MEDIA RELEASE
The Personal is Political.
Not Professional, Corporatised or Privatised.
Comments on the 7:30 Report last night by the Head of the Office of Status
of Women, Pru Goward, have sparked heated debate during Senate Question
Time Today.
Ms Goward's statement that many non-government women's organisations needed
to become more 'professional' as a justification for the Government's
decision not to continue operational funding for many organisations,
highlights the division between the current Government and non-government
women's organisations.
"It would be interesting to know just what Ms Goward's definition of
'professional' is. Women's organisations are not businesses, nor do they
run for profit," said Helen Leonard, Executive Officer Women's Electoral
Lobby Australia.
WEL has always delivered a highly professional standard of advice, and we
certainly do not want to be 'professional' in the sense that Mrs Goward
seems to have suggested we should," she said.
"We will continue to represent women as a grassroots political
organisation. We hold firm to our decisions to run an organisation where
all women are valued as equals and encouraged to participate, rather than
adopting the practices of business."
"The Federal Government's decision not to continue operational funding for
many women's organisations means that many of us will have to give more
volunteer time on top of the additional burdens that many women already
carry. But the issues on the Governments agenda of industrial relations,
changes to HREOC and the welfare inquiry are too important for us to let
the Government silence us," she said.
WEL will continue its work of advocating for the interests and aspirations
of Australian women. And WEL will do it on the strength of its membership
and their personal commitment to helping other women.
For more information contact:
Helen Leonard
02 6230 2181 - 02 6230 2979 - 02 6247 6679 - 0417 499 387
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