THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Is microwaving our food damaging our health?…

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Catherine

With every spare minute taken up with exciting family researching this week… reflecting and writing a “Thoughtful Thursday” post was not “in the running” but then a Facebook post yesterday changed all that. The little girl inside me kept stamping her tiny foot, whining and demanding to know “Why?… is that really true?” She refused to be hushed and kept reminding me of the claim we investigated that margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys and when it killed the turkeys it was adapted to feed to humans. That was proven to be an absolute nonsense, a myth… would this latest allegation prove to be the same? I had to know… we had to know. It’s the post below which sent me off on a tangent.

“Mademoiselle Google” soon brought up heaps of information…. the majority report that this is just another myth doing the rounds of Facebook. “EHealthMD” has probably the best overall coverage and provides links to other sites/ information. They claim:

“Stories detailing the dangers of microwaved food permeate the internet. Yet it takes only a quick skim and a smattering of scientific literacy to see that most of the claims made in those stories are based on poor science, rumors, fear mongering, and conspiracy theory.”

In regard to microwaves changing the structure of food their response is:

“This one started out as one of those widely-circulated emails that described somebody’s granddaughter’s science fair experiment. One plant was watered with water that had been boiled on a stovetop, the other with water that had been boiled in the microwave. The accompanying photos supposedly show the gradual demise of the plant watered with the microwaved water.

REALITY CHECK

: As an experiment, the two-plant scenario wouldn’t pass muster for an elementary school science fair project. Barbara Mikkelson over at Snopes.com offers an explanation of the scientific method – for those of you who slept through junior high science class – and debunks this myth solidly. She also ended up with several very healthy-looking plants.”

It is also reported that:

“One of the strongest anti-microwave voices on the web is Joseph Mercola, an Illinois-based alternative physician who runs www.mercola.com. Mercola.com has been recycling and adding to an article about the “proven dangers of microwaves” since at least 1994. By 2010, the Mercola spiel had incorporated just about every microwave myth known to the internet.

Mercola mixes in just enough truth to make it seem believable – for instance, you can kill 99 percent of bacteria on a dish sponge by microwaving it on high for one minute. He cites a few trustworthy sources (such as the Food and Drug Administration) for information about the verified hazards of microwave cooking. But that’s about where the reliability stops. Click around a bit, and you’ll find that most of Mercola’s sources about the hazards of microwaved foods are strongly biased and based on shoddy science.”

You can read more about Mercoli’s claims, and the debunking of them, by clicking HERE.

Well… there you have it. My little girl is satisfied and I happily choose to believe that my use of the microwave, over the past 30+ years, has not damaged the health any of my precious children and I’m certainly going to go on using my WONDERFUL Microwave/ Convection Oven.

I wonder what others think?… Back to my research now and other pressing matters.

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RESOURCES and FURTHER READING:
http://ehealthmd.com/content/microwaved-food-dangerous-myths-and-facts#axzz2Q4tHeWxt
http://factsfromfiction.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/are-microwaves-bad.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/363223-mutated-proteins-in-microwaved-food/
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2006-09/1158166673.Gb.r.html

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TROVE TUESDAY: April Fool’s Day… then and now

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Catherine

I’ve never been much of a prankster except for a few times I stuck a sign on one of my brother’s back reading “kick me”. Not real original. Now my mum just loved April Fool’s Day which I wrote about briefly HERE.

This year I’ve been musing over where mum got her sense of humour and whether, in days gone by, our ancestors also played jokes on April Fool’s Day. With it being Trove Tuesday… to the old newspapers I headed.

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I remember mum saying that her mum, my Nana (Elizabeth Mary Murray Evans Allan) was not just a feisty woman but also quite a jokester, so I decided to check out the Port Pirie newspapers which is where she would have been living at that time, with her first husband and two of her three children.

There was no joy to be had there as the Port Pirie Recorder was full of doom and gloom, not the least of which was the huge miner’s strike taking place in Broken Hill and affecting many workers, and industries including those in nearby Port Pirie.

STRIKE AT BROKEN HILL. 2 Apr 1913. p1. The Port Pirie Recorder, South Australia, Australia
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/9100940

There was no sense in checking out newspapers in other locations, for most of my maternal ancestors lived in surrounding districts and would have been similarly affected by the miner’s strike. So a general search for April Fool’s Day 1913 was my next port of call and these items in the Adelaide Advertiser, although not published in 1913, drew my attention.

