Art site: text

Empowering women - the emergence of women's legislatures

"Governance by agreement between women's and men's legislatures presided over by an executive of elders accompanied by courts of women's and men's jurisdiction delivers gendered decision-making without interruption or intimidation." ‘women's legislatures’, circa 2004 (http://2mf.net/women's_legislatures.htm)

“Gender was the biggest predictor of speed behind the wheel, Dr Mills said, with men using a different part of the brain to women when driving. For women, activity was predominantly seen in the left temporal area associated with language and consciousness, while for men activity was centred in the frontal lobes, associated with planning and motivation.” ‘To arrive alive, let the woman drive’, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 April 2005 (http://2mf.net/news32.htm)

“If the make-up of the judiciary as a whole is not reflective of the diversity of the nation, people may question whether judges are able fully to appreciate the circumstances in which people of different backgrounds find themselves”. British Department for Constitutional Affairs, ‘Diversity merited in High Court’, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 May 2005. (http://2mf.net/news34.htm)

“Corporate management comprising interactive women's and men's committees removes the need for women to pretend to be men.” ‘Pretending to be a man’, circa 2005 (http://2mf.net/pretending_to_be_a_man.htm)

“At any rate, none of these claims about an unchangeable and warlike human nature invalidate the crucial point that, theoretically at least, it is not impossible for human beings to abolish war and eventually achieve permanent peace.” ‘Obstacles to the abolition of war’, Information Clearing House, 3 July, 2006 (http://2mf.net/news118.htm)

“Those who say that women’s issues need to wait until we achieve socialism, or need to take a back seat to ‘class’ issues (as if they were not class issues) really mean that we should do nothing to combat women’s oppression beyond meaningless platitudes.”, ‘Socialism, Feminism and the Future of the SSP’, Frontline volume 2, issue 1, 2006 (http://2mf.net/news121.htm)

“If it is the beginning of a new way, it will represent a truly massive change in the way our women pollies work and it has the potential to be of enormous benefit to Australian women in all sorts of ways.” ‘You go, girls’, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 February 8, 2006 (http://2mf.net/news100.htm)

“The Green Party does not have a single leader but two Principal Speakers, who act as the party's figureheads, fulfilling the public and media role undertaken by the leaders of more conventional parties.” ‘Election results announced’, greenparty.org.uk, 24 November, 2006 (http://2mf.net/news129.htm)

“This is a misogynist Constitution yielding the racist, sexist and divisive social culture to which Australians have become accustomed, a slur on the nation and a tremendous disadvantage to its peoples.” ‘Constitution excludes women’, 31 January, 2007 (http://2mf.net/Constitution_excludes_women.htm)

"[Women] may never have behaved according to the reason of men; but they do behave according to their own reason. By the fault of the laws, their interests are not the same as ours; nor do they consider the same things important. But the fact that they base their conduct on different principles and set themselves different aims does not mean that they are irrational." Marquis de Condorcet, 1790. ‘separation isn't segregation’ , (http://2mf.net/separation_isn't_segregation.htm)

‘imbeciles’, 16 August, 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/v/usDkz1fkdso)

‘ship of fools’, 30 August, 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-GOSzwJspg)

‘referendum proposal’, 17 October, 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/v/Ht2S-VX_jpM)

‘vote women only’, 20 November, 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCYlv6AUdMY)

“Smart government reconciles difference between women's and men's life experience with provision for women's and men's legislatures.”‘collective bargaining’, 3 March, 2009 (http://2mf.net/collective_bargaining.htm)

“Rather than wait until Queen Elizabeth II dies to proclaim a republic as some Australians have suggested, why not declare an equal rights republic while she lives? What greater honour than for Her Majesty to pass sovereignty to senior citizens presiding over the first women's legislature of the modern era.”‘honour the Queen’, 6 August, 2009 (http://2mf.net/crumbling_misogyny.htm)

‘men collapse capitalism’, 26 September, 2008 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Von-SGtpN8)

"In Australia one in two women will be physically assaulted at some point in their lives and one in three women will be sexually assaulted. We also know that by the time a girl turns 18 there is a one in four chance she will have experienced rape or another form of sexual assault. To put that figure in context we also know that men in prison have a one in four chance of being sexually assaulted, suggesting that when it comes to rape, what young women endure in their everyday lives would for men be considered prison conditions.” ‘All jokes aside, it's a disgrace’, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 November, 2008 (http://2mf.net/news158.htm)

“You name it: global warming, the economy, overpopulation, religion, social justice, small government, big government, bureaucracy, sustainability and child welfare; patriarchy is the problem. Empower women with government by agreement between women's and men's legislatures and all the problems ever caused by patriarchy are healed.” ‘all of the above’, 8 October, 2009 (http://2mf.net/all_of_the_above.htm)

