Women's | Issue 16

Feature

vo l .77 iss ue.16

the women’s issue

editor@salient.org.nz

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Feature

contents on the cover I l l u s t r a t i o n b y L i l y P a r i s We s t ilyb adposture.tumblr.com

weekly content 5. Letters/Quiz 6. News 2 8 . C r e at i v e S e c t i o n 37. VUWSA page 39. Arts 44. Odds and Ends

features 13. Ladies in the House 1 8 . M e n’s D e b t 21. Pride And Prejudice 2 3 . M a n a Wa h i n e 2 5 . W h a t F e m i n i s m M e a n s To M e 3 0 . Th e R e a l F - W o r d 32. Feminism & Gender 33. I Am a Feminist and a Writer But I D o n ’ t Wa n t t o B e a F e m i n i s t W r i t e r

columns 16. Sports Banter 17. Bone Zone with Cupie Hoodwink 3 4 . We i r d I n t e r n e t S h i t 34. Conspiracy Corner 35. Food 3 6 . B e i n g We l l 3 6 . M āo r i M at t e r s 38. Shirt and Sweet 3 8 . H i s t o r y Th a t H a s n ’ t H a p p e n e d Y e t

online content VUWSA Exec Column Interviews with MPs F u l l K i l l M u r r ay I n t e rv i ew Wh at F e m i n i s m M e a n s t o M e w w w. s a l i e n t . o r g . n z

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The Women’s Issue

FUCK YOU: PAY ME

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f you open this magazine most weeks, the first thing you’ll see is the two, male, editors. They (and, occasionally, their manhoods) are right there, alongside their editorial explaining their vision for the week’s issue. This isn’t wrong – they are the ones doing the job. But it is illustrative of a wider story.

Behind the scenes at Salient, precisely half of the ten core paid staff at the beginning of this year were women. The Designer, and the only person paid to be here full-time, is a woman, as has been the case for the last three years. Two of the three feature writers were women, and both the Arts and News Editors are women.

Women working unannounced is nothing new. For much of our society’s history, women’s choices have been restricted. Our grandmothers were largely limited to nursing, teaching or domestic labour. This silence translates into wider economic inequality in a major and shocking way. Globally,

women are 50 per cent of the population, and 40 per cent of the labour market, but own just 1 per cent of the world’s wealth. In New Zealand, men took home threefifths of total income in 2006: we still have a gender pay gap of 13 per cent, and it is worse for Māori and Pasifika women.* All these statistics sound pretty sterile, and certainly if you’re looking around a lecture theatre dominated by women (as most now are, unless you’re studying Computer Science), perhaps somewhat unlikely. If, like I did, you grew up with your family telling you that you were just as good as your brother, or you went to an all-girls school where you saw other girls achieve highly, they might be even more unsettling – nobody I know would advocate women being paid less, so just what is going on?

The gap is less apparent now, but it really kicks in about five years after you graduate, no matter

what qualification you have. That’s when employers start deciding that you’re more of a liability because you’ve got a womb, and they stop promoting you, while your male colleagues are on the golf course with the CFO. It’s important. And it’s bullshit.

Women’s economic vulnerability matters hugely. It makes us vulnerable in a myriad other ways, and it’s inherently demeaning and disempowering. Women who are financially dependent on their partners are more vulnerable to domestic abuse. So long as women are underpaid, we are marginalised and ignored. Money is still power, and equality rests on access to both.

For this issue, I interviewed top-ranking female politicians from the major political parties – Judith Collins, Jacinda Ardern, Metiria

Turei, Tariana Turia. To a woman, they talked about the importance of economic security to change women’s lives. In a similar vein, Maddy Foreman writes about women’s work. Amber Woolf looks at violence, both towards and perpetrated by women; Kieran Gera talks about mana wahine, and women’s empowerment in Māori culture. Penny Gault looks at the accessibility of modern feminism, Viveka Nylund talks about gender and feminism, and Ruth Corkill discusses her experiences as a female writer pigeonholed as a feminist.

We’ve also got ten brief pieces on what feminism means to ten different people.

I wanted as many different women’s voices as possible in the Women’s Issue. I hope we’ve done that.

*(It is important to note that by just going to university, we are massively increasing our earning potential. We are far more likely to earn enough to comfortably keep a roof over our heads: we are part of a privileged elite. That fact shouldn’t be used to elide the gender gap.)

L ove ,

So phie B o ot

editor@salient.org.nz

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Guest Editorial

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President’s Editorial

rying to put the concept of ‘women’ into a magazine is not an easy task. It is especially difficult to even pinpoint down on the multitudes that being a ‘women’ in 2014 entails. Ideas of what it is to be a woman may come to mind, but do not apply universally and may potentially be problematic. It should be celebrated that we can now live in a time where the gender spectrum is not as rigid, and that it is opening up so that woman can really express who they are and their identity as a woman. However, we cannot forget the many issues that certain genders seem to face more than others, and this is where feminism, intersectionality and trans rights need to be recognised as important. These are instruments that give hope to those who are systematically, socially and culturally disadvantaged in society.

For myself, personally, I see feminism as something that is inclusive to all genders, but also understand that feminism has no handbook – there is no ‘right’ way to do feminism, and it is constantly up to interpretation among activists, scholars and people who turn to it.

Don’t try compete by saying other issues are not important, because they may not be issues you identify with! But beside the point, it shows that with feminism you can take what you want from it; you focus on issues that are important to you and your community.

Speaking of community, I wanted to mention the core values that the Women’s Group executive has instilled as its vision for the Women’s Group this year.

The first value that we wanted to focus on is community. For us, community is important because we are running this group as part of being a representative group at university; there are many people

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The Women’s Issue

here and it’s important creating a safe space where women’s group members feel respected, included and involved. The Women’s Room is a place where community is instilled; it’s a place where we met new people, and we can hang out and enjoy the comforts it has to offer (the couches especially). We have also taken the time to update the Women’s Room, by repainting the wall, moving around the furniture and putting more posters and artwork on the walls.

It really is like a second home away from home now. Secondly, our focus has been on education. Being a part of the ‘Let Me Go Home’ campaign and running a seminar on Consent has been an important part of us promoting how there are issues that students and women still face today. Creating awareness of these issues and working on change is something that cannot be possible without education. Lastly, our focus has been on having fun! Being students who seem to have never-ending workloads, stress and lack of funds highlights how important it is to have a good time to make up for these hardships. As a part of Women’s Week, this has been a chance where we can instil all three of our values with the events going on. You totally should come along and meet some new people, learn something new and most of all, take a break and have some fun! We have a bunch of different events going on each day, from a relaxed movie night on Monday, to an energised Quiz Night to end the week. I really hope this week and this issue makes you feel empowered to be a woman by celebrating diversity, community and good times. All of us in the Women’s Group are excited about hosting this week, and we hope to see you there!

Chrissy Brown Brown Chrissy

VUWSA Women’s Group President

THE SUBTITLE ‘ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE’. SOME INTERPRETED THAT AS A RACIST SLUR. SALIENT TAKES ALLEGATIONS OF RACISM VERY SERIOUSLY. WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY OFFENCE TAKEN BY OUR READERS. THE SUBTITLE IS A QUOTE BY ARTIST JENNY HOLZER AND WAS INTENDED AS AN ALLUSION TO THE REGULARITY WITH WHICH THOSE IN POWER ABUSE THEIR POSITIONS. SEE CLAUDETTE HAUITI AS THE LATEST EXAMPLE. IN NO WAY DID WE INTEND TO SUGGEST THAT RACE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ABUSE OF POWER. POWER IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CORRUPTER.

Letter of of the the Week Week Letter

YOU’LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT Dear Salient I bought and consumed a pie. Yet brushing off the crumbs proved simpler than brushing off the unanswered questions. For example why did I buy a pie? To put it simply I was hungry, but that didn’t quite cut it. What is hunger I asked? In essence it was my body subjecting me to pain until I consumed food. It felt weirdly… coercive. In that moment it was as if I had peeled off the top of the pie and discovered the real meat of the matter. My body was like the modern state, encouraging certain behaviors and discouraging others. I had consumed the pie for the greater good. Was this right?

An anarchist would say that coercion is never justified, but I say it is justified because without hunger, I might not eat a pie when I need to. My stomach is ambivalent on the issue of coercion, but it is a firm supporter of pie.

Regards From Plato’s bakery NOT AS BAD AS HERALD’S JACKASS COVER

Dear Salient, Bill Tuiloma isn’t Winston Reid.

Thanks WE’RE IGNORANT, NOT MALICIOUS

Dear Salient, Your recent article, “Abuse of power comes as no surprise” by Sophie Boot was sensationalist and borderline racist. Those conclusions were drawn from the heading alone. The article itself was poorly written and had factual inadequacies.

While it is important to report on these matters that may affect some students and the University community, the way in which it was approached was offensive to a number of groups.

The implication of the headline, whether it was intentional or not, is that it is “no surprise” that a Pasifika person has acted in a way tantamount to misconduct.

The effect of this is that it colours peoples’ views of not only that one group or person, but of the Pasifika community in general, regardless of whether they have

anything to do with PSC, VUSSA or the other 7 groups mentioned.

Also, the blatant naming and shaming of a student without evidence of attempting to reach the student to make a comment shows a lack of journalistic integrity, not on the authors behalf, but on Salient as a whole.

That would have been the fair and right thing to do and would have greatly enhanced the validity of the article.

Furthermore, you did not explain why it was of “no surprise” that misconduct had occurred. Is there is a history of misconduct in Pasifika groups that makes it seem valid to publish this as the headline or is there another specific event that lead the author to this conclusion? Either by ignorance or malicious intent, this article was allowed to be published with a lack of proper research and tact, and it is the responsibility of Salient to rectify this. A public retraction and apology would be an appropriate response to what has been interpreted as an offensive article.

Thanks, Sereana & Alexandra

REMOVE THE FEDORA

Thanks a lot for your shitty article about Gaza on page 7 of last week’s edition of Salient. Luckily, I had just run out of Zopiclone the day before so your article was the perfect substitute for the drug induced slumber I was after on Monday morning. Not. You should perhaps look to the DomPost for inspiration, which on the same day had a fantastic cover story about a Petone baker who made a cake in the shape of an elephant and no less than six articles about MH17. The truth is nobody really gives a shit about Gaza because we all know that Jews rule the media. Cut the derivative, uninspired, preachy bullshit and tell us what we all want to know: how do you get out of the friend zone? We have our own problems. We hardly need to hear about poor people’s problems on the other side of the world when we have to put up with people talking in the Blue Zone.

Fuck man.

A BIT CROSS, A BIT LET DOWN

Dear, ACROSS 14. what you are called In your games issue, a friend and I decided to attempt your Puzzle Time “Quick” Crossword. As this was our first crossword, we were very 26. excited (we didn’t get that one). Working as a pair, we got pretty far, however, there were a couple left. We waited in anticipation for this coming Monday’s Salient for the answers.

Your creative issue, although creative (jk, your newspaper format was stupid), failed to fulfill the most basic requirement (ANSWERS). By not providing us with the answers we have been yearning for, you have instead provided us with great disappointment. I must now ask you to put the damn answers in the next Salient.

DOWN, 18. son’s best friend (seriously, who made this crossword)?

Women’s Quiz 1. What was the first fully independent country to extend full voting rights to women, in 1913?

2. Who directed the war films The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty?

3. True or false: Rwanda’s Parliament is the only one in the world with a majority of women members.

4. Sophie Pascoe won New Zealand’s first swimming medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a gold medal in which stroke?

5. What are sisters Este, Danielle and Alana three-quarters of?

6. Which English artist’s two self-described “seminal” works consisted of a tent with names written on the inside, and an unmade dirty bed?

7. ‘Not Waving But Drowning’ is perhaps the most famous work of which English poet?

8. What is the highest-selling PlayStation 2 game with a clear female protagonist of all time?

9. By what name is a layer of cake or biscuit topped with raspberry jam and coconut meringue, and then baked, better known in New Zealand?

10. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize of any kind?

1. Norway (New Zealand was still officially a British colony in 1893) 2. Kathryn Bigelow 3. True 4. Breaststroke 5. Haim (an American band) 6. Tracey Emin 7.

Stevie Smith 8. Kingdom Hearts 9. Louise cake 10. Marie Curie (for Physics in 1903)

Letters

Feature

APOLOGY: LAST WEEK WE RAN A STORY ABOUT THE MISUSE OF PASIFIKA STUDENTS’ FUNDS UNDER

editor@salient.org.nz

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Feature

WOMAN OF L AST WEEK

BY THE NUMBERS

IN THE MODERN ERA OF INTERNATIONAL

121

ATHLETICS, VAL IS AN ALL-TIME GREAT. SHE IS POSSIBLY NEW ZEALAND’S BEST SPORTSPERSON

The number of years that women have had the vote in New Zealand.

EVER. LAST WEEK, SHE WON HER THIRD COMMONWEALTH GAMES SHOT-PUT GOLD WITH A THROW OF 19.88 M. HER THROW WAS 1.3 METRES FURTHER THAN

11,000 The average number of tampons or pads used by a woman in her lifetime.

SILVER-MEDAL WINNER AND FRIEND CLEO BOREL. SHE HASN’T LOST A COMPETITION

32 The percentage of MPs in New Zealand who are women.

IN FOUR YEARS, THIS BEING HER 54TH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY. ASKED TO ANALYSE HER

1984 The year in which women in Liechtenstein finally but narrowly won the right to vote, after a men-only referendum.

PERFORMANCE, NZ’S FLAGBEARER SAID: “SCREW ANALYSING, IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE.” TOO RIGHT.

90 The percentage of sexual assaults that go unreported.

110 MILLION The number of hours of unpaid childcare performed by women in the US each year compared to the 55 million hours performed by men.

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The Women’s Issue

Feature

NEWS

K een

STUDENTS: JOBLESS, SEARCHING JOB SERVICE TAKES A HIT

by Sophie Boot

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he Tertiary Education Union (TEU) has called on politicians to address rising lecturer/student ratios.

Students at Victoria are earning less from SJS, with fewer students enrolling in the service and fewer job placements.