AN APRIL FOOL’S DAY JOKE. 2 Apr 1914. p8. The Advertiser: Adelaide, South Australia.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5422591?searchTerm=April

ALL FOOLS’ DAY. 31 Mar 1919. pg.6. The Advertiser: Adelaide, South Australia.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5640730?searchTerm=April

Logging on this morning I found that even the “techy big kids” have been at it this April Fool’s Day

April Fools’ 2013: The best techy pranks of the day. ZDNet. 1 Apr 2013
http://www.zdnet.com/april-fools-2013-the-best-techy-pranks-of-the-day-7000013324/?s_cid=e551

This is my favourite… I wonder which is yours? Just click on the link above to check them all out

My favourite IT April Fool’s Day joke for 2013

Many thanks to Amy Houston for setting up the Trove Tuesday meme and also to TROVE… where would we be without you?

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Here we are… Port Pirie is north of the capital city, Adelaide (just above the ”leg”) and Broken Hill is in NSW, just over the north east corner of South Australia .

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Easter Bilbies & Bunnies…

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Catherine

Will it be Easter Bilbies or Easter Bunnies appearing around your home this Easter, bearing loads of yummy chocolate and candy Easter Eggs and all manner of tasty treats for young, and older, alike?

Maybe it will be both Bilbies and Bunnies?…

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EASTER BILBY BIG REUNION

HOLLY PETERSEN
holly.petersen@news.com.au

“VISITING wildlife parks with her parents as a child is how Rebecca Dunbar a then little known native marsupial heading towards the endangered species list.
   In bid to gain exposure for the Bilby’s plight, the then eight year old gathered signatures from class mates and sent a heartfelt letter to local chocolate makers Melbas and Haighs asking them to help – and the Easter Bilby was born.
   This year marks 20 years since the Easter Bilby became a chocolate icon in Australia, and Mrs Dunbar, of Gawler, says when she sees the bilby brought out for Easter, she stilll has to pinch herself. “I’m humbled,” Mrs Dunbar said.
   “I’m still really amazed an idea could be ongoing and so influential in the public eye.
   ”To be a young person…and hear about a cause…and be part of that change and find you made a difference is exciting and empowering.”
   Melba’s founding director Graeme Foristal said the company had been considering adopting the Bilby in 1993, but credited Mrs Dunbar for giving Melba the push to get it done.
   “The bilby changed Easter in Australia,” Mr Foristal said. “We were very unsure and then when the letter came we just couldn’t resist it. It was so cute.”
   Mr Foristal tracked down Mrs Dunbar this year through the threatened species network which help create the Easter Bilby, to include her in the 20th anniversary celebration and to unveil the new look bilby to the woman who inspired it as an eight year old.
   “It was very exciting – it was like seeing a long time family member,” Mr Foristal said.

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HAIGH’s will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its chocolate bilby this Easter.

In 1993, Haigh’s Chocolates joined forces with the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia (RFA) to help increase awareness of the not-for-profit organisation’s programs.

Haigh’s Chocolates chief executive Alister Haigh said more than 500,000 chocolate bilbies had been made since the partnership started.

“We are determined to do more for a cause that is so important,” Mr Haigh said.

RFA president Nicholas Newland said the initiative raised money and awareness of the threat posed by rabbits.

“We all need to be vigilant against the threat that wild rabbits pose to our biodiversity, landscape quality, farmers, horticulturalists and foresters,” Mr Newland said.

Part proceeds from the sale of Easter bilbies go to the RFA’s work to protect the environment from wild rabbits.

Haigh’s Chocolate’s bilbies are available at its Parkside, Glenelg and CBD stores.

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FEATHERDALE Wildlife Park wants the Easter bilby to be as loved as the Easter bunny.

IT’S the worst rabbit plague in Australia since the 1995 release of the calicivirus from Wardang Island.

