----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 7:57
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Mothers and
Midwives Marched today
Hi
everyone
There was about 50
mothers, midwives, lots of babies in prams and slings marching together today
at lunchtime from about 12noon through Martin Place up to Parliament
house. It was a
thrill to see so many turn up.
It was fun, we chanted
What do We want? Midwives and When do we want them? Now !!!! Very
LOUDLY
We tried
to synchronize some other chants too
and had a couple of laughs along the way so for a while we
switched to “Mothers
and Midwives marching together”
The area was fairly
crowded with lots of astonished faces
looking at us reading our slogans on
posters.
Justine Caines (Maternity
Coalition NSW President) was brilliant at organizing everyone – she has
the ability to make it all look very easy. Straight after the march she took off
for a meeting in Canberra – what a
woman !!!
2GB Radio was there for
interviews.
ABC Radio was there
too.
Channel 7 News was
filming –
and following us all
the way.
I am not sure who the
other film crews were but they were very interested and followed our crowd
too.
We had representatives
from the Democrats in the march and with their banners
too.
The march was
co-coordinated by Tanya Leishman (from my classes) who is a Greens Candidate
from Heathcote and the Greens were well represented and had their flags and
banners too.
Lee Rhiannon gave a speech as did The Hon. Dr
Arthur Chesterfield-Evans MLC –
these were recorded
by 2GB and ABC RADIO.
It was an easy
march – no
rain J - just a fairly
short distance to
travel so we
didn’t get
puffed out and it
seems having it in the middle of the city was a good idea to attract the media
attention.
The youngest baby was
Tanya’s at 6
weeks old!!! Isn’t she
amazing to organise this with her first baby being 6 weeks
old.
Some mothers brought in 2
or 3 children and they were all great – the
camera crews were particularly interested in filming the
littlies.
After the march we
relaxed together and ate our lunch at the domain in the afternoon
sunshine –
quite beautiful
-
It was clearly a very
very successful march.
It was a
buzz!!!
Never mind if you
weren’t there
to join us this time – come
along next time.
I think the next one is
for the Illawarra region at Wollongong
–
only takes 50 mins to get there from Sydney.
Hug to
all
Julie Clarke
Childbirth and
Parenting Educator
Transition into
Parenthood
9 Withybrook
Pl
Sylvania
NSW 2224
T. (02) 9544
6441
F (02) 9544
9257
M. 0401 265
530
email
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