“Consistent with the Australian Constitution's provision for men's legislatures only, the Federal Parliamentary Christian Prayer Network‘s website exhorts "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peacable life in all godliness and reverence. (1 Timothy 2:1)", only. A prayer network for the parliament of an equal rights republic enacting law by agreement between women's and men's legislatures would exhort intercessions from women's religion as well as the men's.” ‘women’s religion’, 22 October, 2009 (http://2mf.net/women's_religion.htm)

“The provision of a women's legislature in the Parliament of Australia is the natural culmination of men's legislatures granting women the vote.” ‘culmination’, 3 December, 2009 (http://2mf.net/culmination.htm)

“Interestingly, Australia’s parliament has no formal women’s caucus, which puts us in a minority among the world’s democracies. The US congress has one, and so does the British parliament. Around the world the number of women’s caucuses continues to grow. Allison, who has visited Vietnam, speaks about the caucus there, and the fact that in most of the “baby-step” democracies, women’s caucuses are a permanent and significant feature. Rwanda’s parliament has a highly structured women’s parliamentary forum. Moore, recently returned from that country, notes that the 50 per cent quota legally required for its legislature has already been surpassed – Rwandan women currently make up 56 per cent of their parliament. There appears to be no unanimity on the usefulness of standing women’s caucuses, and a Rwandan example may be no recommendation for some. But, overall, experience has shown that the caucuses have both contributed to social inclusion and augmented legislative power.” ‘A different kind of politics', Inside Story, 19 December, 2009 (http://2mf.net/news181.htm)

“An equal rights republic rebadges the Senate a women's legislature with members elected by women and the House of Representatives a men's legislature with members elected by men, each with exactly the same powers to initiate, review, amend, accept or reject legislation enacted with passage through both. A cabinet of equal numbers of women, appointed by a majority of the women's legislature, and men, appointed by a majority of the men's legislature, reconciles the business of the parliament and provides the republic with leadership, while sovereignty resides with a cabinet nominated council of governors-general comprised of equal numbers of distinguished senior women and men. The States and Territories follow suit, their interests preserved through women's and men's lines of communication, and the courts recognise women's and men's jurisdictions. Change is simple, a referendum gives effect, an equitable outcome certain.” ‘proposal’ , 6 May, 2010 (http://2mf.net/proposal.htm)

“A majority of the men's legislature of an equal rights parliament elects half the leadership group and a majority of the women's legislature elects the other half. The leadership group then elects the nation's leaders.” ‘cabinet government’, 2 September, 2010 (http://2mf.net/cabinet_government.htm)

“If women are the same as men to the extent the two are interchangeable there would never have been a need to include women in parliament. Acknowledgement of difference culminates with governance conducted by agreement between women's and men's legislatures, courts and corporate committees.” ‘acknowledge’ , 30 September, 2010 (http://2mf.net/acknowledge.htm)

“Family violence is about power and control. There wouldn't be a need for police intervention if women and men shared power equitably because there wouldn't be untoward family violence. A potential male offender would achieve nothing by seeking power and control over a woman who is not ultimately answerable to men, neither would a potential female offender seeking power and control over a man. Untoward same gender violence would be relieved of inspiration. Power is derived from legislatures in modern democracies. The only way women and men can ever share power equitably is with governance conducted by agreement between women's and men's legislatures, courts and corporate committees.” ‘family violence’, 17 March, 2011 (http://2mf.net/family_violence.htm)

“* In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, do you agree to an amendment to the Constitution to enable equal rights between women and men?” ‘foundation law’, 16 June, 2011 (http://2mf.net/foundation_law.htm)

“Bans on the burqa in Europe are a valuable lesson in the farce that is patriarchy. A male hegemony imposes cultural rules which women come to own for their very survival. A male hegemony from another culture then imposes cultural rules to overturn the cultural rules a male hegemony imposed in the first place, with apparent disregard for women. It's a power game between men of which women are the victims. It will not be until patriarchy is dismantled with provision for women's legislatures that women will have the opportunity to make their own choices. The bans make men look just plain stupid.” ‘the burqa’ , 2 June, 2011 (http://2mf.net/the_burqa.htm)

“An imbalance of male power is destroying Earth.” ‘recovery’ , 21 July, 2011 (http://2mf.net/recovery.htm)