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Easter Chocolate gets the “taste test”…

… and the winners are:

Tasty chocolate is tasty chocolate… regardless of it’s shape

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RESOURCES and FURTHER INFORMATION:
Bilby_bw.description

Educational resources, such as this Worksheet, can be accessed at:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/marsupial/Bilbyprintout.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrotis

Save the Bilby:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/save-the-bilby/story-fn6bmg0w-1226039278316

Worst Rabbit Plague Since 1995:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/worst-rabbit-plague-since-1995-could-spiral-out-of-control/story-fn6b3v4f-1226043214057

Haighs Easter Bilbies – 20th Anniversary:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/parksides-haighs-and-rabbit-free-australia-celebrate-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-chocolate-bilby/story-e6frea83-1226601238407

Eight year old girl from Gawler, South Australia, creates the Easter Bilby:
http://digitaledition.nrmessenger.com.au/#folio=22

Students give Easter chocolate – 2013 – the taste test:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/chiil-junior-students-blind-test-chocolates/story-e6frea83-1226609152245

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THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: What’s Goin’ On?…

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Catherine

The week that was…

Have you ever had the feeling that everything you say is wrong?… That even good friends are focussed on “shooting you down”?… That once again you are being denied your own opinion/ your own voice?

The thought flies into my head re: a possible “persecution complex” then I crack up completely with remembering the old maxim:

“Just because you’re paranoid… doesn’t mean that people aren’t out to get ya “

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Reflecting on matters grabbing my attention this past week I found my inner self wailing the words from the old 90′s song… “What’s Goin’ On???”

Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julie Gillard, has had two attempted leadership spills from the bloke she replaced and, on 21 Mar 2013, yet another was being played out. I kept shaking my old head remembering that only 9 days earlier, despite internal rumbling from within her own party, the Polls reported that her public popularity, and that of her government, was on the rise again.

What’s eveb more confusing/ frustrating is that this was brought on by a highly respect senior member of her front bench, Simon Crean. As it turned out, the man in question, Kevin Rudd, decided not to stand saying he didn’t have the “over- whelming numbers” required… so it was very much a “Clayton’s” leadership spill.

Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. March 2013

Understandably, public criticism of our present Government is on the rise again… However, the level of argument/ type of debate has me thinking we’ve flipped back 40 years to when this audio recording was made.

Seems that in the rest of the world many believe we Australians have gone completely “nutso”… and I tend to agree. You can read about it HERE.

My beautiful mum…

Enough said about all that shenanigans except that, at times like this, I miss my mum SO terribly.We’d be having great fun “chewing the fat” over this and she’d speak of similar manoevrings and politicking in days gone past and, like me, mum would have immediately seen how the really important “News of the Day”, was being overshadowed. i.e. “The Australian Prime Minister’s Apology to the Victims of Forced Adoption”.

This LINK will take you straight through to the Video of the Apology by the Prime Minister of the behalf of the Nation.

To read the entire ABC news item, please click HERE

Monica Jones, a teenager in the 1960′s with her life before her…

Monica Jones c.1960s

50 years later Monica shares the pain of having two of her babies forcibly removed for adoption.

Monica Jones, 2013.

If you wish to watch that news report and/ or watch the video of Monica, and other women with the same experience, please click HERE

I wrote earlier about the “Magdalene Laundries”. Some of the victims, to whom the Prime Minister referred, were from these Convents but no all. In mid 1960′s My work colleague, and friend Carol, was incarcerated in “Mc Bride’s Maternity Hospital” here in South Australia, and manipulated/ coerced into signing the adoption papers for her beloved little boy. The pain never left her and I’m hoping that this public recognition/ apology helps just a little in easing that life long agony. I also live in hope that David, and his mother, have finally become re-united.

How ironic that these upheavals were occurred on “Australia’s National Harmony Day”. Mum would have chuckled about that too.

I happily leave the final word to the wonderful Corinne Grant where she advises: “How to Burst a Blood Vessel”.

My most favourite quotes from Corinne are:

“In the end, all that transpired was that a bunch of self-entitled blokes finally cleared out of the cabinet and left Gillard to get on with the job of running the country instead of baby-sitting their egos.

Who the hell did this woman think she was? Their leader?”

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Be sure to swing over to Julie Goucher’s Blog at Anglers Rest where she’s written a delightful “Thursday Thought” about Easter Bunnies.

Don’t forget that if you have a “bee in your bonnet” and/ or a happy thought/ memory that maybe does or doesn’t fit within the Genealogy framework you’re most welcome to share and I’ll put the link HERE on “Sharing our Thursday Thoughts” for others to enjoy.

Cheerio for now… and may life be kind to you. Catherine.

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THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Australia’s “Close the Gap Day” and Constitutional change…

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Catherine

Thinking… navel gazing… reflecting… call it what you like. I love it!