Data released by SJS shows nearly a 20 per cent drop in new student enrolments in the first six months of 2014, compared to the same period in 2013.

This is matched by a four per cent drop in job placements, a six per cent drop in money earned and a nine per cent drop in worker weeks.

The decreases are in keeping with the trend from last year, which

also saw a drop in placements and new enrolments. In the first six months of 2012, SJS got 2063 Victoria students jobs; this year, that has decreased to 1905.

Similarly, new enrolments have dropped from 2412 to 1786.

High earnings from 2013 have disappeared, going from $5.5 million in the first half 2013 to $5.18 million. This is still a significant increase on the 2012 period where students earned $4.23 million.

VUWSA Welfare Vice-President, Rick Zwaan, said the data was concerning.

“The data reinforces that students are finding it hard to get a job, and if they do get one, they’re earning less. Student Loan living

eye for news ?

S end

any tips , leads or gossip to news @ salient . org . nz

costs or Allowances are simply not enough to live on. Until there are better student-support policies in place, it’s crucial that there are enough well-paid part-time jobs available for students so we have enough to get by and focus on our study.”

The drops come as SJS considers constitutional changes, including opening up membership to groups other than students’ associations.

SJS has historically been free to use for all students at university who are affiliated with a member students’ association – in Victoria’s case, this is VUWSA. However, following discussion at the SJS Special General Meeting (SGM) in June, SJS is considering constitutional changes.

The changes are in response to declining SJS membership “as the number of Students’ Associations declines (e.g. winding up of some

small associations) and functions traditionally associated with students’ associations are being taken over and delivered through other mechanisms.”

“At the same time, students have increasing access to alternative online employment services (e.g.

Trade Me, Seek) although these are not tailored specifically for the needs of students.”

Students spoken to by Salient said SJS was useful for cash-in-hand jobs, but they wouldn’t use it if they were seeking a permanent job. One student cited employer’s anonymity as a deterrent – “you don’t know what you’re applying for.”

However, other students said they had had success using the service, and one student had gotten a job teaching rugby in Asia through SJS. Student job-seekers can find SJS online at sjs.co.nz.

VUWSA welfare vice president, Rick Zwaan

editor@salient.org.nz

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News

UN-ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT POLICY BORDERS ON RIDICULOUS

by Alice Peacock

B

order arrest warrants can be requested by IRD in order to prevent borrowers significantly overdue on their overseas-based repayment obligations from leaving New Zealand upon their next visit home.

The policy came into effect on 1 April this year, after the Student Loan Scheme Amendment Bill was passed. It gave Police the right to arrest serious Loan defaulters at the border, with potential fines of up to $2000.

Announced in last year’s

Budget, the sanction is a component of IRD’s drive to increase compliance of overseas borrowers. This scheme was set into action in 2010, and by the end of June last year had succeeded in scraping back $70.2 million of loans from graduate students. In the year to last month, IRD received another $123.6 million in payments.

Despite this, the default balance owed by overseas-based borrowers at the end of June this year was $683.3 million, an

HE KŌRERO WHAKAMIHI SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS FOR MĀORI STUDENT

by Sofia Roberts

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4-year-old Victoria University student Aidan Joblin-Mills has received a $15,000 scholarship. The scholarship was provided by the Rose Hellaby Māori Education Fund, which recognised JoblinMills as an “inspirational Māori student and future leader”.

Having previously completed a Graduate Diploma in Cell and Molecular Bioscience and a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Joblin-Mills is currently working towards a Master’s in Biomedical Science, majoring in Cell and Molecular Bioscience and Chemical Genetics.

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The Women’s Issue

Through his study, he hopes to give back to his iwi, Ngāti Porou. He said that he wanted to improve quality of living, something particularly close to his heart given that his adoptive grandparents both have cholesterol and cardiovascular conditions.

Joblin-Mills credits his success to his family. After moving from foster home to foster home, he was finally placed into the care of the Joblin-Mills, to who he says he owes “everything I could ever give in this world.”

The managing director of

increase on $535.1 million a year prior.

Minister of Revenue Todd McClay said the increase resulted from the IRD’s automatic repayment holiday reducing from three years to a maximum of a year. This meant money in default which had previously been “hidden” is now counted.

Victoria’s Welfare VicePresident Rick Zwaan said the policies surrounding the repayment and interest rates of Student Loans send the wrong

message to graduate students.

“It dissuades people coming home with the skills and experiences that are gained from overseas travel and work. Instead of threatening to arrest our top minds at the border, we should be encouraging them to return home and contribute their skills and knowledge here,” Zwaan said.

The IRD has continued to withhold the exact threshold for when somebody is in serious default, saying it could undermine the policy.

the Guardian Trust described Aiden Joblin-Mills as “a prime example of such talent, and we are privileged to enable him, as well as the other scholarship recipients, to continue to grow and prosper.”

The scholarship is named after Rose Hellaby, whose family owned a large and

wealthy meat factory in Auckland. She set up the fund because of a desire to help her Māori employees, many of whom lacked the opportunities to gain higher education.

Hellaby also set up funds to help Māori students and industry.

News

NEWS OF THE WORLD

BY SOFIA ROBERTS

T

he radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which advocates public stoning for adultery, has opened a “marriage bureau” for women who want to wed the group’s fighters in territory they control in Syria and Iraq, AFP has reported.

The jihadist group’s office is operating from al-Bab, a town in Aleppo province of northern Syria, for “single women and widows who would like to marry ISIS fighters,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Interested parties are being asked to provide their names and addresses, “and ISIS fighters will come knocking at their door and officially ask for marriage.” Last week, ISIS also expanded into tourism, taking jihadists on honeymoons and civilians to visit other parts of its ‘caliphate’.

I

n Japan, golfers buy insurance to protect themselves from the potentially bankrupting consequences of sinking a hole in one. Golf tradition holds that anyone who scores a hole in one should buy drinks back at the clubhouse for their

playing group, if not everyone present. In Japan, many give extravagant gifts to friends and family after scoring a lucky ace. Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd offers Japanese golfers hole-in-one insurance for as little as a $3 premium.

T

he Hanwha Eagles, a losing South Korean professional baseball team, recently tried to change their luck by introducing the world’s first robots designed to cheer from the stands.

Based on a video the team posted to YouTube, the fanbots have LED screens that can display text messages sent by human fans who can no longer be bothered to cheer on the Hanwha Eagles in person. Each fanbot wears a team jersey, and instead of a face, they have a screen that displays a picture of the person watching the game. They take up three rows of seating at Daejeon Stadium, and are programmed to lead cheers and can even start a slow wave. The future is here, and it’s terrifying.

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ast Wednesday, VUWSA ran the ‘What Are You Voting For?’ Expo in the Hub, alongside a youth politician debate run by The Wireless, including Nick Cross (Young Nats), Jessie Lipscombe (Young Labour), Jack McDonald (Young Greens), Curwen Rolinson (NZ First) and Amy Richardson (ACT on Campus). The debate was interesting and at times fiery, with Rolinson making jokes about notorious childabuser Gary Glitter and referring to another debater as a candidate for postnatal abortion. Someone’s been taking tips from Winston.

Students lined up to question the candidates, asking about issues from Te Reo Māori in schools to abortion-law reform to the Wellington flyover. You can watch the debate on The Wireless at http://thewireless. co.nz/blogs/static/debating-with-the-youth-wings. photo credit: Rick Zwaan, VUWSA editor@salient.org.nz

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News

EYE ON EXEC V

UWSA was overdue for a nice long Exec meeting, and at three-anda-half hours, last Tuesday’s certainly provided. The first half-hour of the meeting was largely taken up by reading the stack of papers provided, and then some time was spent going around the table discussing how each member of the Exec was feeling and what they had been up to. The effervescent Toby Cooper was appointed devil’s advocate, a new idea for Exec meetings where one member is responsible for presenting opposing views.

The meeting officially opened with the Exec still not yet having set their office hours for the trimester, to the frustration of some members. Sonya quickly moved the meeting on to her President’s report, discussing the interim general manager Leisel Griffiths, the reputational audit VUWSA is undergoing, and the creation of a budget line for focus-group food – the last at surprising length.

The issue of VUWSA spending and budget lines became a focus of the meeting, with discussion of whether to funnel spending through existing budget lines even if the categories didn’t quite fit, or to create new budget lines. Devil’s advocate Cooper and Treasurer Jordan Lipski argued that VUWSA should know where its money was going, while Sonya said she didn’t want to have to create new budget lines all the time. Caroline Thirsk brought up the idea of a sundry budget line for small amounts of spending. The Executive eventually approved allocation of $1000.

Discussion then turned to VUWSA half-year reports, following Salient’s reviews last week. Stephanie Gregor asked if Exec reports could in future be processed by the Executive before being sent to Salient. The Exec then discussed reviewing each other’s reports and approving them before they are presented at the VUWSA AGM. In the ongoing VBC Trust saga, the Exec approved $300 spending from their travel line to fly one of the Trust members down from Auckland to wind up the Trust, with Sonya saying she wanted to meet the member in person to be sure the VBC was finally, properly dealt with. We’ll keep you updated.

With SSL increases on the horizon, discussion turned to the Advisory Committee on the Student Services Levy (ACSSL). The idea of tying ACSSL levy increases to a tangible outcome, as happened last year with the two per cent raise being directed to the overworked counselling service, was floated. VUWSA was undecided as to the best way to allocate SSL raises.

Rāwinia Thompson said she had been concerned at the number of surplus hours some Exec members were working, and encouraged Exec members to look after themselves. There was then a reasonable amount of discussion about ordering VUWSA branding, and the relative merits of teardrops and stencils, in the course of planning for the student-rep branding to be held later in the year.

Madeleine Ashton-Martyn then brought up a conference being held by the Tertiary Women’s Focus Group and the University of Canterbury’s feminist society, FemSoc, at the end of August. The Exec agreed to fund three places, one of which will be taken by Ashton-Martyn, for the conference, at a cost of $600. Sonya again stressed that VUWSA was significantly below budget at this point in the year.

The meeting then moved into committee, where it remained for nearly an hour. It was pretty interesting, but we can’t tell you about anything that happened – ain’t that always the way?

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The Women’s Issue

HILLARY CLINTON TO BE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOMINEE FOR THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

63%

ELIZABETH WARREN TO BE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOMINEE FOR THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

15%

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATE TO BE ELECTED US PRESIDENT IN 2016.

61.5%

JACINDA ARDERN TO BE NEXT LABOUR PARTY LEADER.

5.1%

JUDITH COLLINS TO BE NEXT NATIONAL PARTY LEADER.

17%

iPredict is a market-based political and economic prediction market owned and operated by Victoria University of Wellington. Visit www.ipredict.co.nz to get involved. Probabilities are correct at time of publication.

Feature

What’s your stance on

WOMEN’S ISSUES? It’s election year, so Salient asked New Zealand political parties for their stances on important issues.

1. What is the party’s stance on abortion-law reform?

2. Will the party increase funding for Rape Crisis?

3. What reforms will the party make to the law regarding domestic violence?

4. What will the party do to end the gender pay gap?

1. Abortion is a conscience issue.

The National-led Government has no plans to reform laws around abortion at this time.

2. National knows how vital sexual-violence services are for victims, so we are increasing funding for sexual-violence services. Budget 2014 is providing $10.4 million in new operating funding to support sexual-violence services over the next two years.

This funding boost will support New Zealanders and their families impacted by sexual violence.

The extra funding will include support for front-line crisisresponse services, communitybased treatment services, services for male survivors, and people accessing medical and forensic services. The Ministry for Social Development will be working closely with the sector during each step of the process.

We also want to try to prevent sexual violence before it happens, so the National-led Government has launched the ‘Are you that someone?’ campaign. It encourages young people to identify the signs that someone may be at risk of sexual violence, and find ways to safely step in early.

3. Although our nation is

experiencing its lowest crime rate in 35 years, violent crime is not falling as fast. About half of all homicides in New Zealand are a result of family violence. This is unacceptable.

The National-led Government has introduced a crossGovernment package to address family violence, to ensure home is a safe place for all women, children, and men, and ensure victims are not re-victimised.

The package will increase the safety of family-violence victims, and make services more responsive to their needs. It will establish a Chief Victims Advisor to advise on the needs and views of victims, trial GPS technology to keep victims safer, test an intensive casemanagement service for victims at high risk of serious harm or death, and explore the possibility of a conviction-disclosure scheme.

We are also working to develop a comprehensive, long-term approach to break the cycle of family violence through focussing on changing attitudes and behaviours towards family violence, and using early interventions for drug and alcohol addiction.

Since National has been in Government, we have taken steps to better protect victims. We increased the maximum penalty for breaching a protection order from two years’ imprisonment to

three, and have introduced Police Safety Orders. Officials are also exploring the use of GPS and other technology to monitor people who breach protection orders.

National also passed new laws to protect vulnerable children through greater government accountability, better screening and vetting of people working with children, and stronger guardianship and child-protection laws. We have also ensured there are social workers based in all decile 1–3 schools and all district health boards.

National is a Government that takes the safety of New Zealanders seriously, and is taking action to build safer communities for everyone, and ensure future generations will grow up in safe homes, without violence.

4. New Zealand’s gender pay gap is the equal-lowest in the OECD (along with Ireland).

While the gender pay gap has narrowed, any gender pay gap is unacceptable. The National-led Government has continued to work to better understand the causes of the gender pay gap, such as the need for greater access to flexible workplaces, good quality and affordable childcare, and increasing the number of women in leadership and management positions. We want meaningful change – led, developed and

owned by communities and businesses, spearheaded by women and men who are champions of change. Achieving further success will take a determined effort over time and the collective actions of many.

1. Abortion is a conscience issue for Labour MPs. However, we have set down general principles that we agreed upon in the Labour Party’s Policy Platform Conference, which say: “Labour supports safe, affordable and universal access to contraception, sexual and reproductive services and information. Labour recognises all women have the right to make their own choices about their own bodies, and should have access to abortion services.” Labour will undertake a comprehensive review of the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 and all other related legislation. We’ll ask the Law Commission to undertake the review.

