Feminism is essential to my understanding of my own place in the world and how being born a woman has hindered or heightened my opportunities. I’m now of the belief that the course needed to improve women’s lives requires direct action. On International Women’s Day in 2017 Anne Summers wrote that it was time to stop complaining and to start campaigning. She advocated for four major reforms to be implemented by 2022:
- Legislated equal pay for all women in all jobs
- Decriminalisation of abortion in New South Wales and Queensland
- Specialist domestic violence courts in every state of Australia
- Gender quotas dictating women make up 50 per cent of all parliamentarians, all cabinets and other ministries and directors of all public company and government boards.
It is the call to action that not only makes sense, but is achievable.
Art can play its role as well. It allows for self-expression and commentary about the status quo. In 2004 Luci Callipari-Marcuzzo and I curated an exhibition at the Mildura Arts Centre featuring work in various media by women artists with strong links to Sunraysia. As the title suggests, the show provided the artists a platform for their own experiences and views. Artists included: Jill Antonie, Lindy Bartholomew (Allen), Antonia Chaffey, Alison Clouston, Annabelle Collett, Filomena Coppola, Kate Cotching, Bonita Ely, Belinda Fox, Robyn Gibson, Christine Lovie-Henty, Jill Orr and Jai Smith.
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