From the time I was “knee high to a grasshopper” I’ve always wondered WHY? … asked endless questions and no doubt driven those around me nearly crazy, which is probably why I’d sometimes get infuriating answers like:

* It’s a wig- wam for a goose’s bridle.
* That’s for me to know and you wonder about.
* Just because…

As this blog is a legacy for my descendants, I’ve decided to start up “Thoughtful Thursday” posts to share some of the thoughts which have engaged me. Maybe other readers will enjoy them too and may have had similar thoughts?

If you have your own “Thoughtful Thursday“ reflections it’d be fun if you share and I’ll set up some sort of a link. How I would do this I have no idea… guess that’s another “Thoughtful Thursday” post for another day… but seems pretty “do-able”, I reckon.

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My thoughts, this week, have been flying around all over the place… hither and thither… and is why, despite having done all the research long ago, this weeks “Tuesday Trove” post was rather late off the “starting blocks“.

Australian Aboriginal Flag

Then not so long ago it all hit me right in the very centre of my forehead and my thoughts focussed totally on matters to do with our original Australians. This was prompted by a FaceBook post from Lanie, the delightful niece of my former husband whom I also claim as my own. Up popped the following vid, from Lanie, titled “Generation One Real Studies”

Ohhh… reached into my very soul, touched my heart and gave it a good old tweak. Of course the long term unemployed, and those who’ve grown un with generations of welfare dependancy, are stuck in a rut don’t know how to get out and need REAL training for REAL jobs, not these “mickey mouse” training schemes which “tick all the boxes” but are meaningless, useless and unfocussed.

So me, being me, I went “a-googling” and was SO surprised to discover that TODAY, the 21st March 2013, is our Australian “National Close the Gap Day” …

HOOLEY DOOLEY!!! … how come I knew nothing about this? …

Then, a little earlier today this wonderful breaking news hit the media… the South Australia’s Parliament is expected to approve recognition of Aboriginal people in the state’s constitution.

So proud, am I to be a South Australian on this memorable day. A bill to amend the constitution received bi-partisan support in the Lower House and will go before the Upper House this afternoon and is expected to be passed. The bill recognises past injustices and acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional owners and occupiers of South Australia. Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Ian Hunter, says the change is long overdue.

“For too long, our foundation document, our South Australian constitution was a blank canvas in terms of mentioning Aboriginal South Australians. It had no recognition of them and paid no respect to them whatsoever.”

Aboriginal leader and convenor of an advisory panel on the bill, Professor Peter Buckskin, says the amendment acknowledges that Indigenous people were dispossessed of their land.

Professor Peter Bucksin

“There is now a new respect for our culture that has survived the 175 years of that dispossession.

This process has really been one of continuing the reconciliation journey. It’s getting more South Australians to understand Aboriginal culture, traditions and knowledge and our connection to our country, land and sea”

Here’s a clip of the wonderful Warrumpi Band with “Jailangaru Pakarnu” for your enjoyment and in celebration of “Close the Gap Day 2013″.

So, there you have it… my focussed thinking for this week.

Hoping that if this week hasn’t been the most WONDERFUL ever for you that you’ve got through it OK and have come out smiling on the other side. Cheers, Catherine.

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RESOURCE re: Constitutional Change in South Australia.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-21/constitutional-recognition-for-indigenous-south-australians/4586158/?site=indigenous&topic=latest

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: …margarine kills turkeys… lactose intolerance… milk poisons

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Catherine

Thinking… navel gazing… reflecting… call it what you like. I love it!

From the time I was “knee high to a grasshopper” I’ve always wondered WHY? … asked endless questions and no doubt driven those around me nearly crazy, which is probably why I’d sometimes get infuriating answers like:

* It’s a wig- wam for a goose’s bridle.
* That’s for me to know and you wonder about.
* Just because…

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A post on Facebook this week immediately caught my eye… it is, as follows:

“Pass The Butter … Please.

This is interesting . .. .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow colouring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavourings….

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end…gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

* Very High in Trans fatty acids.

* Triples risk of coronary heart disease …

* Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

* Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

* Lowers quality of breast milk

* Decreases immune response.

* Decreases insulin response.

And here’s the most disturbing fact… HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC… and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it.

Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends…..(If you want to butter them up’)!