2. Yes, Labour will provide $60 million over four years for family and sexual violence to support front-line services, primary prevention, and education. This includes increased support for transitional housing.

3. Labour will take decisive action with the aim of being worldleading in eliminating violence against women and children, focussing on prevention, support services and justice. In addition to providing $60 million over editor@salient.org.nz

11

four years for family- and sexualviolence services, we will provide sustainable funding to build a nationwide network of violenceprevention services, including primary, secondary and tertiary prevention services, and increase resources into primary prevention for sexual violence.

Specifically with regard to sentencing, Sue Moroney currently has a Member’s Bill in the ballot, the Sentencing (Domestic Violence) Amendment Bill, which will make domestic violence an aggravating factor at the time of sentencing.

We have a comprehensive policy on eliminating violence against women and children. Other commitments we’ve made are to: - Provide leadership to eliminate violence against women and children from the Prime Minister down with the lead agency being DPMC. - Adopt a collaborative, resourced, long-term New Zealand Action Plan to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Children, in consultation with other parties and the sector.

- Reform the justice system to provide real justice to survivors while protecting the right to be presumed innocent. This includes providing specialist training.

- Review prosecution guidelines to ensure Police appropriately and consistently arrest and charge offenders, and review the operation of Protection Orders.

You can find our full policy on our website.

4. Labour has a strong commitment to addressing genderpay inequality, and recognises that a comprehensive approach is necessary to address this systemic and enduring inequality. Labour proposes using the work of the Human Rights Commission and the Pay and Employment Equity Unit’s detailed audits of the state-sector gender pay gap to determine legislative and policy changes required to close the gap.

Solutions will need to be able to align with our human-rights and employment-relations frameworks.

Our responses will recognise

the right to equal pay, require a positive duty to advance equality and provide the mechanism to determine work of equal value.

1. The Green Party believes that abortion is a health issue and not a criminal issue. This is why we believe that abortions should be removed from the Crimes Act. The Green Party is seeking to bring the law around abortions in line with current practice and to assert the right of women to choose.

2. The Green Party believes that front-line services play a huge role in tackling the high rates of domestic and sexual violence in the country. They provide the most crucial of services when the victim needs it the most, and, also as importantly, they provide the leadership and education for culture change. That is why the Green Party went to the National Party to jointly initiate the selectcommittee inquiry into funding for specialist services. This resulted in the interim $10.4 million over two years that we hope will keep the core agencies afloat until we can properly fund the sector.

The Green Party believes New Zealand cannot afford to continue chronically underfunding this essential sector, and we are trying to build a cross-party consensus on this.

3. The Green Party has been active and at the forefront of advocating more action around domestic violence. Domestic violence is endemic throughout the country. Three reports this year – the Family Violence Death Review Committee (FVDRC), ‘The People’s Report’, and ‘The Way Forward’ – have described a system in breakdown. We believe there needs to be a change in the way society sees and deals with domestic violence, and leadership for this change must come from government. We see violence against women and children as a wicked problem that needs a whole-of-system response. The

Green Party is committed to a complete review of our laws, policies and funding to address this problem at a national and local level. We will also progress our member’s bill to provide workplace protections for victims of domestic violence.

4. The Green Party believes that pay equity is a basic human-rights issue, and one that should have been addressed many years ago.

For the past two years, the Green Party has had a Bill in the ballot to address the lack of transparency.

We also have another draft bill with much wider reforms ready to go, but are awaiting the results of the Kristine Bartlett case, which is currently testing the scope of the existing Equal Pay Act, to see if it is necessary. We will work towards a mechanism for all employers to undertake pay audits and report on pay and employment equity in all sectors, and require employers to modify or eliminate pay rates or practices that continue inequity.

We would also establish a Pay and Employment Equity Commission to collect, collate and analyse data on pay and employment equity. Most importantly, though, since we know the public sector currently leads the rest of the population in exploitation of women workers, we are committed to funding the state sector and contracted organisations in a way to deliver pay equity.

Go online to salient.org.nz to find the Act Party, Mana Party and Maori Party answers. They did not fit into the print version of the magazine.

We also put the questions to Tracey Martin, NZ First’s spokeswoman for Women’s Affairs, but she never got back to us. What a pity.

Salient’s news editor Sophie Boot interviewed prominent politicians from each major party to find out what it’s like being a female MP in Aotearoa. To see the full transcripts of the interviews, plus additional interviews with Nikki Kaye (National) and Marama Fox (Maori), head to www.salient.org.nz.

JUDITH COLLINS MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND MINISTER FOR ACC

SB: You don’t define yourself as being a feminist so much as being pro-women.

JC: Feminism is pro-women.

I try not to do the label thing because there’s a whole chunk of the population which thinks that to call yourself a ‘feminist’ means that you hate men, and I don’t hate men. I am very pro-women, and you may have noticed we have one man in the office. We could have more but women want to come and work here, and they stay.

[Of 13 staff members in Collins’ office, 12 are women.]

And you have a Cabinet Club?

We started the Chicks’ Cabinet Club, which is a support group for women Cabinet ministers and also ministers outside Cabinet. We meet about once a month each sitting term. I started it off and Anne Tolley and I worked on this together and we’ve got through a whole six years. It is very helpful, particularly for newer ministers, just to be able to talk about things in a very supportive environment.

Do you think that this government is doing enough to combat domestic violence?

I don’t think any government can actually do enough. It’s about bringing about a cultural change. It also has to have a justice response,

and a police response. It needs a big response across the sphere.

When I was growing up, domestic violence was never talked about.

That was something that happened in the home, and you kept your nose out of other people’s homes.

So we have come a long way in recognising it as the problem it is.

I think it is really unhelpful to have people like David Cunliffe and his whole “I’m sorry to be a man” thing. I think most men were deeply offended by that, and I think it’s a really good thing if men do feel offended, or called out on it, because most men do not beat their partners.

I reckon we’re doing a lot more than we ever used to do, and that doesn’t mean to say we won’t do more.

If we want to talk about cultural change, are the cuts in funding to Rape Crisis indicative that we are doing enough to support victims?

Rape Crisis is hard for me to talk about because it’s not in my area; the funding comes out of MSD [the Ministry for Social Development] and so it’s a bit difficult for me to criticise. There have been a lot of comments recently about a so-called rape culture in New Zealand.

Completely overblown, actually.

I’ve been in places like Afghanistan and in a lot of cultures rape isn’t talked about. People put their hands up and say I’ve been a victim

of rape and they get punished.

We do have a culture around secrecy, and secrecy makes it easier for perpetrators to continue their behaviour. We have a culture around not respecting other people’s right to say no, and we’ve often made excuses. Rape is a violent crime and it should be treated as such. We’ve also got people saying if you’re accused of rape you have to prove you didn’t do it; that’s what the Labour Party came up with. Complete nonsense.

My experience is that lot of victims want it acknowledged, but they don’t necessarily want the person prosecuted. They want a restorative justice process and they want that person to not do it again. Other victims may well want that person prosecuted and sent to jail so they can’t do it again. It is really beholden on us to find better ways of doing things. I don’t want to take away from the victim the right to choose how matters can be dealt with. It’s not for me as the Minister for Justice to tell them what they should be doing.

You brought up the inquisitorial system.

One of the key elements of that is that victims aren’t cross-examined by lawyers; they talk to the judge.

Judges in New Zealand are not trained in this sort of judging. If we look at the defendant in rape cases, if they’re choosing not to give evidence they’re also choosing not to be cross-examined, so how about a jury or a judge can draw a negative inference from the fact that they’re not choosing to give evidence. That would be a radical departure, but the UK has done this for some time and judges there say you probably get a fairer trial.

It’s not just the alleged victim who is having their evidence tested, it’s also the defendant. I think that

would make it easier for victims, if they know it’s not just them.

Do you think that you’re treated differently by the media as a female MP? As a woman, you get criticised on things like appearance; “hardfaced” is one of the little quotes they like to use about me. If I’m strong on something, I’m “angry”.

But it’s only some journalists who do it. It’s unfortunate, it’s unhelpful, but at least they’re talking about me. The public are not stupid; they can see when something’s unfair. I think the media knows I’m more likely to say something controversial. I think they find me mildly interesting.

You have a reputation as being more— progressive is maybe not the word, but doing things and saying things that other people are— Thinking! They’re thinking it, but they’re too afraid to say it.

Have you ever felt like it is a boy’s club in Parliament?

Yes. Of course it’s a boy’s club. I could say no, but you wouldn’t believe me, would you Sophie? I don’t reckon people realise how sexist things are until they come and work in environments where they’re not even seen because they’re not in a suit. People like yourself, who are young and full of intelligence and drive and energy, you want to get ahead and you think the world’s your oyster. It is, just don’t let someone say no. If they do, just move around them.

Take no notice of what other people think your limits are; just get on and do it. You’re going to hit those walls, you’re going to hit those ceilings; understand that, but don’t accept them.

editor@salient.org.nz

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JACINDA ARDERN 5TH RANKED MP ON LABOUR LIST SB: What does feminism mean to you? First off, do you consider yourself a feminist?

JA: I absolutely do. Not that long ago, I was at a media interview with other women; I was the youngest one there, and someone asked who among us considered ourselves feminists, and the vast majority didn’t put their hand up.

And I thought: at what point did feminism become a dirty word?

I think that’s a real shame. In my mind, feminism represents equality. There is no basis on which you can argue, yet, that we have achieved that, and so long as we’re still striving for that, feminism and the feminist movement is a very real and necessary thing. Whether you want to look at it from issues around women in leadership or the gender pay gap or the difficulty women still face in balancing work and caregiver responsibilities and access to flexible working hours, these are all issues where we’ve got a long way to go. I absolutely consider myself a feminist for that reason.

Do you feel that the Labour Party has supported you as a woman in your career?

Absolutely. I’ve always been very clear that I believe that I am here because someone asked me. All the way through my involvement in politics, right from even my first campaign I worked on, someone 14

The Women’s Issue

asked me to get involved. I just don’t think I had the confidence, at times, to put myself forward for some of the positions, and certainly when I had the support and confidence of others that made a difference to me being willing to take the next step. So I feel that I’ve been very well supported, but I’m mindful of the fact that it has taken that to get me there, so I’m very conscious of making sure that I do the same in return when I see particularly young women who I think would be fantastic in roles, and it might simply be that they need that extra little bit of support to take those positions.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing NZ women?

It’s hard to pick one thing, because for individuals it will be whatever they’re facing in their lives at that time, and I wouldn’t want to trivialise those. I think if I were to narrow it down, it would be economic security. If we look at our child-poverty statistics, so much of that is women who are sole parents who are trying to raise children. The wage gap, low-pay jobs, service jobs: they are dominated by women. Family violence and domestic violence are very complex issues, but certainly wrapped up in there is sometimes the question of supporting yourself, whether or not someone is able to leave those situations, among many other things. For me, giving women economic security and independence is really important, particularly when they have duties of care as well, and we haven’t got there yet, by any stretch.

Do you think female MPs are represented differently because of their gender?

I think, unfortunately, the fact

that there aren’t more women in politics, and particularly young women, it does mean that when you have two running against each other it becomes a novelty. You don’t get ‘Battle of the Balding White Men’, because that’s nothing new. It was disappointing to see headlines that trivialised what was a serious contest of ideas. Nikki and I, throughout that campaign, if anyone followed us around those debates, they were a serious contest of ideas where neither of us descended into the performance that people like to play up: this whole catfight mentality just wasn’t a reality. But when you see a headline like that, how do you respond? A big part of me wanted to push back on behalf of other young women who are out there in leadership roles and working extraordinarily hard to be recognised simply for what they do, not for their demographic or their gender. On the flipside of that, had I done that, would that have just fed the machine around me, reacting too sensitively or what have you. So I made the call just not to respond to it. I didn’t want to feed a debate I don’t believe in.

Just one last thing: I was looking at the latest polls this morning; they had you as the third-mostpreferred Labour Prime Minister.

Wasn’t that like a whopping 1.4 per cent? I was like, that’s like, margin of error.

Is that a possibility?

It’s not an aspiration I have. I know that I would find it hard to sacrifice as much as is required to do the job. There’s plenty of people in the Labour Party I’ve enjoyed supporting; David Cunliffe is our leader and I support him to do that job, and I don’t envy him that job.

METIRIA TUREI CO-LEADER OF THE GREEN PARTY SB: What does feminism mean for you?

MT: Women are entitled to have absolute control over their own lives, and whatever that means for any particular person or group, that’s for them to decide. I’ve been involved in a lot of the debate around women speaking on the marae, so I’ve spoken both at Rātana and Waitangi in the last 18 months, and I’ve commented on some of the complaints by women MPs around not being able to speak, their position not being respected at pōwhiri at Parliament. Although that looks like a statement of women’s rights, it arguably is that, but also it’s an attack on the right of Māori women to decide how our own culture can and should be reflective of women’s rights.

Women of colour have the right to decide for themselves how their culture should be reflected in their feminism, and it’s the responsibility of women, particularly Pākehā women, to respond to that, rather than dictate it.

So do you think that women should speak on marae?

I think it’s good if you can. I think there’s iwi for whom speaking on marae is perfectly normal, and that’s often not acknowledged.

For many Māori women, they believe that the karanga, which always starts the pōwhiri process, is the means by which they get to speak on the marae. The way that women respond to what is going on in their culture or the cultures around them is really interesting.

There’s no firm rules, and people are just respectful of each other and ask questions.

In a wider sense, what do you think is the biggest political issue facing women?

Inequity. It’s not new: we’ve had pay inequity for a very long time, we’ve had gender inequity for a very, very long time. It plays out differently in different circumstances. The pay gap and pay equity issues are still being played out, politically and on the ground for women who are underpaid. The increasing gap between rich and poor, income inequality, is an increasing burden on women, particularly women with children. There’s at least now a public discussion about it, which there wasn’t for a very long time. Inequity is one of the drivers of family violence, which disproportionately affects women, and of sexual violence and sexual abuse, which disproportionately affects women. These are all personal and social and political issues.

Do you think being a woman has influenced the way your career has gone and is going?

