QUARTERLY 2017 - Auckland Women's Centre
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Auckland Women's Centre
SPRING
ISSUE
QUARTERLY 2017
IN THIS ISSUE: 01 Clementine Ford; Courageous and Inspiring Australian Feminist 02 New Female MPs in Parliament AND MORE
Clementine Ford; Courageous and Inspiring
Australian Feminist
abuse and hoping it will stop, Clementine invites recipients to
Courageous and inspiring Australian feminist use humour to defuse the words’ power.
Clementine Ford on a wintry September evening She showed the audience dozens of vile and threatening
held a room full of kiwis spellbound with her talk messages she has screenshotted.
Hate Male.
“I want you to laugh at these men to diminish the power they
Dr Pani Farvid, Senior lecturer, Department of Psychology, have in your minds. They are of no importance. They are not
AUT, acted as MC. relevant to our struggle.”
Clementine has a column in Daily Life and is a broadcaster, She deals with the old chestnut of feminists hating men by
public speaker and the author of the book Fight Like a Girl. responding that some women do hate men because living
She burst into the Australian spotlight when private, nude in the patriarchy means they have been given very good
pictures of 4000 Adelaide girls and women were stolen and reasons to do so.
shared on a database. Breakfast television show Sunrise “When people ask me whether I hate men, I say that’s the
posted an article titled “Girls, when will you learn?” least important part of my feminism. As a matter of fact, I
In response, Clementine stripped part-naked, took a don’t hate men… Feminism is not about women hating men.
picture and posted it with the words “Get fucked Sunrise” It’s about us understanding we don’t have to hate ourselves.”
and an explanation of the abhorrence of the programme’s She says the insults she receives frequently focus on the
victim-blaming. physical: calling her fat, drawing attention to her tooth gap
Men immediately began sending Clementine degrading and criticising her breasts.
and dehumanising messages, and the tirade of abuse and “It doesn’t matter that we women are putting forward our
threats has not let up since. intellectual ideas. What matters is whether men want to have
She said the most common words used to her are sex with us.”
“whore”, “slut”, “cunt”, “bitch” and “fat”. Clementine rejects the suggestion she often receives: that
While many women try to survive in public life by ignoring the she should escape abuse by getting off the internet.
Photos by Nicky Noble Photography: Left to right: Clementine Ford answering a question. Clementine Ford with our volunteer, Jess Tappin
Auckland Women's Centre Quarterly Spring 2017
Clementine Ford; Courageous and Inspiring Australian
Feminist, continued
“It should never be an obligation of the person being Women are told ‘don’t walk down the street alone’, ‘don’t
abused to get off or to change her behaviour. It’s silly for accept lifts from strangers,’ ‘don’t let men buy you drinks,’
anyone to say the online world and the offline world are ‘don’t wear short skirts.’
different now. It would be impossible for me to take myself But, at the same time, men known to women tell us “I’m not
offline and work as a writer.” that man.” But what are the men who make this protest doing
She says the vileness is the daily backdrop of her life. to end patriarchy's violence?
“I don’t let it defeat me and it doesn’t really upset me but it’s Clementine ended by saying women should remember we
the daily detritus and rubbish I have to clean up every day.” did not have to justify our feminism to men who were seeking
Major controversy arose when men sent Clementine abusive arguments rather than genuine conversation. Simply not
messages and she referred the comments to their employers, engaging was a good strategy.
leading to them being fired. At the end of her talk, she generously answered questions on
Clearly, it was the men’s actions which led to the dismissals. a wide range of issues, wrapping up a thought-provoking and
However, Clementine was blamed for the job losses and the informative night. ■
men were publicly portrayed as victims.
Photo by Nicky Noble Photography: Katherine, Pani, Clementine,
“When we take action as women to address the abuse we Mira & Sophie
receive, people tell us we’re overreacting, people don’t mean
it, they were just trying to compliment you.”
She says women are blamed for being attention seekers if
they highlight their passions. And, if they don’t want to be
bombarded with attention from men when they walk down the
street, that is bad as well.
“We are told from a young age we are not able to interpret
our experiences properly, that we are not reliable witnesses to
our own lives. It’s dangerous because it teaches us to doubt
out own experiences – we don’t know when to be cautious.”
New Female MPs in Parliament
After the recent election 38% of our MPs are female, up from only 34% before the election.