Chinese Proverb:
When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

Pass the BUTTER PLEASE”

- THANKS NATHAN NEELY

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Well, in the blink of an eye three people clicked *like* in support of the leading comment… “No more marg in this house”… and the article itself.

So me, being me… did a little research and posted this article from the “Heart Foundation of NZ” dispelling what they claim to be a “Myth”. They write:

“Myth busting: butter versus margarine

Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats helps reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. One of the main ways to do this is replacing butter with margarine and healthy oils. However, there are a lot of myths about margarine that we frequently get asked about.

The myth: margarine is one molecule away from plastic

This claim has been circulating on the internet since at least 2003. Plastic is a polymer, made up of a long chain of repeated smaller molecules. Plastics are usually made from crude oil and natural gas, but can be made from natural materials such as wood, corn, plants, and even sugars. In fact, one of the earliest plastics made in the 1800’s was from milk. So whilst both plastic and margarine can be made from vegetable oil, that is where any similarity ends. The claim is nonsensical – adding one molecule to margarine won’t turn it into plastic.

Even if it were true, it’s worth considering that one molecule can make a world of difference. Many natural substances are very similar in chemical composition but very different in appearance and effect. One molecule, and more importantly how the molecules are arranged, makes a huge difference to the end product. Take for example the difference between hydrogen peroxide (bleach) and water, which have only one atom difference.

The myth: margarine was originally made to fatten up turkeys but instead it killed them

Not true! Margarine was originally developed in 1869 in response to a request by Napoleon III for a viable, low-cost substitute for butter. It was developed for humans, and not for turkeys. The first margarine was made by combining salty water, milk, and margaric acid to softened beef fat. Beef fat was subsequently replaced with vegetable oils.

The myth: margarine increases risk of heart disease by 53% according to a recent Harvard Medical School study

This claim relates to a study conducted in the United States in the 1980s. At that time, margarines in the US contained up to 29% trans fat. We now know that trans fat has an adverse effect on cholesterol levels, even more so than saturated fat. So what this study was really observing was the effect of trans fat on heart health, rather than the effect of margarine itself.

Levels of trans fat in margarines in New Zealand have always been far lower than those in the United States, and changes in production methods mean most are under 2% trans fat. Margarine spreads carrying the Tick have been independently tested and contain less than 1% trans fat.

It is recommended that we get less than 1% of our energy from trans fats. The good news is that more than 85% of New Zealanders consume less than this amount. Trans fats are also found in processed, bakery, and fried foods, for example biscuits and cakes.”

I was a bit disappointed when posting this “Myth Busting” message from the “NZ HEART FOUNDATION” because it seemed to stop further comment and closed down the possibility of any discussion and I was rather keen to post the following two vids and chat on about probs with Milk products:

Lactose Intolerance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3iIfL8q0_k&feature=youtu.be

Milk the Deadly Poison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYpafipJyDE&feature=youtu.be

After all that “heavy stuff”, I finished off with a bit of fun with the English National Ballet. Just click on the link below.

http://video.news.com.au/2340020291/Ballet-shake

Hoping your week was wonderful… Cheers, Catherine.

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TROVE TUESDAY… of Washing Days & Suffragettes

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Catherine

Always fascinated by the daily life of my Ancestors I’ve found Australia’s free digitised newspapers, on Trove, as a perfect way to satisfy my curiosity and have decided it will be fun to share these discoveries with readers by participating in Amy Houston’s, theme of Trove Tuesday.

The plan is to select items at random from a range of South Australian newspapers, from 100 years ago, and have a look at what my Ancestors may have been reading. It will be interesting to see what turns up.

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Washing Day a Pleasure
12 Mar 1913. pg 3. The Advertiser: Adelaide, South Australia.

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Those Suffragettes
12 Mar 1913. pg 3. Border Watch: Mount Gambier, South Australia.

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Thankyou to Crissouli of “That Moment in Time” for the opening image.

The Year that was… International Women’s Year, Australia, 1975.

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Catherine

Wedding Day 22 Dec 1941. (c) C.Crout-Habel

“Well Kathleen, you choose which one of them will go through High School. Of course Catherine doesn’t count because she’ll just get married, have children and leave.”

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This makes my dad sound like a heartless beast but he was simply reflecting the social beliefs and expectations in our part of the world, Port Adelaide, South Australia, at the time – the mid 1950′s.