Yes. Politically, one of the reasons why I joined the Green Party was their gender equity in positions of authority, because women would always be structurally involved in decision-making. I come from

a political culture where you challenge power all the time. That includes the patriarchy, but it also includes challenging the power of privileged women who are using that power either for their own personal advantage, and/ or are hurting others. In politics, there are a group of women who hold political power because they agree with the patriarchal process by which power is acquired, and those women need to be challenged on that as vociferously as possible. I think it’s best in these circumstances for women to challenge other women on that.

Is there anyone in particular who you think does this?

‘Jacket-gate’ [where Judith Collins criticised Turei for having an expensive jacket] was a perfect example. I declared it both a classist and a sexist and a racist act on their part. Most people understood that it could be a sexist act, because it was an attack based on the way that you look, which is a very traditional way of attacking women. People found it harder to accept that it was classist, it was an act of privilege, not wanting a person who was not of that class, was not in that club of the elite, to have access to the same sources that the privileged do. Anne Tolley and I have the same jacket: she has it in green, I have it in purple; I’m not allowed access to those kinds of things. And it was racist for a similar reason, that these women have a definition of Māori women. People like Hekia [Parata] can be members of the club as long as they adhere to the rules of the club, and Hekia does, but I don’t. So I’m required to occupy a very traditional place in the gender hierarchy.

TARIANA TURIA CO-LEADER OF THE MAORI PARTY

SB: What does feminism mean for you?

TT: It is not a term I use. I am more comfortable with something that the late Merata Mita once said: “The principle of mana wahine, a Māori concept which exceeds the boundaries of feminism and incorporates a dimension of spirituality emanating from the primary element of Hine-ahu-one. I am Māori. I am woman, I am family, I am tribe, and only one of the facets of who I am fits comfortably under the label of feminism.”

What is the biggest issue facing women in New Zealand today?

I live by the value “highlight my strengths and my weaknesses disappear”. I think we need to use our collective genius to ensure communities are empowered to develop local solutions to local problems.

In essence, that is the core to Whānau Ora – that whānau are empowered to know that they hold the solutions to any challenges that face them.

Do you think being a woman has influenced your career?

Women make an enormous contribution to every aspect of our society. I was raised

by my grandmother, and my aunts Waiharakeke and Paeroa.

I have also been profoundly inspired by the leadership so many women across our whānau, our communities and our nation have exhibited. It is only natural, therefore, that I have built on that influence to want to do the very best for our people. I remember my friend, the late Dr Irihapeti Ramsden, talking about the many roles we once occupied, in contrast to the myth-making around the warrior ancestor.

She said: “once were gardeners, once were astronomers, once were philosophers, once were lovers.” We need to be proud of our capacity to be hunters and gatherers as well as scientists and businesswomen. Women nurture and raise whānau – and that is a major contribution to our society. So yes, being a woman has definitely influenced the priorities I pursue, the passions I take up.

What’s your message to young women at Vic? The best advice I was given is to be true to yourself and the people you serve. It is something my aunts and whānau who raised me told me, and it has been a guiding principle for most of my life. I grew up knowing that the most important thing was to do what was right, not what was popular.

To see the full transcripts of the interviews, plus additional interviews with Nikki Kaye (National) and Marama Fox (Maori), head to www.salient.org.nz. editor@salient.org.nz

15

Sports

Sports Banter

Spurs Win the Off-Season As Well

by Ollie Ritchie

hile everyone was sitting down waiting to hear W where LeBron was going to go, what Melo was going to do, there was one franchise that couldn’t care less.

The San Antonio Spurs were focussed on keeping their roster basically exactly the same as it was in 2013–2014. Why? Why wouldn’t they! It was that exact roster which they have locked

Top 5

Athletes Everyone Just Loves

5. The Entire Crusaders Squad

– Now, I’ve made it no secret how much I love the ‘Saders, but seriously: can anyone name a member of this squad that isn’t a total legend? No one like Nonu or Tawera Kerr–Barlow floating round in Canterbury! All have their heads screwed on, all absolute legends.

4. Messi – Barcelona fan or not, you can’t not love this man! Time magazine once hailed him as King 16

The Women’s Issue

down for the 2015 season that tore the rest of the NBA apart.

They’re the ones who beat LeBron and the Heat by 70 points in five Finals games.

Put it this way: would you rather have a team with LeBron adapting to a new group of players, or a team that just beat LeBron by a total of 70 points in five NBA Finals games? The Spurs epitomise the underrated story Leo. He has sublime skills on the football field, and he is the most talented in history. Messi is a dynamo and unstoppable scoring machine on it. He has won the Ballon d’Or as the World Player of the Year for four consecutive years.

On the team front, name it and his club team probably has more than one copy of it – the Champions League, European Super Cup, Club World Cup, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup. Absolute legend!

3. Usain Bolt – The man with the appropriate name, Bolt makes sprinting look easy, often slowing down before the finish line but still breaking world records by a comfortable margin. He will then strike his lightning-bolt pose for the world to see. Bolt is fast, and Puma moved the fastest in signing up the sprinter. The guy brings a nation to standstill to watch him run – legend through and through.

of the 2014 NBA free-agent fest, which is that retaining is the new improving.

Yes, LeBron altered the landscape in the East while making a move that will bolster the financial value of the Cavaliers and the psyche of the city. It was transformative. The Spurs did not transform, and that was the point.

They stuck with what works, similar to last off-season when they brought back Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter. If other teams want to model themselves after San Antonio, they can start with that.

The Rockets were the biggest victims of the lack of appetite for movement by the likes of Carmelo and Bosh, but their summer isn’t as disastrous as it’s been made out to be. Yes, they wound up trading Jeremy Lin, Ömer Aşık and Omri Casspi without maximising the salarycap space they received

in exchange. They lost Chandler Parsons after they passed on the chance to bring him back for less than $1 million next season.

But they still have two All-Stars in Dwight Howard and James Harden. They still average out to a high grade if you factor in the previous two seasons.

But this year, they failed to get players to come to them, when it turned out many players were more inclined to stay where they are. The Rockets’ wheeling-dealing ways were then. The Spurs, who seemed so long ago, are now.

So who’s laughing now? The team that tore apart the NBA and routed the Heat in five games in the Finals and claimed their fifth NBA title? Probably, I’d say: expect nothing to change with the Spurs when the NBA season kicks off in about 100 days, as they should be the favourites to go back to back.

But please

2. Sachin Tendulkar – Called the

Roger Federer has dominated the men’s game like no other, holding the No. 1 ranking for a record 237 straight weeks from 2004 to 2008. He has won a record 17 Grand Slams, including five straight US Open titles (2004–8) and Wimbledon Championships (2003–7). After another win at Wimbledon 2012, he found himself back at No. 1 at 30 years of age.

Many critics and tennis fans were unsure of his position as the greatest of all time until he captured his first Roland Garros title in 2009. Though he did not face Rafael Nadal, the most dominant clay-court player in the tournament, he solidified his place at the top after he claimed the French Open crown. Additionally, he is the only male player in history to have reached the finals of each Grand Slam at least five times.

“God of Cricket” in India, Sachin is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time. At the age of 39, he still ranks among the top cricketers in the world. In 2010, Tendulkar won the ‘Cricketer of the Year Award’ and, in 2011, he was the runner-up. Tendulkar holds a large number of world records in the sport of cricket.

He was the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket. In 2009, Tendulkar passed 30,000 runs in international cricket, and the following year he was the first player to record 15,000 runs in Test cricket. He has also the record-holder for most number of centuries in both ODIs and Test matches. The Little Master is one of the greats.

1. Roger Federer – Find me anyone that doesn’t love the Fed Express, because I bet you can’t!

The man simply oozes class.

#Miami

Sex

The Bone Zone With Cupie Hoodwink like sex. I like thinking about sex, I like talking about sex, I like having sex.

This, of course, will hardly come as a surprise to you, given that I write an entire page on the topic on a weekly basis.

My laptop’s search history is irreparably sullied with queries along the lines of: “Egg in vagina = bad?!” and, “Horny when you’re menstruating, normal?” My inbox is overflowing with all sorts of questions regarding things that go bump in the night. In the guise of Cupie, I am free to watch porn, read erotica, trawl sex shops and ask those in the know about circumcised dicks to my heart’s content. This is what is expected of me. I’m in the sex business, which makes sex very much my business.

Outside of this role, however, I’m nowhere near as cocksure about my love of the cock. I’m a pussy when it comes to talking about pussy. I love sex, but I don’t always feel comfortable talking about how many sexual partners I’ve had (10), how much I love one-night stands (heaps), how I like to be fucked (from behind), or how often I masturbate (on par with your average teenage boy). I love sex, but – as a woman – I don’t always feel comfortable saying so. Why? Because I love sex, and – as a woman – that puts me in great danger of being labelled a slut.

Slut-shaming – that is,

I

shaming women* for dressing or behaving in a way that is deemed to be outside society’s sexpectations – is rife, and it is bullshit. Sure, things are a whole lot better than they were in high school, where girls would be ostracised for letting a guy go “too far” and ‘slut strings’ was common parlance for a hairstyle, but even now, friends and acquaintances will casually describe other women and their outfits as ‘slutty’, as if there’s something wrong with having sex or, God forbid, breasts.

As far as women’s liberation has come, when it comes to sex and sexuality, us girls still seem to be trapped between a whore rock and a Madonna hard place. We are told to dress in a way that is feminine and sexy, otherwise no one will look at us – but not too sexy, or we’ll get the wrong kinds of looks. We are expected to flirt and enjoy sex, otherwise we’re prudes – but not too much, or we’re sluts. And while pop culture is dripping with references to men wanking, jerking off, tugging the chain, and jizzing all over the goddamn place, mentions of female masturbation are as hard to find as the clitoris.

When courting used to revolve around local dances and balls, the young women of yesteryear were expected to wait, all dolled up in their ball gowns, to be asked to dance. Sure, no one goes to dance halls anymore, and the hems of our dresses are a whole heap

shorter, but we’re still the ones waiting: waiting for some dude to grind on us in Hope Bros; waiting for someone else to deign to show an interest in us; waiting to be asked to dance, to hook up, to date, to fuck.

We shouldn’t need an excuse, or indeed, a pseudonym, in order to feel comfortable about being free and frank about our sexuality.

We shouldn’t need to qualify our desires or libidos as being “like a teenage boy’s” in order to explain just how much we like sex. We need to wholeheartedly reject the idea that there’s something embarrassing about women taking control of their own pleasure; that there’s something un-feminine about women loving sex, and that there’s something ‘slutty’ about women having sex as often as, and with whoever, they damn well please.

Women, gurrrrrls, ladies, chiquitas: this starts with us. Of all the injustices women face, many of which are catalogued in the pages of this magazine, slut-shaming is one that we are guilty of perpetuating ourselves.

Every time we describe an outfit as ‘slutty’, or resent a girl for getting some, we are supporting the myth that there’s something wrong with women taking control of their sex lives. And ain’t nobody got time for that.

So, if you got it, flaunt it; if you want it, go get it, and so long as you’re being safe, ain’t no shame in being a slut.

Go get ‘em, Cupie xx *Not just women, but especially women, and besides, this is the Women’s Issue.

Quickie of the Week: Is belly and navel play (rubbing, kissing, licking etc) a ‘fetish’ activity or something most girls like?

Rubbing, kissing and licking all over the body – belly or otherwise – can be a great way to heighten the sensuality and excitement of a make-out session, and diffuse the focus of foreplay from simply rubbing her clit until she’s wet enough for the two of you to get down to business. However, thanks to being bombarded with messages about feminine ideals and flat stomachs, a lot of us feel incredibly sensitive about this part of our bodies, and would rather you just pretend that it simply doesn’t exist. That said, if the two of you can work through this hang-up – perhaps by starting off with some sweet little kisses rather than a full-on belly jiggle – then it can be a great way for her to see herself as the #1 hottie she really is.

Tip of the Week: Just like your libido, the colder months can make your social life seem a little on the limp side, too.

Reinvigorate both at once – host a sex-toy party! Like a Tupperware party on Viagra, sex-toy parties allow you to try and buy sex toys while you catch up with friends and enjoy some drinks and nibs in the comfort, warmth and privacy of your own home. So long as you provide the party and a private room for your guests to try the wares, D.VICE will bring the toys and one of their lovely staff to talk you through their range. And as the host, you’ll even get a free toy and discounts on your purchases.

For more info, hit up dvice.co.nz/ sextoyparties.

Sexual Connections: Got a burning question for Cupie?

Ask her about all matters of the heart… and other romantic organs, anonymously at ask.fm/ CupieHoodwink Got a burning sensation in your nether regions? Give Student Health a call on 463 5308, or pop in to their clinics at Kelburn and Pipitea. editor@salient.org.nz

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BY MADELEINE FOREMAN WOMEN’S WORK IS UNDERPAID, UNDERVALUED, AND LARGELY UNSEEN.

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HI! WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF WOMEN Hi! In this, our really modern age, it is very easy for people who want to have a baby to have a baby and keep their job and be successful and be flirty and fun and also very serious during meetings. All you have to do is have your baby in between the hours of 6 pm and 8 am and remember to Lean In at the water cooler the day after your child’s birthing and ask all of the men about the notes you missed. The men are very happy to help you with all of the notes you would have missed. The Government and also the society have actually personally told me that they are both very supportive of the family*, in fact! So if it gets a little hard then maybe you could just try a little harder to make it all work. *certain, Nice, normal kinds only, please.

A LITTLE SPACE ON THIS PAGE FOR MEN Women do the majority of the world’s work. If you’re a cis man who would like to have children one day and you’ve never considered how this is going to fit into your ‘career path’, you should probably eat dirt. If you’ve never considered the role you play in your mixed-gender flat, or the position you hold during a Serious Discussion On The Internet with women and other more marginalised genders, you’ve got a long way to go, baby boy. You are presumably a grown-ish man who has engaged somewhat with a course at this university, and from this we can deduce that you (a) enjoy the capacity to read, and (b) have access to an internet connection. We can also assume that you (c) have some form of acquaintance, family member, or long-suffering classmate who is a woman. The fact that you have arrived this far, to The Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Four-teen, without reflecting upon the necessary sacrifice of labour and time required to create your brightly hued future of domestic bliss is something upon which you should chew. When you’re chewing it should taste a little like gristle and overdue epiphany. Oh baby.

