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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-09 Daily Xml
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:20): Today, for three-quarters of an hour, at least, I had the privilege of attending the International Women's Day luncheon. I am very sad that the government and the opposition did not decide to start parliament at two o'clock so that those of us who wanted to go to the International Women's Day Centenary lunch could attend. Anyway, some of us managed to get there for a short period of time.

I think the important thing about the International Women's Day lunch is that it has been a celebration that has been happening for 73 years. As members of this house would be aware, International Women's Day was first mooted at the Second International Conference of Socialist Women in Denmark in 1910 and the first International Women's Day event was celebrated in 1919. In Australia, the first International Women's Day rally was held on 5 March 1928 in Sydney.

The first official meeting of our South Australian International Women's Day committee was held in 1938 and was attended by the Women's Council of Trade Unions, the Women's Peace Pledge Union, the Friends, the League of Women Voters and the Women's Welfare League, as well as many other women's groups that were around at the time.

I did note in the booklet that was handed out today to celebrate the 100 years, that your place, Madam Speaker, as our first woman speaker, will need to go down in that very booklet. Anne Levy is recognised as becoming the first female President in the Legislative Council in 1985, but you will be added to that honour roll, and I am really pleased that that has happened.

In 1913, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March. I note that in this place yesterday there were contributions through the grievance process acknowledging International Women's Day. That is the date on which International Women's Day has been acknowledged in particular.

In looking at the history of International Women's Day (IWD) in South Australia, there are quite a few interesting times to note. I note that in the 1983 South Australian Married Women's Property Act, married women were given the right to own their own property. For example, in the 1896 South Australians Married Women's Protection Act, women were given legal protection against their husbands, which seems to me to be a very important thing, too.

In 1966 at the International Women's Day function, Mrs Molly Byrne MP talked on women in parliament. That would have been an interesting contribution. I was not at that particular lunch—I would have been quite young. The first lunch I attended was in 1971, where Justice Roma Mitchell; Mrs Elizabeth Yeatman from the Family Planning Association; Miss Anne Summers (writer); Mrs Freda Brown, the President of the Union of Australian Women; and the United Nations representative on the status of women were speakers at that particular function.

I also note that at the luncheon in 1973, Miss Anne Levy from the Genetics Department of Adelaide University was the speaker. In 1984—there were a number of speakers, obviously, in between—the now Professor Eleanor Ramsay spoke on women's education and employment. I was very fortunate in 1986 to be the speaker, with Sue Vardon, who was then the Director-General of the Department of Community Welfare. In those days, I was the first woman industrial officer at the Trades and Labor Council of South Australia.

I have watched this committee work through the different functions and celebrations that have been put forward. I remember in the very early days, certainly in the 70s, the cordial and sandwiches—

Ms Thompson: I miss them.

The Hon. S.W. KEY: —that were served at these luncheons. Some of the members in here, the member for Reynell, for example, can remember those days as well. I would just like to take this opportunity to also acknowledge the work that is done by the International Women's Day Committee. It is headed up by the president, Toni Jupe, who does a fantastic job and has a number of members who do fantastic work, from Miriam Silva, the Vice President, right through to Rosa Colanero.

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