Dann, Ms S.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:28): Today, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution to South Australia of the now retired feminist warrior, Sandra Dann. I am grateful to Rosemary Owens, former chair of the Working Women's Centre, for these thoughts. I agree with Rosemary and her notion that sometimes in our professional lives we are fortunate to meet a person who inspires us, not only for their ideals and their willingness and courage in standing by those ideals but also for the way they go about translating those ideals in the work they do. Sandra Dann was definitely one of those people.

Sandra has a deep understanding of the importance of and the need for social justice for all working women, especially the most vulnerable. She is a committed feminist and a fantastic leader. Leadership is particularly challenging in a small organisation, one where everyone is always very close to everyone else. In such an organisation, the art of being a good leader depends more than ever on the ability to work collaboratively and collectively.

Sandra made sure her achievements were also the achievements of all who worked with her at the centre. Successes—her successes, all successes—were always shared but, inevitably, there are also times when difficulties arise where there is a need for hard conversations. A hallmark of Sandra's leadership was that she recognised leadership itself was a challenge but she was always keen to improve and learn more. I quote from Rosemary's contribution on the evening of Sandra's retirement party:

The challenges of leadership at a small organisation are especially great when [as with the Working Women's Centre] it is one dependent on grant funding—it is a reality life is precarious for the Centre and for everyone who works in it. In that context, we can doubly appreciate the longevity of Sandra's tenure is quite remarkable. In such an environment there is a need to become very strategic in the approach and appeal which is made to those who hold the key to the funds on which the Centre depends.

I would like to say something about feminism today. I think we could be forgiven if we might have expected things would go better for working women in our lifetime. Of course, there have been many advances over the years for working women, especially in a country like Australia, and we should neither downplay nor forget them.

However, equally, I think it is very true to say in recent decades we have lived through a time when attacks on women and on working women have been some of the most vicious ever. The treatment of the then prime minister, Julia Gillard, was one of the worst examples that I have ever seen or witnessed, but perhaps even Teresa May's recent experiences in the British parliament would come very close to it. When the most powerful in the country are treated this way, the consequences for the less powerful are likely to result in even worse treatment.

There continues to be much to do for the Working Women's Centre, and in this environment, Sandra stayed true to the mission of the Working Women's Centre and kept the least powerful working women firmly in view. It was always the stories of the women who were clients of the centre that formed the basis for the work, not just the individual work for particular women but the policy work that seeks to make a wider impact.

Under Sandra, the WWC has been an outstanding leader in the policy area. For example, the centre was one of the first to raise the issue of workplace bullying as a serious issue, especially for women. Perhaps even more worthy of note is the recognition of domestic or family violence having serious implications for the lives of those, mainly women, who are its victims.

In June this year, the international conference of the International Labour Organization, which is the U.N.'s agency dedicated to working issues, celebrated the centenary of its foundation, and they voted on whether to adopt an international convention or treaty on domestic violence. Now ratified, it will be a very powerful recognition that the equality of women cannot be realised without a guarantee of safety in the home.

I believe the depth of Sandra's commitment to social justice is also powerfully demonstrated in the leading role she has played in supporting the Working Women's Centre in Timor-Leste. The challenges for women and of poverty in that country are immense. In today's world, there can be no social justice anywhere if it cannot be achieved everywhere. Sandra Dann has always been an absolutely genuine person, one you can count on both professionally and as a true friend.

Sandra is generally interested in others, she loves and delights in her family and friends and she has an enormous and wicked sense of fun. She is also a member of the Muriel Matters Society, which shows great taste. These qualities will take her far in whatever she chooses to do in her retirement. She is an activist through and through and, as Rosemary says, 'For such a person, I suspect there will be no real retirement.' I look forward to working with Sandra Dann on some of her retirement activities and particularly on some of the issues the Muriel Matters Society is keenly interested in.