HOW TO STOP YOUR MOUTH FROM MOVING: A GUIDE One thing you could do is to stop reading this

half-baked piece in a student-run rag, and listen to someone else who isn’t you. The women in your life could tell you far more than I can, but don’t expect them to be bothered. You could ask your grandmother about the joints in her fingers and the meals she has made and the little tiny people she literally prevented from dying for years on end, all by herself. You could also use those comprehension skills and that internet connection of yours to research gender pay inequity or the feminisation of poverty or the totally complex reasons why my friend’s law boss criticised her for being ‘over-confident’. You could then let the male feminist population of Twitter know that Google and JSTOR exist and that they are much more willing to educate you on Women’s Issues than the extremely perfect and otherwise occupied girls of Twitter.

Tangentially: I don’t know if you’ve ever met a man who ‘does law’ and wants to one day be a man who reallllly does law, i.e. a wannabe judge, but I feel like ‘overconfidence’ is effectively the currency in that world, you know???

BABY HUMANS AND THE WORKFORCE For many people who can and want to have babies, the expectation that they both birth and care for the child, while maintaining the house in which the child lives, is unquestioned. Gender is made in the household. Heteronormative gender roles are strengthened as reproductive bodies are designated to the ‘domestic realm’. and bodies that do not reproduce are sent out to win the bread. Or, the bacon. Much like a game of Sims, there is a lot to do to keep humans alive, and traditionally this work has been divided on the basis of gender, thus further entrenching gendered norms. Some feminist economists, who unlike most economists have dealt with baby vomit at four in the morning, point to asymmetric property rights, social norms, institutional rules, and differences in bargaining power, as barriers to true negotiation between men and women when they’re deciding who is the chief child-raiser. We celebrate mothers for being heroes (they are), but after Mother’s Day is spent, we do not stop to question the immense emotional, physical, and ultimately, political, demands we ask of them. Mothers miss out on career opportunities and swathes of cash due to

their caring responsibilities. Further, the rise of the Daddy Daycare is a myth, unsupported by statistics.

REAL WORK IS MEN’S WORK The Modern Career, a notably separate category from the Woman’s Job, is based on men’s patterns of work. These patterns are ones of men unencumbered by caring responsibilities, and other Just Girly Things. Women should not need to contort themselves trying to fit into the patriarchal ideal of an always-available worker, a mother, and an intimate partner.

Modern Careers must be careers that recognise and accommodate everyone’s private lives. This requires men to budge. Men should not tolerate careers that demand extensive ‘overtime’ and exclusive networking. Free, flexible childcare and long-term paid parental leave is necessary policy for any party concerned with the current state of women in New Zealand.

The pay gap is undeniable; however, for Māori and Pasifika women, it is felt even more severely.

In the average week, a Pākehā woman will earn $710, a Māori woman $665 and a Pasifika woman $638. The dollar gap is not the worst, though. Beautifully written books describing the glint of the glass ceiling are useless to women miles beneath it, whose labour is underpaid, insecure and undervalued. The recent Equal Pay Act case brought by caregivers, of the Service and Food Workers Union and the Council of Trade Unions, illustrates that the feminisation of tranches of the labour market harms working women. Respect for feminine forms of labour and capital is wanting.

CLEANING UP EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME The foundation of the family is a woman’s invisible management of the home, without pay, which supports the labour of the husband.

Marriage is so romantic. Despite the fact that we are all now really modern and have smart phones which we use to communicate with each other using deified pictograms, women are still cleaning up everyone else’s shit. According to Statistics NZ, men spend an average of two hours and 32 minutes each day on unpaid work like childcare, cooking and cleaning. Women spend four hours editor@salient.org.nz

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“THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE ARRIVED THIS FAR, TO THE YEAR OF OUR LORD TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR-TEEN, WITHOUT REFLECTING UPON THE NECESSARY SACRIFICE OF LABOUR AND TIME REQUIRED TO CREATE YOUR BRIGHTLY HUED FUTURE OF DOMESTIC BLISS IS SOMETHING UPON WHICH YOU SHOULD CHEW.”

and 20 minutes on it. Among single people who don’t live with their families, men spend an hour and 26 minutes, women two hours 38. Over the last ten years, that gap has worsened. Some brilliant, now-greying feminists advocated for women to be paid wages for housework in order to demonstrate the invisibility of this work. Yass.

Consider that women are not ‘naturally’ more fastidious and simply ‘better’ at cleaning due to the potions streaming through our ‘Womanly Bodies’, but rather, we are socialised this way from birth. I have been at multiple ‘conferences’ (yes, I know) hosting multiple ‘progressive groups’ (yes, I know) where women are the sole food-makers and cleaners. Women dominate the kitchen while the men are sitting on the grass, probably making some edgy, yet totally aware-of-itself joke. A telling indicator of a male feminist ally’s commitment is his relationship with Pine O Cleen.

UNPAID INTERNET SHIT Recently, the internet has been very excited about Cats Against Feminism, misogynistic motives for mass murder, Marvel comics, and 20

The Women’s Issue

our nation’s embarrassing man opinions. If women are making space for themselves on Twitter and similar platforms then we are all the better for it. However, the intellectual labour demanded of some women, by men, in these spaces is disgusting. For many women, articulating an exact reason as to why whatyou-said-was-slightly-offensive-and-not-exactlyokay is exhausting, emotionally draining, and distracting from their REAL LIVES. Which, by the way they have. Independently of you. This work is work, and must not be discounted. It is a gross engagement with like patriarchal notions of ‘the one tru reality’ to expect women to explain their freaky feminist perspective to you in a public forum, simply because you fancy being Devil’s Advocate or can’t be bothered opening a book. For many women and marginalised people, the act of going through their day that day is ‘activism’ enough. Asking for articulation is asking for work. Those who sigh loudly in the form of a think-piece to indicate that sometimes it is up to the women to educate the men, and bemoan that sometimes it is just *too hard* to avoid offending anybody, are missing the point.

Your personal brand might take a hit because

you said the wrong thing, bub, but you should be grateful that someone expended their energy enough to let you know that your words were damaging to their reality.

CHANGE CULTURE AND GIVE US CASH Men’s economic power reinforces women’s subordination within the family and the economy. While hours of extra housework and a larger load of emotional labour are not the greatest ills to be met by women, the undervaluing of women’s work is redolent of a culture defined by the desires and perceptions of men’s lives. This kind of myopia feeds a noxious entitlement, which in turn supports and produces abusers and rapists. Efforts to change gendered roles within society should be married with efforts to change all gendered economic positions. Men owe us a lot of debt. While they smile politely, waiting alone on the shore for us to ‘catch ‘em up’ at the fabled Land of Equality, I hope they realise that the only way they can pay us back is by ending the passivity of their wait.

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THE ‘BLURRED LINES’ OF MEDIA AND VIOLENCE IN NEW ZEALAND WE’VE ALL BEEN TOLD THAT IT’S NOT OKAY, BUT NEW ZEALAND’S RATE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS STILL AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD. WHAT PART DOES OUR MEDIA PLAY IN THIS? AMBER WOOLF LOOKS AT NEW ZEALAND MEDIA’S PORTRAYAL OF VIOLENCE AND WOMEN. ’m sorry for being a man right now,” said Labour leader David Cunliffe at the recent Women’s Refuge conference, “because family and sexual violence is perpetrated overwhelmingly by men against women and children.” The two attacks against women students near the Boyd-Wilson Field call into question who is to blame for our culture of violence, particularly following media reactions which criticise politicians such as Cunliffe, women and even the University.

In the wake of the attacks, the University faces increased pressure to strengthen security around Kelburn Campus. VUWSA Equity Officer Madeleine AshtonMartyn said: “women should not have had to take preventative measures to ensure their own safety in walking home yet they did, and were still targeted.”

Personal safety had already been a priority for the victims, and the attacks immediately provoked critique of the darkened parts of Kelburn and led to demands for higher security on campus.

The desire for increased security surfaced in the ‘Let Me Go Home’ march, encouraging students to identify unsafe areas on Kelburn Campus. Ashton-Martyn said the march was: “to show that we do not accept the current climate in which sexual assault is seen to be a given in any society, by means of providing an opportunity for everyone to become a part of the solution.” The march effectively identified a culture of violence against women, while pressing for increased security as the solution to violence.

Since the Let Me Go Home march, female students in Kelburn have taken extra lengths to secure their rented properties. Living on nearby Wai-te-ata Rd, a student reports she and her female flatmates had experienced “weird incidents”, and “heard someone knocking on the door at midnight just over a week ago, but we didn’t open it.” Prior to the attacks near Boyd-Wilson Field, the girls in the flat had felt completely comfortable leaving their door unlocked.

The students’ safety measures are a response to a culture of violence, wherein, as Cunliffe stated, violence is largely men editor@salient.org.nz

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against women. Third-year Criminology student Hannah says Cunliffe “highlights what we already know from statistics,” and should instead address “the actual underlying causes” and culture of violence in New Zealand. Women’s Aid agrees that violence “originates from a sense of entitlement which is often supported by sexist, racist, homophobic and other discriminatory attitudes.”

Male entitlement is a typical consequence of New Zealand’s traditional structures of patriarchy, which expects men to be the ‘leader’ of their familial relationships.

Media criticism of Cunliffe’s statement places him on the receiving end of the anger surrounding violence, which naturally seeks someone to blame.

However, media also criticise the behaviour of women. A perfect example is Jeremy Meeks, who caused turmoil after his mug shot was posted on Facebook by the Stockton Police Department.

Meeks’ photograph inspired headlines such as ‘Handsome felon lands $30,000 modelling contract’ in The Independent, in what The New York Times dubbed ‘Our Affair with the Mug Shot’.

Within one week, Meeks’ image had drawn more than 100,000 ‘likes’, close to 13,000 shares and almost 27,000 comments.

Soon to follow was the overwhelming critique of women head-over-heels with the criminal’s model-like cheekbones, accusing any woman in adoration of Meeks of ‘asking’ to be a victim of future assault. The adoration of Meeks infuriated those who oppose the sexualisation of women in popular culture, as demonstrated by reactions to the oversexualised ‘Blurred Lines’ of Robin Thicke’s top hit.

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“MEDIA CRITICISM OF CUNLIFFE’S STATEMENT PLACES HIM ON THE RECEIVING END OF THE ANGER SURROUNDING VIOLENCE, WHICH NATURALLY SEEKS SOMEONE TO BLAME. HOWEVER, MEDIA ALSO CRITICISE THE BEHAVIOUR OF WOMEN.” The fact that women are warned against commenting on the media image for fear of ‘being next’ coincides with Cunliffe’s apology, demonstrating that men are still seen as dangerous and a threat to women.

The reactions in recent media navigate who is to blame for the violence: men or women, politician, celebrity or even Campus Security. Agitated responses to Cunliffe’s apology show it is clear that men do not see themselves as perpetrators of violence. In contrast, the criticism of the adoration of Meeks’ mug shot incorrectly blames women.

It exposes a culture where women are expected to stay silent, and therefore protect themselves from potential abuse.

Idealistically, women are free to do as they please without fear of provoking violence. Women’s Refuge’s new project ‘Bring Back Kate’ uses 19th-century women’s rights activist Kate Sheppard as an icon to prevent domestic violence in New Zealand. The project claims: “Violence against women in our country has reached epidemic levels. Kate wouldn’t stand for that.” The project draws respect back to women and children in New Zealand, using Sheppard to show women’s rights are unresolved in the current culture of violence against women.

Women’s Refuge says one in three women will be exposed to domestic violence. Ann Abraham, Prison Manager of Arohata Women’s Prison, agrees: “many of the women who are sent to jail have endured significant violence and abuse in their lives. That has a

great impact on how they mature.”

Household violence is also absorbed by children, perpetuating the culture of violence through generations.

So what can we learn from women who are themselves guilty of violence? Abraham said that in the six years she had been Arohata Prison Manager, she has: “noticed a marked increase in the number of women being sent to Arohata Prison for violent offences.” In analysis of the root causes of violence, Hannah said: “violence among females may be increasing, but it is not caused by them; rather, social, economic, political factors.” Again, violence is the result of complicated and preventable societal factors.

Evidently, feeling sorry for being either man or woman is insufficient in addressing underlying causes of violence.

How we perceive crime, even that near the Boyd-Wilson Field, is formed by pre-existing gender stereotypes. It is easy to presume an overwhelming majority of men are violent; and just as simple to criticise women for attracting violence for being reckless, lustful mug-shot lovers. Both presumptions are false, and New Zealand’s current strategies of reducing reoffending reveals the clear necessities needed to prevent violence.

Arohata Prison’s programmes focus on incorporating psychological treatment, the Kowhiritanga programme, rehabilitation, basic living skills, and additionally, the Drug Treatment Unit, which is the only of its kind for women prisoners in New Zealand. Abraham believes these programmes are helpful.

“We have many women who pass through the jail that spend

their time wisely and become good citizens on release. It is the programmes we provide that allow them to reintegrate and assist in reducing reoffending.”

The measures taken in New Zealand’s prisons to prevent future offences are making a marked improvement.

Statistics New Zealand demonstrates lessening violence since 2009, with over 25,000 fewer convictions in a dramatic improvement within five years.

However, Police estimate that only 18 per cent of domestic violence incidents are reported. AshtonMartyn agrees: “It’s so important to continue the discussion of rape culture, to empower survivors to seek help, and to provide widespread access to education and awareness of issues of sexual assault in order to prevent potential future aggressors.”

The statistics show cultural environments which stem violence are controllable, and incidents like the Boyd-Wilson Field attacks can be prevented.

Ending the culture of violence against women will entail discussion about notions of male entitlement, fewer Robin Thicke examples of the over-sexualisation of women, and of course, more education for young women on their rights. One of these rights is that women can simply walk home from university or work without fear. By criticising Cunliffe for his apology, the media continues to blame individuals and not face the underlying causes of violent culture, particularly within New Zealand homes.

