9 Mar 2022
Hunter women and allies will march this Saturday at 10 am from Birdwood Park to Civic Park to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Hunter women and allies will march this Saturday at 10 am from Birdwood Park to Civic Park to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The march marks the first time in three decades Hunter Workers has held a march in Newcastle for the event.
The first ever International Women’s Day march was held at Islington Park in 1931, organized by the Women’s Militant Movement, the women’s section of the Communist Party of Australia.
From that time on, the marches became a yearly occurrence with the support of Hunter Workers (previously known as the Newcastle Trades Hall Council), up until the 1989 Newcastle earthquake that saw the previous trades hall fall.
In addition to the march, Hunter Workers is celebrating International Women’s Day by hosting a screening of the documentary “Women of Steel” at 7 pm, March 12th, Green Hills Hoyts.
The screening is raising money for local charity Got Your Back Sista, and director Robynne Murphy will be in attendance for a Q&A session following the film.
Leanne Holmes, Chair of Hunter Worker’s Women’s Committee:
“We are so excited to march once again for International Women’s Day, and we are calling on all Hunter women and allies to join us in our celebration this Saturday.
Our march isn’t just to celebrate the achievements of women; it’s also to have our voices heard and to amplify the stories and injustices women continue to face today.
Women were hit hardest by the pandemic: they lost more jobs than men, they took on more unpaid work, and they were less likely to get government support.
We need a government who will prioritise women’s equality and equity, and put this into true action, not just empty words and promises.
One of the most constructive things our government could do to improve the prospects and equality of women in this country would be to end the proliferation of insecure work.
And yet our current government has spent the last decade making jobs less secure, leaving women worse off.
We need a government who will fight for secure jobs, and we need them to hear us. Hear us they will this Saturday.”