Forum covers issues
Event part of Suffrage celebrations
A free women’s forum held this Friday is an opportunity to address current issues affecting women in our community, says forum organiser and Heretaunga Women’s Centre manager Margot Wilson.
This year’s forum is taking a different focus on an issue that has been at the forefront of social media, the #MeToo movement.
“The forum is called #WeToo and will be looking at ways in which the community can unite together to create a society that works together to end sexual harassment,” Margot says.
The forum forms part of a number of events happening throughout September to celebrate 125 years of women achieving the vote. Events include static displays in the Heretaunga Women’s Centre and Hastings District Library, screenings of Gaylene Preston’s suffrage short film Hot Words and Bold Retorts and an interesting programme on Suffrage Day itself, Margot says.
This year a range of speakers will consider the issues from different angles, including a keynote address from Hayley Young on sexual harassment in the New Zealand Defence Force. Hayley is an engineer who served in the Royal New Zealand Navy from 2008-2013, leaving due to the toxic level of sexual harassment and assault she faced. Other speakers will cover sexual harassment in the workplace or in public places like bars.
“We’ll be looking at sexual harassment that can occur in social situations and importantly how we can raise our children to be respectful and authentic — a pivotal starting point to seeing the end to sexual harassment.”
Deb Stewart will again lead a panel discussion where forum participants will get an opportunity to ask questions and give their own perspective and views. Deb is employed as a teacher development adviser at EIT. In the past Deb has been active in family violence intervention initiatives locally and nationally and is committed to education and action for social change and social justice.
“It is time to come together as a community and talk about how we can support each other. When we started talking to women about this year’s forum topic, we were amazed at how many women had a story or multiple stories to tell. So many of us normalise these situations and it’s only when we start thinking about it that we go from not having a story to having 10. That’s what needs to change.”
Margot says the forum won’t have a primary focus on the sharing of stories but more on talking about strategies and positive actions we can use individually and collectively. “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi. Engari he toa takitini. My strength is not the strength of one. It is the strength of many.”
■ The Heretaunga Women’s Centre annual forum, Friday, September 14, 1pm-5pm, St Andrews Church Hall, Hastings. To register for this free event phone 8785401 or email admin@hwc.nz