The solution to all violence lies in reforming how we live, and love one another, rather than continuously seeking someone to blame.

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Aside from being the political love child of Hone Harawira, it is also a term that is entrenched in every element of Māori culture. Endowed by ngā Atua (the Gods), it is the intangible inner force that dwells within us, and is continually transferred from one to another.

Mana is the source of one’s – or a group’s – authority and honour: inherited through chiefly lineage, earned through gaining the people’s respect, and lost by trampling on the mana of others. , then, can be understood as the mana specifically held by women. It acknowledges our essential and special place in Māoridom, as carriers of te whare tangata (the womb). At the end of our lives, it is to the mana of Hine-nui-tepō (Goddess of those passed on) we are entrusted, who cares for our wairua (spirit) eternally. Our history is rich with narratives featuring Mana Wahine, where strong female figures defy the odds, change the rules, and tell men how it is. Like everything in te ao Māori though, there is a delicate balance involved, and Mana Wahine is intrinsically linked to Mana Tāne. They exist as two forces that complement rather than oppose each other, just as the karanga (opening call performed only by women during major ceremonies such

as pōhiri) and whaikōrero (formal speeches that follow karanga) work together during pōhiri.

Mana Wahine is also present in academia as Māori Women’s Studies, and examines the intersected experiences of what it is to be Māori and female. Of course, intersectionality is not new to feminism; however, there remains a space in such discussions that can only be enlightened by the intersected individuals themselves. Mana Wahine, then, refers to the authority of Māori women to make sense of their unique and increasingly complex identities, and to lead discussions about their progress within their own iwi and hapū, and within wider Māori society.

For those avid Native Affairs– watchers among you, the recent saga concerning Parliamentary pōhiri protocols only reaffirms this.

Following a pōhiri at the Beehive last year, Annette King and Maryan Street complained to the Speaker of the House after being asked to exchange their front-row seats for a place behind the men. Annette, in particular, spoke very publicly about her views on the outdated nature of Māori customs, claiming “a change is long overdue.” A Parliamentary review has thus been conducted regarding their in-house pōhiri protocols, which supposedly includes consultation with local iwi, Te Āti Awa – on

whose land the Beehive currently resides.

While I understand where Annette and Maryan are coming from, the issue here is that neither of these women are Māori, nor do either of them possess a meaningful understanding of Māori culture, let alone the pōhiri process. Rather, they have thoughtlessly imposed their views of feminism and gender relations from the outside-in – and that’s not very cool, really. By making such a complaint, they not only diminish the importance of the karanga, or the reasons as to why the protocols are in place (and they’re pretty damn important reasons), but they are also disrespecting the mana of Te Āti Awa and of Te Āti Awa women by trampling on their mana as the ‘rule-setters’ for the area. If that wasn’t enough, the delicate balance of mana tāne and mana wahine is thrown by their assumption that neither are of contemporary importance, and their carelessness in assuming feminism and Mana Wahine are synonymous. All while sparking a debate that is actually not theirs to spark.

Solidarity has its limits.

Instead, I would encourage

non-Māori women to support Māori women, and stand by their side, but never lead them in their own discussions – discussions, Annette and Maryan, which have been going on far longer than your lifetimes, and will continue hereafter.

Now, as someone who is merely beginning their exploration into the profundities of the Māori world, I feel my contribution to this conversation can only be brief.

There is a spiritual element to this kōrero that spans far beyond my knowledge and understanding, so broad and complex that you could devote a lifetime-and-a-half to it and only begin to scratch the surface. Yet, te mana o te wahine is a part of me; it is so natural, so real, and so crucial to our identities as Māori women that we must not hesitate to speak about it at every opportunity.

After all, right now, we are talking about women and men, and in time, we may be discussing the meaning of gender itself.

But regardless of where the conversation leads, the mana must remain in the hands of the beholder, kia mau tonu ai te mana o te wahine.

editor@salient.org.nz

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The Women’s Issue

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WHAT MEANS TO ME We asked our contributors what feminism meant for them. We got too many great responses to FIt in the magazine, but here are 10 of the best.

PREYA REGUNATHAN

F

eminism, for me, is simply an ideology that supports me in being whoever the hell I want to be. Once I understood that I, a woman, am actually a person with no one to please but myself, I began to really live.

Now, if I want to wear makeup, I will damn well wear makeup. If I wanna wear fat pants and a baggy sweater to uni, so be it. Leather jacket and flower crown? No problem. And you can bet your arse that if I’m busting mine at the gym, it’s for nobody’s satisfaction but my own.

This may all sound like a fairly obvious concept, but it wasn’t to me.

Not until feminist ideology opened my eyes to exactly how ingrained sexism is in our everyday lives. Objectification, prettifying myself for the opposite sex, is not okay. My value as a human being is not proportionate to the size of my waist. There is no dichotomy between being smart and being sexy. Feminism doesn’t mean surrendering my femininity for a place in a man’s world, but rather realising that the world needs to make room for and understand women. We cannot, will not, be subdued.

ANON

I

need feminism because my anatomy should not increase my chances of being a victim. Because an estimated 90 per cent of sexual offences go unreported. Because 21 per cent of reported rape offences went to court. Because 12 per cent of these resulted in a conviction (Ministry of Justice, 2003). Because New Zealand is the worst OECD country in the world in regards to rates of sexual violence (UN, 2011).

I need feminism because the pornography industry, built on the exploitation and degradation of women, is one of the biggest industries in the world. Because porn is seen as ‘normal’, something which had me feeling inadequate and asking my doctor for vaginal reconstruction surgery at age 13. Because the first time I had sex I was worried about ‘being good enough’, not about my pleasure.

I need feminism because nine million more girls than boys worldwide are not in school (UNICEF, 2003). Because women currently hold only 4.8 per cent of the world’s Fortune 500 CEO roles. I need feminism because in New Zealand, the gender pay gap was measured at 10.1 per cent (MWA, 2013). Because I should feel lucky that it is not the 37.4 per cent of Korea. The 20.46 per cent of the Netherlands. The 17.81 per cent of the United Kingdom.

I need feminism because performing an abortion on the basis of a woman’s request is allowed in only 29 per cent of countries. Because having complete bodily autonomy is not reality.

I need feminism because I am still being asked this question. Because I still protest this shit. editor@salient.org.nz

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HILARY BEATTIE

STEPH TRENGROVE

H

W

istorically, I’ve sought friendships where the other person thought I was cool and funny.

For ages I thought the best way to achieve this was to make heaps of male friends and have a weird almost-secret not-that-subtle hope that they’d see me as “not like other girls” that they knew. That way, we could Just Have Laughs without (God forbid) any time-consuming power or gender dynamics.

I didn’t want to be like other girls because “girls aren’t that into all hanging out together making jokes” and “they like creating drama, especially over guys”. The overarching lesson was that being “different to all the rest” was ultimately Very Desirable. Instead of being like the others, I’d be a Cool Girl – whisky, not sav! Steak, not kale! (Or whatever the kale equivalent was in 2009. I don’t know. Cruskits or something.)

I eventually unpacked this idea – “unpacked” here meaning “realised it was whack as shit” – as late as last year. It seemed I’d taken as fact certain stereotypes or conceptions from TV or books. Because on TV and in books, dudes were portrayed quite clearly as the winning team.

Wanting to be “not like other girls” was me agreeing that they were the winning team. Not productive. 0/10. Would not perpetuate again.

VIVEKA NYLUND

W

hat does feminism mean to me? Tough question. Maybe it’d be easier to define what it doesn’t mean. For starters, it doesn’t mean invading various countries on the pretext of fighting for women’s rights, as has happened several times in the last decade-and-a-half. Nor does it mean the idea of simply getting more women into positions of power and assuming that they’ll make things better for women through their mere presence there; a quick glance at the 1980s, and Margaret Thatcher’s passing of the homophobic Section 28, as well as her attacks on welfare, should be enough to disprove that idea. So, if that’s not what feminism means to me, and the cliche quote about it being “the radical notion that women are people” is too simplistic, what does it mean?

Maybe just that all the people marginalised by capitalist society deserve access to the fruits of modern technology just as much as those at the top of it.

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hen I was home over the holidays, my parents and I were discussing a friend who has recently decided that she is a feminist, and has taken to announcing the fact very loudly and publicly at every opportunity. My younger sister overheard and asked me what a feminist was. “Someone who thinks that women and girls should have the same rights as men and boys,” I told her. She looked utterly baffled.

“But don’t all people want that?” she asked me.

Hearing that from the mouth of a young girl is the utmost illustration of what feminism means to me. Feminism doesn’t need to be loud and attention-seeking. It doesn’t need to be angry or aggressive. What it should be is the instillation of the firm and unwavering belief that females are just as valued as men on this earth, and should be treated as such. Hearing that my little sister is utterly assured that her own worth is equal to that of her male counterparts is, to me, the true value and meaning of feminism.

CHLOE DAVIES

KASIA

T

F

here have been two ‘woah’ moments in my formative, personal history with feminism.

The first being early 2010, in Year 12 Classical Studies. A kind-of friend I sat next to said something along the lines of: “Last night, I found out my mum is, like, a hardcore feminist, which is weird because I’m all ‘1950s housewife’.”

My internal reaction was something like: “1950s housewife sounds repressive.” I probably said something more agreeable because she was higher in the social hierarchy than me. I asked my mum that evening if she considered herself a feminist; she said yes. So I decided I was too.

The second was some months later: a friend and I were walking home together, and a mutual friend’s fruitful sexual encounters came up. I made some gross comment about how she was kind of slutty, and my friend retorted with: “Would you say that about a man?” I realised that, no, I wouldn’t have. How disappointing.

I think feminism is important because there’s still a staggering amount of sexual and physical violence perpetrated mainly by men against women and trans people; there’s still a gender pay gap; and, for the most part, for a woman to succeed in male-dominated industries, she has to become like a man. Which sucks.

eminism has a new face with each generation and this is the face she wears with me.

Feminism is my fighting chance to be heard.

It’s knowing I have rights that my foresisters fought tooth and nail for, rights I’ll continue to fight for! Feminism is screaming into a microphone and not hearing the crowd say it’s good to see a women on stage. Instead, I know I will be judged on my musicianship rather than my gender. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel telling me to scream louder. Feminism is what helped me look at the media machine and laugh in its face. It’s helped me embrace other females instead of turning my nose down at them, as if they were a threat. It’s brought me together with some amazing women who feel the revolution is near and refuse to stay silent until we are no longer oppressed! Feminism has told me I am good enough and to never think any less. It’s for everyone! It’s about empowering, embracing, and encouraging, and I am proud to call myself a Feminist!

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I need feminism because the pornography industry, built on the exploitation and degradation of women, is one of the biggest industries in the world. Because porn is seen as ‘normal’ something which had me feeling inadequate and asking my doctor for vaginal reconstruction surgery at age 13. Because the FIrst time HOLLIE RUSSELL I had sex I was worried about ‘being good Feminism is a Hypocrite enough’ not about my pleasure.

REBEKAH FISTONICH

BEN GUERIN

F

G

eminism taught me that religion can be and is used to subordinate and oppress, and that I can believe that without compromising my faith. Feminism showed me that my scriptures can be interpreted as having a gender-neutral God; equality between men and women; no indication that females are spiritually deficient; strong, positive representations of women; and that none of this is heresy. Feminism gave me a leg up to say that it is not okay for women to be excluded from leadership and teaching positions, and over-represented in administration and childcare. To say that men are not closer to God simply because of their sex. And to say that things must change, and religion must not be used to cloak oppression. Feminism handed me a microphone so I can loudly proclaim that I will not allow thousands of years of man-made tradition and patriarchal institutions to silence me in my own religion, nor will this oppression turn me away from my faith. Feminism transcends borders, cultures, and religions.

Feminism is a fresh set of eyes through which to look at the elements of my faith and the ways that it is used to mask subordination and inequality, and the empowering force to tear off the mask and bring change.

rowing up, I had a number of strong female role models who taught me that I was in no way superior because I was born with a penis instead of a vagina. If anyone has met my mother, they’ll know exactly what I mean!

The sad reality is that a number of men in our country feel that they can treat women as their property. Too often, we men treat women with less respect than we treat other men. This is not okay.

Whether it is cat-calling while driving past a woman alone on the street or inappropriately groping someone in a club when they’re clearly not interested, everyday sexism is harmful and unnecessary. Everyday sexism is at the heart of New Zealand’s rape culture, because too many men think that they can do what they want with a woman’s body.

To me, feminism means treating everybody with equal respect. However, this also means recognising that women have a unique set of challenges to overcome (many of them created by men). Feminism is about redressing that inequality, whether it’s in the workplace, on the street, or in the home.

Feminism is a lady garden, Don’t shave that shit, beg your pardon.

Feminism is a Brazilian wax, Keep it smooth inside ya daks.

Feminism is being a whore, How many dicks can you score?

Feminism is being a virgin, Save yourself, resist the urgin’.

Feminism is #freethenipple, Check your Twitter, your ‘likes’ will triple.

Feminism is covering up, Don’t tell no one about your mooncup.

Feminism is burning your bra, Let your boobs be free lil’ ma.

Feminism is sexy undies All the time, not just for fun-dies.

Feminism is being a builder, Those misogynists you will bewilder.

Feminism is being a housewife, Knitting, cooking, committing to blouse-life.

Feminism is wearing make-up, Mascara and lipstick as soon as you wake up.

Feminism is going bare, Beauty standards – I don’t care!

Feminism is a hypocrite…

Until you realise feminism is freedom.

editor@salient.org.nz

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N A K E D & N E G AT E D

by Nat McIvor As a kid, I was taught that sexual assault existed, and what I experienced during my freshman year of university wasn’t different to what

was described to me pre-intermediate.

What I didn’t know about was the victim-blaming and negation of my body and self to come after. Fastforward to almost a year later: new city, same baggage.

A university project sparked the

“If I stand up for myself there are consequences, but there aren’t any for some guy that cat calls at me”

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The Women’s Issue

motivation to find other women that could relate to the feeling of being stripped down to ‘just genitals’. ‘Naked & Negated’ shows a small selection of women that lost the right to their own body due to lack of education about consent, gender, sex and equality.