Below is a list of the female MPs entering Parliament for the first time:
GREENS LABOUR
Golriz Ghahraman is an Iranian-Kiwi Chloe Swarbrick is 23 and in 2016 Kiritapu Allan is of Ngāti Ranginui and
refugee. Her studies at Oxford, and ran a high-profile but unsuccessful bid Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent and worked
work as a lawyer for the United for the Auckland mayoralty. She is the as an intern for former Prime Minister
Nations and in New Zealand, have youngest MP to enter Parliament Helen Clark while at university. Kiri was
focused on enforcing human rights since Marilyn Waring in 1975. She a commercial lawyer and business
and holding governments to account. met with Marilyn during the election consultant, focusing on primary
Golriz has longstanding involvement campaign. Chloe has a law degree industries as the key to regional
in refugee and migrant rights and in 2016 she and her partner and development. She was on the board of
activism, and is a prominent member a friend opened a small art gallery 350.org and was an executive member
of the Iranian community. and coffee shop. of a national kiwifruit growers’
association.
Auckland Women's Centre Quarterly Spring 2017
LABOUR continued NATIONAL
Ginny Andersen contested the Jo-Anne Luxton contested the
Hutt South electorate and entered Rangitata electorate and entered
Parliament on the list. She has Parliament on the list. She owns and
worked for the Police, in the Justice operates the Hinds Early Learning
sector and at Parliament, including Centre, the first such business in
on plans for reducing harms New Zealand to be an accredited
associated with gangs, organised Living Wage Employer. She is the
crime and methamphetamine. great-niece of former Labour Prime
Minister Norman Kirk.
Dr Liz Craig lives in Invercargill and Harete Hipango was the first Māori
has monitored the health of children woman chosen by National to contest
and young people as a public health a seat it held. She stood in
doctor for the past decade. She is Whanganui but entered Parliament on
critical of DHB underfunding and an the list. Harete practised as a lawyer
advocate for improving state housing for over 25 years and was a member
availability and quality. of the Whanganui DHB and Māori-
Land/Farms Incorporation Board.
Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki was
the Lead Advisor-Care and Tamariki Denise Lee was an Auckland
Priyanca Radhakrishnan has a Councillor representing the
Advocate-Service Design at the
Master’s degree in Development Maungakiekie-Tamaki ward and won
Ministry for Vulnerable Children,
Studies and worked as a social the Maungakiekie seat for National.
Oranga Tamariki before entering
worker in the Indian community in Politics is in her blood as her father,
Parliament. She is a Tongan New
Auckland. She worked in Auckland Graeme Lee, served as the Hauraki
Zealander from Hofoa, Niua and
Mayor Phil Goff’s office when he was MP for 15 years and was a Cabinet
Kolovai of Tonga and is married with
an MP. Minister under former Prime Minister
four children and six grandchildren.
She says “Take the phrase ‘I don’t Jim Bolger.
have the time’ out of your life.” Deborah Russell ran her own small
consulting company and worked Erica Stanford won the East Coast
as a university lecturer in Aotearoa Bays seat vacated by long-serving
Marja Lubeck arrived in Aotearoa
and in Australia. Her doctoral thesis MP Murray McCully. She has lived in
in 1989 and is of Dutch, Indonesian
was on multiculturalism and she is the electorate for 35 years and has
and Chinese heritage. She served
a tax expert and the mother of three two daughters. She was the producer
four terms as president of the Flight
teenage daughters. of reality television show Noise
Attendant and Related Services
Association and was a board Control.
member of E tū. Jan Tinetti was the principal of
Tauranga’s only Decile 1 school and
has been an advocate nationally NEW ZEALAND FIRST
for equal educational opportunities.
She is passionate about warm, dry,
affordable homes, free education and
dignity at work.
Angie Warren-Clark has many
years’ experience working in
government, and was the manager
Willow-Jean Prime gave birth to her of Tauranga Women’s Refuge. She
second child, Heeni, at the start of the was admitted to the Bar in 1998 as Jenny Marcroft was a newsreader
campaign and her mother is travelling a barrister and solicitor of the High and worked in broadcasting for over
with her to Parliament to help care for Court of New Zealand and also holds 30 years before entering Parliament.
Heeni while Willow-Jean works as an a degree in Social Sciences. She is one of only two female MPs in
MP. Her priorities for Northland are New Zealand First’s caucus. ■
housing, health, education, growth
and environmental responsibility.
Auckland Women's Centre Quarterly Spring 2017
Wonderful to see members of the
Mt Albert Grammar Feminist Club
at our fundraising screening of
‘Battle of the Sexes’
Auckland Women's Centre Contact & Services
Contact us Centre Hours Services
09 376 3227 x 0 Monday to Friday + Women’s Support: + Low Cost Massage
info@womenz.org.nz 9:00 am - 4:00 pm free support, info, + Self Defence Classes
www.awc.org.nz advice and referral + Opportunities to talk
+ Community Education and support feminism
Library Hours + Community Events + Diversity Forums
Monday to Friday + Counselling + Support Groups
9:00 am - 4:00 pm + LGBTQ support
Designed by Toni Chase
Auckland Women's Centre Quarterly Spring 2017
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