Fortunately my precious mum had ideas of her own. From her earliest years and right throught to her dying day mum loved books, whom she considered to be her “best friends“. She valued education, delighted in learning and always regretted that, despite gaining the QC (Qualifying Certificate) which was necessary if one were to attend Secondary School, the family situation required that she leave school and begin paid employment at about 12-13 years of age. So when dad presented mum with that choice she rebelled, challenged the social mores of the time and started working outside the home to ensure that all of her 4 children, and especially her only daughter, were provided with the education she yearned for but was denied.

Trying to explain what it was like growing up through the 1950′s and 60′s, and coming into maturity as the second wave of the so called “Women’s Liberation Movement” gained momentum is very challenging. It was far easier to do a “wrap up” of the origins of International Women’s Day because that is “one step removed” and requires no emotional investment.

Personal experience, filled with all the highs and lows, the excitement, the hope and the opening of opportunities… combined with the personal conflict, disappointments, mis-understandings and outright nastiness which certainly was “another kettle of fish” but it’s a story that must be told to help the present, and future generations, begin to understand the ex-periences, and decisions, of their Ancestors which helped shape the world they now occupy and indeed helped shape them. I’m referring here, of course, to my children and grandchildren.

It was a time of protest when more and more women began to challenge the status quo. It was a time of marches, protest, and demands for equal pay, equality in employment and education, free 24-hour child care, the right for women to control their own bodies, safe contraception, abortion on demand, and an end to both violence against women and discrimination against lesbians.

In Australia thousands of women formed women’s groups and organisations and, through direct actions such as marches and demonstrations, women vocally demanded change to economic, political and social discrimination. Women’s liberation influenced women’s fashion, with women favouring the ‘natural look’, long hair and comfortable free-flowing clothes, including bell-bottom jeans.

In order to focus attention on women’s rights, the United Nations declared 1975 to be International Women’s Year and 1976-1985 to be the UN Decade for Women. On International Women’s Day (8 March) 1974, the Australian Government announced its own program to mark IWY.

The Whitlam Labor government, which had demonstrated its commitment to women with the appointment of Elizabeth Reid as the special adviser to the Prime Minister on women’s issues, allocated $2 million for 1974–75 and a further $1.3 million in the 1975–76 budget for International Women’s Year activities. A National Advisory Committee was established in September 1974 with Reid as convener. Its role was to publicise and coordinate the government’s IWY program, and to allocate funding to individuals and groups for projects that supported the three objectives: to change attitudes, reduce discrimination and encourage women’s creativity. The National Advisory Committee was supported by the IWY secretariat which was located within the Department of the Special Minister of State.

International Women’s Year also marked the debut of ABC Radio 2′s Coming Out Show dealing with women’s affairs. The weekly program covered issues of importance in the struggle for gender equality. Behind the scenes, the show was a training space for women in broadcasting, a place for skilling up and enabling women to take over the airwaves – or at least to claim some of the airtime.

To hear the Audio of the inaugural ABC “Coming Out Show” please click HERE

For this inaugural edition broadcast on 8 March 1975, reporters took to the streets to record some of the excitement of the International Women’s Day demonstrations. Comments from those interviewed in Sydney range from the chauvinistic to the evangelical, including a precious cameo from the late Bessie Guthrie who founded the first refuge for women and children in Australia.

Bessie Guthrie’s house – 97 Derwent St, Glebe, NSW. Australia

Collectively the women driving these initiatives were known as the Australian Women’s Broadcasting Cooperative. The Coming Out Show ran for 23 years and changed forever the way ABC Radio sounded and the issues it canvassed.

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Protest March in Melbourne – International Women’s Year, 1975

As I said, it’s very difficult to explain to the younger generation(s) just how very different life, opportunities and expectations were for women “back when I was a girl“.

This video explains it far better than I ever could. Please click HERE to view.

The Women’s Movement, those heady days of the 1975 International Year of Women, combined with the many reforms of the Whitlam Labor Government, after a lifetime of a Conservative policies, all combined to provide opportunities I’d never dreamed possible. Of course I paid the price with spiteful behaviour, attempts to undermine my confidence, my marriage and more examples of negativity than I even care to think about, but who cares??? … I certainly came out the winner which is reflected in the achievements of my 3 beautiful children.