“’Blueballs’ meant he wouldn’t hug me unless he could fuck me.”

I L L U S T R AT I O N S

by Lily Paris West See more at lilybadposture.tumblr.com

“He asked me if I was a boy or a girl, like it would determine how he’d treat me and it did.”

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L A E R E D H R T -WO F by

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nn

y

u Ga

Feminism is so difficult to talk about that it’s become a bit of a social taboo. Is ‘feminism’ the new F-word?

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here’s something ominous about writing for the women’s issue.

While I’ve had no issue arguing about the harmful side of fitspo, or the problematic way New Zealand media portrays Māori, it’s as if this is the one chance I get to say something about women’s rights.

So let me say this: that’s messed up.

It seems somewhat counterintuitive to me to even have a women’s issue. Surely, boiling women down to a weekly theme like ‘sport’ or ‘food’ is the kind of objectification of women that feminism objects to? For me, the 30

The Women’s Issue

very core of feminism is equality and liberation. All genders should be embraced and celebrated. If women are to be treated equally, there shouldn’t be an entire issue dedicated solely to women. This just reaffirms the notion that women are, and therefore should continue to be, treated differently because of their gender. This is exactly what I oppose.

But the very fact that I felt the need to explain that proves exactly why it really is necessary to dedicate an issue to women.

Things won’t change unless we talk about them.

But talking about feminism is

lt

hard.

The discussion is still in its early stages, like we’re at a family dinner and your mum just told your sister it was you who ran over her cat three years ago. There’s a lot of anger, a lot of jumping up and down, a lot of yelling. Your dad thinks you’re fighting over a hat.

What’s more, your other siblings, who were key witnesses of the incident, have only just walked in the door.

To reiterate what has become perhaps an unnecessarily elaborate metaphorical scenario, conversations about feminism have, for a long time, left out key participants who have equally important things to say as those who have been leading the charge.

For many, the conversation is quite scary. A lot of people don’t

know what to say, or how to say it.

Others are blissfully unaware the conversation is even going on.

As with many social movements, the mainstream media has been a dominant contributor to broader feminist discussions, presenting a limited range of perspectives in such a manner that pays lip service to feminism without upsetting the present patriarchal order. If feminism is seen to be discussed on television or in the newspaper, people feel assured that some kind of progress is being made, and are therefore less likely to revolt or feel the need for more drastic measures.

Perhaps that is too mediaessay-ish. Stay with me. Take, for example, discussions of pay inequality between men and women. This is an easy issue for

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mainstream media to address.

It’s something that appears to be remedied relatively easily by putting pressure in relevant political and commercial areas. No one feels personally accountable.

It’s someone else’s problem. And for a moment, it seems as though women’s rights are being taken seriously. If it’s in the news, then presumably someone somewhere will do something about it. You just stay there on the couch.

But pay gaps are only a small part of the problem. How is mainstream media to deal with deeper, societal issues that have no quick-fix solution – like posts such as this from Overheard @ Vic: “Overheard in the library level 3: Chick 1 : ‘I brought home a guy on saturday and i can’t believe he just left because i didn’t sleep with him!’

Tbh I don’t know why the bitch is complaining, put out or get out. [sic]” This post of symptomatic of New Zealand’s rape culture.

Someone presumably thought this was funny, and I chose not to respond with, “well, bastard, tbh I don’t know why you think women are sex toys”, for fear that I would be ridiculed and misunderstood.

While it’s hard enough to articulate that these sorts of throwaway comments perpetuate a culture in which sexual assault is framed as the victim’s problem, something that women should protect themselves against, no one wants to watch news that tells them they’re the problem.

Of course, no one woman can speak to the needs of all, nor should they try. To return to the gender-pay-gap example, the discussion usually focusses on women already in well-off positions missing out on top executive-type roles, like positions on political-party lists and partners in law firms, disregarding consideration of women’s unemployment and other systemic hurdles.

There are multi-layered facets

of oppression to deal with. This is what intersectional feminism recognises – that oppression is experienced in varying interrelated configurations based on aspects of identity such as race, gender, class, ability, religion and ethnicity. Ava Vidal, writer for The Telegraph, explains that as a black woman, she faces both racism and sexism daily.

It’s a treacherous negotiation. Vidal gives the example of someone calling Chris Brown a “black bastard”. Vidal’s objection to the racism of such a statement was misconstrued by a white woman as meaning Vidal condoned Brown’s physical assault of Rihanna.

Intersectionality recognises that Vidal is not only black, or only a woman, that she is always both, and more.

Intersectionality raises awareness that feminism that is overly white, middle-class, cisgendered and able-bodied presents just one view.

Traditionally, this view is that which is seized by mainstream media. SlutWalk, for example, protesting against the notion that “women should avoid dressing like sluts” in order to prevent being raped, was all over the news. But of course it was – hot white women were walking around topless.

Without integration of diversity among women, the feminist movement risks fragmentation and waning effectiveness. If one voice speaks louder than the rest, others may be so far marginalised they no longer recognise the movement as their own. This is not to say that feminist discussions need to be homogenous, but rather, the feminist movement needs to be united in order to be productive.

For the feminist discussion to be united and productive, it needs first and foremost to be accessible to everyone.

The internet provides a forum to develop alternatives to the entrenched mainstream notion of feminist imperatives and assumptions. There’s an opportunity presented by the internet for traditionally muted voices to speak as loudly as those

THE DISCUSSION IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES, LIKE WE’RE AT A FAMILY DINNER AND YOUR MUM JUST TOLD YOUR SISTER IT WAS YOU WHO RAN OVER HER CAT THREE YEARS AGO. THERE’S A LOT OF ANGER, A LOT OF JUMPING UP AND DOWN, A LOT OF YELLING. YOUR DAD THINKS YOU’RE FIGHTING OVER A HAT. usually permitted by mainstream media, as it grants equal access and is non-hierarchical. It’s not perfect, of course – not everyone has unfettered access to the internet, but it’s definitely progress.

Tumblr and Twitter have played integral roles in consciousnessraising – connecting individual problems to social ones in order to counteract the mainstream media’s narratives of feminism.

Feminist discussions are enhanced by the inclusion of as many voices as possible. It also enables those unwilling to participate in extreme demonstrations and protests to become feminist activists.

Social media allows for teaching moments, in which individuals are able to share their knowledge in a conversation, including references to other stories and research, which others can then listen in on and interact with. There are countless examples of this kind of productive conversation – such as a discussion on BlackinAsia’s blog of how the whiteness discussed on Tumblr is US-centric, and does not necessarily comply with the oppression ‘white’ women face in other countries.

But just because Tumblr provides this potential to learn does not mean the discussions on Tumblr necessarily always fulfil it. Feminist discussions have repeatedly been stereotyped as a ‘catfight’ – for good reason.

Frequently, conversations on Tumblr result in users being called out for use of offensive terminology, or ignorance – there’s a lot of policing of feminist

discussions. While in many situations this is necessary, in others it may be losing sight of what’s truly in issue.

Mikki Kendall began a #lesstoxicfeminism conversation on Twitter about how to have a less hostile and more productive discussion. Over-policing may silence voices and discourage people from engaging in the discussion for fear of chastisement of their best-intended comments.

The feminist movement can’t call for conversation while also invalidating people’s contributions because of an unfortunate word choice. If someone is willing to speak up, it’s likely they’re also willing to learn.

It’s all very well for everyone to be able to join in a conversation, but are the necessary people really listening? Conflict and aggression makes for interesting news; constructive discussion lacks the necessary click-bait sensationalism.

Mainstream media discussions of feminism often only arise in relation to high-profile sexualassault cases, reflecting a deepseated problem with the way our society perceives women’s issues.

While intersectional feminism may struggle to gain traction with mainstream media, those involved in online conversations have an obligation to change their daily interactions with others, to explain and educate the unaware one brick at a time. Feminism is difficult to talk about at the best of times, so let’s not knock people down who demonstrate a willingness to try.

editor@salient.org.nz

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Feature

FEMINISM & GENDER

BY VIVEKA NYLUND

S

o, I guess first off I should probably define what I mean by gender, and how that relates to sex (for my somewhat rambling thoughts on feminism, you should totally check out my other piece, in this issue).

At this point, many of you will no doubt be expecting me to trot out that tired old truism about sex being about physical bodies, and gender being a social construct and therefore about minds. As Asher Bauer argues in his 2010 piece ‘Not Your Mom’s Trans 101’ (ironically now somewhat dated itself; four years can be a long time in activism) however, this is in fact bullshit; given the existence not only of intersex people, but of cis people whose chromosomes do not match those conventionally associated with them, sex is just as much a social construct as gender, and can best be understood as gender applied to bodies. This still leaves the

term ‘gender’ undefined, though, which is a problem. How about this: gender is what you self-identify as. Yes, even if you’re cis.

That just means that your self-identified gender happens to coincide with the one some overworked doctor looked at your freshly born, red and screaming body and decided you were (or in far too many cases, performed surgery to make you a ‘better fit’ for). So a female body is simply a body that happens to belong to a woman, a male body one that belongs to a man, a genderqueer body… well, you probably get the idea. Oh, right. I forgot to mention the part where not everyone identifies as either a man or a woman. Now, in a ‘typical’ Trans 101, this would be where I say that gender identity is a spectrum, with men and women on opposite ends. Actually, it’s more complicated than that: gender identity is a huge complicated three-dimensional thing.

NOW, IN A ‘TYPICAL’ TRANS 101, THIS WOULD BE WHERE I SAY THAT GENDER IDENTITY IS A SPECTRUM, WITH MEN AND WOMEN ON OPPOSITE ENDS. ACTUALLY, IT’S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT: GENDER IDENTITY IS A HUGE COMPLICATED THREEDIMENSIONAL THING. 32

The Women’s Issue

How do I see feminism interacting with gender? Well, being trans, I obviously have very little sympathy for the view held by some radical feminists that gender should be abolished in toto; not only is this view largely contradicted by their going on to claim that biology is destiny when it comes to accepting trans people, but it rests on a very Eurocentric, binarist model of gender. I would argue that it is in fact gender roles and norms which need to be abolished, and that a good place to start would be ending the often toxic masculinity taught by society as ‘average Kiwi blokehood’ (the man/woman dichotomy I mentioned earlier). I’m sure most of you will know what that references, but for those of you who don’t, I’m talking specifically about the whole macho ‘boys will be boys’ shit that encourages so many men, young and old, to bottle up their emotions and turn either to drink or to violence as a way to avoid actually dealing with their problems. As for how to do this? Well, that’s complicated. One place to start could be improving sex education in schools; I can’t speak for exactly what it’s like these days, but ten years ago there was barely anything on gay sex, and nothing about trans people.

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I AM A FEMINIST AND A WRITER BUT I DON’T WANT TO BEAAFEMINIST FEMINISTWRITER WRITER BE I

BY RUTH CORKILL

have just spent three wonderful months studying fiction and poetry at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop summer graduate program in ‘The City of Iowa City, Iowa’. It has been a fantastic experience, but it has also been a major shock to the system that has forced me to re-evaluate what it means to me to be a feminist. The other day, I received written feedback from a fellow student in my fiction program that said: “As in previous work, the author’s loathing of men fairly leaps off the page.” Said student has since apologised, saying he didn’t mean me, he meant the voice of the story and the characters.

He said it was a compliment, but that I should be aware that such a strong voice wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste.

I was completely taken aback, primarily because I think it’s bizarre that an educated person would ever use a term so close to ‘man-hater’, and also because I didn’t think my writing addressed gender issues or had feminist themes.

As at Victoria’s IIML where I did my minor, teaching at Iowa is based around small workshop groups in which we receive feedback from our fellow students. Never in my time at the IIML did I hear anyone discuss my work in terms of feminism, the patriarchy or, in fact, gender.

However, Mr Loathing was not alone.

Another classmate called the final paragraph a glib trick designed to allow me to include a criticism of the patriarchy in a story that didn’t suit such intense rhetoric. I told one of my friends from the same class about these bizarre comments, and he said: “Yeah, I see how it could come across that way.”

I was told by another man from my class that the way I initiate discourse is too aggressive, and that if I am interested in other people’s opinions I should open with a question such as, “Don’t you think it’s interesting that…?”, and that I should never ever tell

people that they need to change their behaviour or their thinking. I hope that the irony of that statement is not lost on you.

So, outnumbered, I was forced to consider what I had written and why it had been read the way it had. The feedback letter that pointed out my loathing for men noted that in the course of the story, I had described the character of a male teacher as old, scaly, whiny, artless and dull. I think it’s worth noting that in the same story my three female characters were variously described as sneering, austere, forgetful, contemptuous, cynical, disappointed, desperate, haughty, indifferent, thundering, disrespectful, sarcastic, enraged, hopeless, insane, disgusted (this is an embarrassing number of adjectives), distressed, confused and nervous. I don’t know if you noticed, but none of those are positive attributes.

I was still extremely uncomfortable with the idea that my work was being read as overtly feminist. It is true, of course, that fiction reveals an author’s prejudices and cultural biases even when they don’t realise it. Ernest Hemingway was an anti-Semite. No matter what I ‘think’ or ‘believe’, there are deeper inherent patterns to my thinking that will come up in my writing.

That includes racism, sexism, Eurocentrism and general nastiness. It would seem that some of the concepts I take for granted read as feminist ideology.

Why does that worry me? Why don’t I embrace the chance to defeat the patriarchy with the power of literature? Well, because I didn’t set out to be a ‘feminist writer’. It is not my intention to describe the ‘female experience’. I don’t feel qualified to do that.

I haven’t studied feminist theory; in fact, the ideas laid out in feminism seem so obvious that I don’t find the conversation interesting. I only began thinking of myself as a feminist once I was required to define myself in opposition to mainstream views. And, perhaps more importantly, I want people to pay attention to whatever else it is that I’m trying to talk about, not just discuss my work in terms of feminism.

