Woman@Work February 2016 edition
" target="_blank">Women@Work February 2016 edition (PDF version)
International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on Tuesday 8 March. This issue of Women@Work looks at the history of International Women’s Day and ways you can celebrate.
PSA General Secretary, Anne Gardiner in Goulburn for International Women’s Day celebration
PSA General Secretary, Anne Gardiner will be the guest speaker at the Goulburn Community College, 25 Market Street, Goulburn on Monday, 7 March 2016.
All are welcome with drinks and finger food from 5.30pm.
To RSVP please click HERE
The function will finish at 7.00pm.
Women in the Union training course
Women in the Union training will be conducted at PSA House, 160 Clarence Street Sydney, on Tuesday 8 March 2016.
This is an excellent introductory course for women who are interested in becoming more involved with the union and more active in the workplace.
Topics include the history of women’s participation in the workforce, your rights & entitlements, union structures, assertiveness, equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination, as well as a women’s superannuation workshop.
This is a one day course that runs from 10 am – 4.30 pm.
It is free of charge to PSA/CPSU members.
Participants are responsible for their own travel and other costs incurred in attending.
A luncheon will be provided to celebrate International Women’s Day, kindly sponsored by First State Super.
Tearoom facilities (tea, coffee, fridge and microwave) and a parents’ room are available.
If you have a disability and/or special needs, please advise the PSA training staff when you enroll.
Most state public sector members are entitled to paid Trade Union Training Leave pursuant to Clause 55 of the Crown Employees (Conditions of Employment) Award 2009.
Find out more in the Training section of our website HERE
To RSVP for the course click HERE
*Please note that class numbers are limited. We urge you to book early to avoid disappointment.
International Women’s Day Luncheon at Parramatta
Each International Women’s Day we reflect on our struggles and celebrate our achievements. We also come together, in solidarity, to commit to our ongoing work.
We know asbestos kills. But all around the world people are still exposed. Unions NSW and Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) invite union women to come together to take action in solidarity with women workers and communities in South East Asia in support of their work to eradicate asbestos from their workplaces, communities and countries.
The luncheon will be held on International Women’s Day, Tuesday, 8 March 2016 from 12:30pm – 1:30pm at the Transport Workers Union NSW, 31 Cowper Street, Parramatta.
RSVP
International Women’s Day March
Come and celebrate International Women’s Day at this year’s march in Sydney.
Meet on Saturday, 12 March 2016 at 11.30am at Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park North for speakers and dancing.
Bring your own flags and placards.
Click HERE for the flyer to share with colleagues and friends
Or download the flyer from the PSA website HERE.
History of International Women’s Day
Much progress has been made to protect and promote women’s rights in recent times.
Unions have played a leading role in this progress, including the fight for equal pay, flexible work, equal employment opportunity, paid maternity leave and domestic violence leave to name just a few Australian union victories. Many unions of today owe their existence to unions that were established by women. Women workers started to become more unionised at the start of the century in Australia, largely due to the efforts of a small number of women activists such as Sarah Lewis, Ellen Mulcahy, and Minnie Felstead. Their efforts brought about an upsurge in the formation of female unions or female sections of male unions. Some examples of unions formed by women are The Shirt and Collarmakers Union, the Confectioners Union, the Domestic Workers Union, the Laundresses Union, Matchworkers Union, and the Female Hotel, Club, Restaurants and Caterers Employees Union.
However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have the same rights and opportunities as men. According to the United Nations, the majority of the world’s 1.3 billion absolute poor are women. On average, women receive between 30 and 40 percent less pay than men earn for the same work. In Australia, the wage gap between men and women now stands at 18.2% and women are still overrepresented in insecure employment. Women retire in Australia with around half as much superannuation as men.
Women also continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide. In Australia, domestic violence is the leading cause of death and injury in women under 45.
The first International Women’s Day occurred on 19 March in 1911. This date was chosen because it commemorated the day the Prussian king promised to introduce voting for women in 1848 – a promise he failed to keep. The date was later moved to 8 March. In Australia, the first female suffrage society was formed in Victoria in 1848. After a long fight, the first women to win the right to vote were those in South Australian in 1895. In NSW, it was not until 1902 that the fight finally paid off and women were ‘allowed’ to vote. However, it took until 1962 before Aboriginal women (and men) were finally able to enroll to vote, and this was only in Commonwealth elections. It took another three years for this to be consistent across all states and territories.
International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate past achievements and continue the fight for full equality.
