendency of women to 'come along and come out'. Suddenly these women were visible to each other in a way that rarely happens elsewhere.
"Many young women went away with a greater understanding of the kind of discrimination which confronts many bisexual and lesbian women every day."
Michelle Hovane, from Perth, emphasised the importance of NOWSA in "building respect for the diversity of women's experiences of oppression. It's important that we listen when we are telling our stories to each other, because we are not represented in the mainstream culture in anything other than a two dimensional, doll-like presentation.
"NOWSA is very important because the monopolisation of information production keeps us in ignorance and fear of each other. NOWSA gives women the chance to broaden the agenda, issues, style and understanding of what is women's business. NOWSA '93 was characterised by a real sense of seriousness and therefore a willingness to listen to each other and to work out what we need to do.
"This year", Hovane said, "we became acutely aware of the lack of institutions or processes to pass on previous experiences of the movement. The conjunction of NOWSA with Brisbane's Pride Festival highlighted the impact and contribution of lesbian, bisexual and queer women.
"Speakers from the indigenous women's movement, international speakers and disabled women challenged the notions of normalcy which silence women's realities. NOWSA '93 really highlighted the monocultural nature of our university courses, the tunnel vision fostered by the mainstream media, the way institutions which claim to represent all people often 'consult' by saying 'Hands up who is not here'.
"The Chinese wall that separates students from the community would also be challenged by greater representation of mature age, part-time and distance
students in future conferences."
Next year's conference will be in Sydney. During 1994, fundraisers will be held to enable NOWSA to sponsor women from remote areas, from TAFE and from high schools to attend the conference.
The importance of travel subsidies was underlined when several Adelaide women were injured in a mini-bus accident on their way home from the conference. Two have spinal injuries.
Benefits are being organised in several cities to help pay these women's medical, legal and extra travel costs. If any extra money is raised, it is planned that it will go towards making sure that women from isolated places will be able to choose some safer form of transport in 1994. Donations may be sent to: NOWSA Bus Crash Benefit, c/- NOWSA '93, Women's Rights Area, University of Queensland Student Union, University of Queensland 4072.