“A big thanks to all those brave and courageous men and women who over the years established constitutional bicameral parliamentary democracy so equilibrium in the reproduction of culture can be achieved easily, inarguably and globally at the source of power in the modern world with governance by agreement between women’s and men’s legislative assemblies.” ‘constitutional bicameral parliamentary democracy’, 3 May, 2012 (http://2mf.net/archive12.htm)

“It’s long been my contention that capitalism is not a problem per se, but that as with socialism, problems arise when either is controlled by men, the more intense the control the greater the problem.” ‘capitalism’, 27 September, 2012 (http://2mf.net/archive12.htm)

“A decade ago a consensus emerged that since women had been graduating in feeder professions for boards of directors in equivalent numbers to men for the previous two decades, yet boards comprised less than ten per cent women, a male culture in corporate governance was preventing equal opportunity for women. By 2010 Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, with support from the Australian Stock Exchange, set a target of 40% inclusion of women on boards of directors by 2015 or quotas and sanctions would be enforced, including requiring offending corporations to cease trading. The corporate world has long since demolished the 'Let the women come forward to carry their own torches' approach. It’s up to men to be proactive about including women to be taken seriously these days. Decent men don’t need permission from women to champion equal rights.” ‘decent men’, 1 October, 2012 (http://2mf.net/archive12.htm)

“After two centuries of arguably the most intensive anthropological research conducted on any peoples ever, European men, and their dependent women, concluded universally, that traditional Aboriginal society, though diverse, was fundamentally and overwhelming patriarchal, controlled by men. Then as recently as 1983, Dianne Bell published her ground breaking ethnography and anthropological observation of the ritual lives of Kaytej women of the Warrabri (now Ali-Curang) area of Central Australia. Ms Bell gained the confidence of the women because she was not dependent on a man, concluding that women’s business was conducted autonomously and equitably with men’s business, there was a entrenched balance of power between women and men controlling the community, but that male anthropologists had never been invited to, or informed of women’s business because it was none of their business. Ngarrindjeri women confirmed this in the Federal Court during Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy, as have nations across the continent. A little preparation can go a long way with intercultural communication.” ‘ground breaking ethnography’, 23 December 2012 (http://2mf.net/archive12.htm)

“You can't tell folk who've been discriminated against because of their gender that gender doesn't matter. Obviously it does, sufficiently to have been discriminated against. Women matter, sufficiently to be included equitably in governance with women's legislatures alongside the men's, surely?” ‘gender matters’, 23 February, 2013 (http://2mf.net)

“Human rights and sex discrimination laws enacted thirty years ago to achieve equitable outcomes for women have had no impact on rates of sexual violence, which have remained similar for women in the wider community as men experience in gaol. Why? Because legislation enacted under a Constitution still bound by the Victorian era convention that women are the property of men, can’t overcome inequity embedded in law which enables it’s enactment - women were prohibited from membership of Australia’s first Parliament so were enfranchised as men’s property consistent with convention accompanying the Constitution, convention which also accompanies State parliaments. Governance wildly out of touch with community standards is essentially at cause of intractable rates of sexual violence against women. All efforts over three decades “to demand that our governments treat violence against women as a major crime epidemic”, “to know the extent of the epidemic”, “to insist that there must be zero tolerance towards those individuals who are convicted of crimes of violence against women” and “to honour those women who have died in the domestic wars that plague our country” have achieved very little in the shadow of a governance handicapped by Victorian era dogma. The remedy is the provision of equity at the source of governance with a referendum on a women’s legislature: “Do you agree to amend the Constitution to enable equal rights between women and men”. Comment - ‘The number one issue for women’, 8 March, 2013 (http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/the-number-one-issue-for-women-20130307-2fmpn.html)

According to Justice John von Doussain’s judgement in the Federal Court during the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy, Aboriginal tradition affirms equal rights between women and men by acknowledging difference with governance comprising agreement between autonomous women’s and men’s assemblies. The outcome is continuity of culture over tens of millennia, the avoidance of social and cultural conflict and peaceful coexistence with others. By contrast, European men imposed on women the status of either their property, contemporaneous with farm animals, or non-identity, the current fashion of women indistinguishable from men, refusing at every turn to recognise women as different in their own right. The outcome has been incessant, ongoing warfare to the brink of annihilation in a nuclear winter, global, irreversible environmental destruction and massive social and cultural disruption. Some claim Aborigines have nothing to contribute to the modern world. I would argue Aborigines offer nothing less than the difference between human survival and extinction. Recognition of Aborigines in the Constitution is already firmly on the national agenda, which conducted appropriately on provision of a women’s legislature consistent with tradition, would ask the question: “Do you agree to amend the Constitution to enable equal rights between women and men”. Well do you?" ‘continuity of culture’, 16 March, 2013 (http://2mf.net)

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