RSL backs women’s push

FOCUSING on Australian women’s war efforts is important and long overdue, RSL Tasmania’s acting state president Terry Roe says.

Mr Roe has welcomed Governor Kate Warner’s Anzac Day speech in which she said the recognition of Australian women’s war efforts had been “somewhat meagre” and spoke of the contributions Australian women made during the two world wars.

“Alongside our remembrance of the brave male soldiers, sailors and airmen of the war, let us diligently remember their women colleagues, the nurses in particular who lost their lives, and let us also remember the contributions made by women in the services, in the Red Cross, the land army and in the factories,” Professor Warner said.

Mr Roe said he would like to look at ways to better recognise women who were serving or who have served their country. He said the RSL nationally had taken some steps to better recognise women, but there was more that could be done at a state level.

“We do need to pay a lot more attention to them and acknowledge their service,” he said. Mr Roe said there had been occasions when women veterans had been questioned about their medals.

“We’ve had a few over the years — people saying ‘you’re wearing your medals on the wrong side’, but they [the women] have earnt them,” he said. “It’s time we came together and acknowledged the role that females played in the defence force.”

Mr Roe said Professor Warner’s Anzac Day speech was “brilliant and well overdue”.

“Without the nurses the death figure would be much higher, and the sacrifices they made were just as important as what the soldiers made,” he said.