Women unite for our rights
By Erica Haines Adelaide IWD Collective

As 1999 is the Year of the Older Person, the Adelaide collective is looking to the wisdom of older women and asking that younger women join with them to Unite for our rights!. With the millennium drawing to a close, the collective is keen to preserve women's hard won gains and continue the struggle for equality in all areas of life.

In South Australia, the public sector has been cut mainly in areas that predominantly affect women. The Public Service Association is campaigning for wage parity and better conditions across the public sector. Massive staff cuts throughout the public sector have reduced services and left unrealistic workloads for remaining staff.

The funding cuts to childcare force more women back into the home because the costs make working unaffordable. Many childcare centres have been forced to close and those that remain have had to take stringent measures to be able to continue to provide quality care. The economic and social ramifications are most felt by children.

The Education Department is being forced to slash $116 million from its budget over three years. More schools will close, teaching positions will disappear and classes will increase in size. The Australian Education Union's campaign for better conditions for staff and students and increased funding should be supported by all people who care about educational quality.

The coordinator position at the Women's Resource Centre has been axed, leaving a teacher/librarian to cope with all the workload. This position is only being funded for 10 weeks.

The cuts to health services result in longer waiting lists, ward closures, inadequate medical equipment, emotional distress and staff with unacceptable workloads. The Royal District Nursing Society will soon have to charge patients for house calls and domiciliary care services, or turn them away.

As the majority of part-time and casual workers, women will be forced to give up paid work to fill the gap in public services like childcare and aged care. Some women have had to either stop studying or reduce their core hours in various courses.

It's time to unite and fight against cuts to services and the assault on women's rights. The above examples are not exclusive to South Australia; we need to unite in solidarity with our sisters throughout the world.

A woman's place is in the struggle; an activist's work is never done!