Mum always said that it’s a parent’s responsibility to give their children a “leg up” that rickety ladder of life. She did that… I did that… and my children are now doing that with their own “chickadees”. Life is good.

~~~~~~~~~

RESOURCES & FURTHER READING:
http://australianpolitics.com/2001/03/19/womens-electoral-lobby.html
http://www.whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/history_and_legacy
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs237.aspx
http://www.myplace.edu.au/TLF_resources/R2736/description.html
http://www.abc.net.au/archives/80days/stories/2012/01/19/3415303.htm
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/international-womens-day
http://youtu.be/b0TgGb8f-SE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Anne_Reid
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/guthrie-bessie-jean-thompson-10382
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/hindsight/creating-a-space-the-life-of-bessie-guthrie/3218016
http://www.glebewalks.com.au/Politicians-Publicans-Sinners-14.html

International Women’s Day… what’s it all about?

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Catherine

After many decades of celebrating International Women’s Day, and fully understanding its purpose and ethos, I decided it well past time to actually look closely at its origins.

International Women’s Day (IWD), held on March 8th across the world, is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women in the past, present and future. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.

Although much progress has been made to protect and promote women’s rights, in recent times, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men. According to the United Nations (UN) the majority of the world’s 1.3 billion absolute poor are women and, on average, women receive between 30 and 40 percent less pay than men earn for the same work. Women also continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide.

In 1910, Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. The proposal received unanimous assent from over one hundred women representing seventeen countries. Meetings and protests were held across Europe with the largest street demonstration attracting 30,000 women. The day sparked great public debate, and advocates drew attention to the absolute necessity of extending the right to vote to women to make parliament more democratic.

The very first International Women’s day was held the following year on March 19th. The March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day that the Prussian king promised to introduce votes for women in 1848. The promise gave hope for equality but it was a promise that he failed to keep. The inaugural event, which included rallies and organized meetings, was a big success in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In 1913, IWD was transferred to March 8th and has been held on this day ever since.

The UN drew global attention to women’s concerns in 1975 by calling for an International Women’s Year and held its first official celebrations in Mexico City. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace inviting Member States to proclaim a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace – International Women’s Day – to be observed on any day of the year in accordance with their historical and national traditions.

Since then, the United Nations Organisation has observed March 8th as International Women’s Day The UN considers the purpose of this day is to recognise the fact that securing peace and social progress, and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, require the active participation, equality and development of women and to acknowledge the contribution of women in achieving these goals.

Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nation’s women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas. Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

For the women of the world, the symbolism of International Women’s Day has a wider meaning. It is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilise for meaningful change.

For newspaper articles which discuss the continuing challenges facing women, in 2013, please click on the following links:
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/international-womens-day-has-yet-to-achieve-its-purpose-20130305-2fiv3.html

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1349889/international-womens-day-is-to-recognise-plight-says-ballarat-scientist/?cs=12

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-van-den-brule/this-international-womens_3_b_2828951.html

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/news/2013/20_13.html

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/this-womens-day-remember-fallen-in-domestic-wars-20130307-2fo1v.html

RESOURCES & FURTHER INFORMATION:
http://www.isis.aust.com/iwd/stevens/origins.htm
http://www.isis.aust.com/iwd/stevens/firstiwd.htm
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/international-womens-day

Since 1999 International Men’s Year is celebrated on 19 November each year.

~~~~~~~~~

International Women's Day: The Gender Agenda

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Catherine

Reblogged from A SILVER VOICE FROM IRELAND:

"The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum" is the theme for International Women's Day on Friday next 8, March.

The story of how this annual celebration came about is so worth repeating as it is in itself a triumph of ' The Gender Agenda' and an inspiration to all of us girls who want to celebrate the road travelled in our name, or raise awareness of paths that still need to be trod on behalf of our sisters across the world.

Seeking Susan ~ Meeting Marie ~ Finding Family

Genealogy and family stories throughout South Australia and across the seas…

Tag Archives: Customs

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Is microwaving our food damaging our health?…

TROVE TUESDAY: April Fool’s Day… then and now

Easter Bilbies & Bunnies…

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: What’s Goin’ On?…

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Australia’s “Close the Gap Day” and Constitutional change…

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: …margarine kills turkeys… lactose intolerance… milk poisons

TROVE TUESDAY… of Washing Days & Suffragettes

The Year that was… International Women’s Year, Australia, 1975.

International Women’s Day… what’s it all about?

International Women's Day: The Gender Agenda

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