But the question is, given that I am aware of the problems facing women everywhere, from

unspeakable sexual violence to patronising comments, do I have a responsibility to intentionally address feminist issues in my work? No, I don’t. Firstly, because if these conversations get in the way of me writing what I want to write then the cads have won, and secondly, Doris Lessing.

Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007. Her most famous work, The Golden Notebook, published in 1962, has been referred to as a feminist manifesto.

Why? Essentially because it follows a female character who has wide-ranging ambitions and a complex inner life. Lessing found being pigeonholed as a ‘feminist writer’ extremely frustrating. Calling The Golden Notebook a feminist manifesto undermines the fact that the book explores a host of other complex ideas. In the introduction to later editions of the novel, Lessing wrote: Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallisation of information in society which has not yet taken place. This book was written as if the attitudes that have been created by the Women’s Liberation movements already existed.

In the end, even though Lessing never set out to advance the feminist cause, she did. We have to continue to fight the good fight and repeat over and over that a person’s value and capabilities are not dictated by their gender.

I would be extremely proud to play a part in that fight. I’m certainly not going to attempt to ‘tone down’ my ‘loathing of men’ in order to make other people feel more comfortable.

But I should also be able to write a story in which a male character does not represent ‘men’, and power play between a male teacher and a female student does not represent ‘the patriarchy’ to my readers. My work should not be read with the assumption that the blanket term ‘feminist author’ and all its connotations applies, because although I am a feminist and a cis woman, I am a human being first and foremost.

editor@salient.org.nz

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Columns

Conspiracy Corner

By Incognito Montoya riting anything on W feminism these days is a bit like discussing the Israel–Palestine conflict.

Every discussion on the issue is hazardous, any stance you take is going to make you an enemy, and at some point you’re going to get called a pig.

Weird Internet Shit

By Philip McSweeney

ccording to recent psychological estimates, about ten per cent of the population are scared of flying on planes in some capacity. For some, this means refusing to board a plane full stop, while others with a less severe case of the condition pop a couple of Lorazepams beforehand to keep things tickety-boo. This fear is often perceived as irrational, for valid reasons statistically; I’m sure I don’t need to regurgitate factoids about it being more likely for you

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The Women’s Issue

As your navigator to the clandestine workings of the world, I’m understandably at a loss. Feminism is becoming more mainstream because more people raise their voices and make these issues known. The patriarchy penetrates every institution on Earth, and we know this because feminism gave it a name.

Representation and ending rape culture are important issues that can be much better discussed by someone who doesn’t wear a tinfoil hat. Instead, looking through my conspir-history books, I thought I’d expound on a classic instance of patriarchy bringing womenfolk down: the case of ‘bicycle face’.

The invention of the bicycle in the early 1800s was freeing for the women of the time. They used the newfangled form of transport to gain mobility and freedom, and made it a symbol of the suffragette movement. Shorter modes of dress were made to free

up their legs for cycling, redefining women’s fashion choices and view of femininity. The bicycle “was a steed upon which they rode into a new world,” as one 1896 magazine described it.

Men became frightened by the prospect of seeing women with independence and naked ankles, so they did what the patriarchy does best: thinking they know what’s best about women’s health.

Male doctors made up a condition that would discourage women from taking to the two-wheeled freedom train, called “bicycle face”. They warned that the wind, weariness and need for concentration created by riding a bicycle would leave a woman with protruding facial bones and irreversible alterations to her precious visage, naturally assuming that a woman was concerned only with her looks and nothing more.

They also claimed ‘bicycle face’ could lead to tuberculosis and

increased libido, which is basically the 1800s equivalent of saying: “You’ll get AIDS and die”.

Needless to say, no one was falling for it, and the fictitious disease was wiped from the public consciousness near the turn of the century. Bicycling then became popular with the upper classes and thus by that measure totally acceptable, if as gratuitous then as a Lamborghini is now.

If feminism teaches us anything, it’s that there is no quick road to equality. If I were to offer a solution, I would draw a parallel with the humble bicycle. The penny-farthing, with one wheel grossly bigger than the other, may have worked for quite some time, but eventually it was deemed impractical and silly. It was decided that, if we ever want to go swiftly in the right direction, the wheels need to be the same size.

to perish on your way to the airport than on the plane, or it being more – statistically – likely to meet your maker from shaking a vending machine vigorously.

This is all very well, but if reading “Last Words…” doesn’t creep the fuck out of you I’d advise checking for a pulse.

The ominously titled website is an online catalogue of “COCKPIT VOICE RECORDINGS, TRANSCRIPTS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TAPES” taken from plane crashes, and offers both transcripts and audio of the horrid events. Though I haven’t been brave enough to click the audio (which comes with a ‘discretion advised’ warning), the transcripts or select quotes that encapsulate the disasters are bone-chilling enough.

The ‘last words’ are sometimes portentous. Alitalia’s Flight 771’s final line of dialogue is “Unable to make out your last message, will you please repeat”. Closer to home, we have the words of the pilots involved in the Erebus crash: “Actually, these conditions don’t look very good at all, do they?”

It goes without saying that this is eerie, sickening stuff, and those in search of late-night chills would encounter more than they bargain for here.

The website is perhaps useful in a broader sense in that it reveals something achingly human.

Many final lines feature choice of expletives (“What, ohhh fuck. Oh fuck me”, “What the fuck is going on”, “Fuckkkkkk”) while others, regardless of the pilot’s origin, ethnicity, creed or colour, reveal final thoughts we can all empathise with. “Goodnight, Goodbye, We Perish!”, “Ma, I love you”, “Amy, I love you”, “I rely on God”, “Allah Akbar”. Terror is universalising, and reminds us of what matters the most. The site is shit-scary, duhh, but also curiously poignant.

I suspect that for many of us, these seemingly innocuous recordings will have been reified by the two most recent air disasters, especially the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines MH17 in circumstances that can charitably be described as ‘deeply suspicious’.

In light of the human toll of these

events – both on the victims and their loved ones – isn’t having a website dedicated to intrusively capturing final moments of people’s lives inappropriate, or even abhorrent?

Many people seem to think so, as witnessed by the outrage over the usually infallible (and irreplaceable) Beyoncé’s use of plane-crash audio sampled in her song ‘XO’. A devil’s advocate might say here that transcripts of disasters are published in the media regularly to little ethical reproach, and that the only difference is that audio recordings are more visceral in their impact.

But for me, audio turns something clinical into something sensationalising. We were all rightly disgusted when a reporter rifled through the belongings of a MH17 victim, considering it a breach of their privacy and dignity; an overly intimate act that tarnished the victim even in their death. We have a moral obligation to let a person’s death be as private as possible in order to show respect for their life and let their name, their reputation, rest in peace.

Food

KK Malaysian

The Sweet Scoop Chocolate Macaroons

by Julia Wells

’ve really been getting into simple biscuit recipes lately. It always annoys me when cookie-making involves lots of steps: making multiple layers, chilling the dough for a few hours.

If I’m going to put that much effort into baking, I’d rather have something more spectacular to show for it. But a simple biscuit is wonderful. Quickly made, able to be eaten hot, and easily portable.

These are fast and delicious, with the mixture put together in only a few minutes. The result is thoroughly worth it, producing soft puffy biscuits with a rich coconut flavour. Although they’re nice on their own, these become even more amazing when you add dark chocolate. You can drizzle the chocolate over the top, as I’ve done here (it’s more photogenic), but I’d recommend dipping them totally in chocolate. So good.

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Chocolate Macaroons 3 cups desiccated coconut

¾ cup sweetened condensed milk 1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla essence dark chocolate, for dipping

Method: Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Beat the egg white until soft peaks form, then mix in the sweetened condensed milk, desiccated coconut and vanilla essence. Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto baking sheets, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool, first on trays then a wire rack. Melt chocolate then dip the macaroons into it. Place on a baking paper and leave until set.

Maybe it’s because I’d never been there before last week, but I’d always believed KK Malaysian was some kind of mythical place where every student to have ever lived in Wellington would journey on a ritualistic Saturday-night BYO pilgrimage, experiencing cheap delicious food and Fat Bird.

I don’t know why it took me three years to finally make it to KK Malaysian, but my bank balance certainly hates past-Eve for choosing other BYOs that follow the similar cheap ’n’ cheerful Malaysian vein because I’ve never seen one as cheap as KK before – $10 for each vegetarian main. Fun fact: Wellington has the highest number of Malaysian restaurants per capita of anywhere outside of Malaysia (thanks, flatmate who did ASIA101!)

KK Malaysian is famous in the youth-wing hack-life (of which I’m mercifully not part) for featuring numerous photos of Grant Robertson on its walls. I have heard on the grapevine that KK Malaysian is indeed G-Rob’s favourite BYO; rumour has it his favourite dish is the beef rendang... Even on the Tuesday night I went there, there was an (albeit short) wait on a table for two.

The entrées listed are standard and relatively expensive compared to the price of the mains, so we skipped straight ahead. I had Mee Rojak, which wasn’t terrible, but underseasoned and a tad bland (egg noodles mixed with eggs, cauliflower, broccoli, tofu, bean sprouts, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots and potatoes, with peanut and vegetable sauce). Admittedly, I only got one slice of egg and minimal tofu and broccoli, but the almost pinkish sauce was pretty tasty; and much tastier after I added a pinch of salt.

I was sated and only spent $10, so I hardly feel I can complain. My date for the evening, who frequently visits KK Malaysian, swears by the Mee Goreng. The popularity of this place makes me think perhaps I just chose the wrong dish on the night in question.

The portions are generous and the décor is inoffensive. The location on Ghuznee St is convenient. I wouldn’t recommend this for a romantic date, but for a cheap weeknight meal while catching up with friends, or as a BYO goto, it remains ideal; 16 years after poor students first started swarming its doors.

by Eve Kennedy

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editor@salient.org.nz

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Columns

Being Well

Co-authored by: Kent Smith – Counsellor, Student Counselling Alexandra Kingston-Reese – PhD student, University of Sydney

n front of Rogier van der Weyden’s painting Descent from the Cross, a “man broke suddenly into tears, convulsively catching his breath.

Was he, I wondered, just facing the wall to hide his face as he dealt with whatever grief he’d brought into the museum? Or was he having a profound experience of art?” (Ben Lerner, Leaving the Atocha Station, 8) Contemporary literature has given new life to precisely this critical question of how we experience art – whether it is visual art, poetry or music – to explore how we reflect on our aesthetic experiences. An art to be experienced in itself, literature articulates our visual and auditory experiences outside their intended spaces of reception and mediates our artistic encounters through language. Although a literary concern, it is also a vitally important interrogation into our contemporary experience, mediating the way we listen to music and see art in order to comment on the way we experience and understand the experience, not simply the experience itself. Indeed, Alain de Botton and John Armstrong (2013) have propositioned that there is a new way of interpreting art: “art as a form of therapy”. Just as the man viewing Descent from the Cross, we can have a therapeutic or emotional experience with music, poetry, literature and any form of art.

Art provides us with comfort through beautiful and hopeful images, sounds and words, and also through a recognised social

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The Women’s Issue

expression of suffering. In art, we can see the faces and hear the voices of sorrow and grief, of the marginalised and the dying, and this not only teaches us compassion, but that we are not alone. Given some of our shared experiences in recent times, this is a significant element of living.

Some of us, we stood in silence Some bowed their heads and prayed I think I must’ve picked up a handful of dust And let it fall over his grave (Lucinda Williams) Art, however, also gives us a vision of hope. Indeed, “if the world were a kinder place, perhaps we would be less impressed by, and in need of, pretty works of art.” (16) Sometimes it is a work of beauty that reduces us to tears, because sometimes it is this “that can be, for a moment, heartbreaking.” (16) And when the broken-hearted people Living in the world agree There will be an answer, let it be (McCartney & Lennon) A central problem of contemporary experience, and what de Botton calls “one of our major flaws, and causes of our unhappiness,” is our difficulty to be present within our current space: “We suffer [and are unhappy] because we lose sight of the value of what is before us and yearn, often unfairly, for the imagined attractions of elsewhere.” (59) Perhaps, then, art’s gift of therapy is that – for a moment at least – it asks us to be still, to consider, to understand and to be with and involved in our experience of being alive in this world.

Māori Matters Nā Te Po Hawaikirangi

ahine toa, wahine mārohirohi, wahine manawanui” “W

Tānemahuta, the god of the forest, proceeded to the natural soils of Papatūānuku, and there he fashioned a human form, a figure from earth. His next task was to provide that figure with life, with wairua, with the breath of Tāwhirimātea, thus the reason he is also known as Tāne-te-waiora. It was Tamanui-te-rā who shone light to nourish the Mother Earth.

Implanted in the lifeless image were the wairua (spirit) and manawa ora (breath of life), attained from Io, the Supreme Being. The breath of Tāne was directed upon this human-like figure, and his warmth affected it. That figure absorbed life, a faint life sigh was heard, the life spirit revealed itself, and Hineahu-one who sneezed, opened her eyes, and rose – a wahine.

Such was the Origin of Woman, formed from the soil of the Earth Mother (Papatūānuku), also a creation by the divine spirit that came from the Supreme Being, Io the Great, Io of the Hidden Face and Io the Parentless (Io-matua-kore) Thus Woman came into the world, and it is from this wahine, named Hine-ahu-one on account of the manner in which she had been created, that man derives his earthly

nature. For she was half of the earth and half supernatural, and she was the first being of the race of man. Here began the blending of the spirit of supernatural beings with that of man, which has continued

“That figure absorbed life, a faint life sigh was heard, the life spirit revealed itself, and Hineahu-one who sneezed, opened her eyes, and rose – a wahine.” until the present time. The seed of life is with Tānemahuta, and with man, with woman as the holder that shelters and nourishes it. The seed of the spiritual god is with the male, for he is a descendant of gods.

Woman originates from Papa, the Earth, the very earth we live off; she is the shelterer and nurturer, by whom all creatures obtain growth. Wahine are the seed of life.

The Māori Matters column is

brought to you by Ngāi Tauira,

the Māori Students’ Association.

Ph: +64 4 463 9762

Mobile: +64 27 7406253

Email: ngaitauira@vuw.ac.nz

Your students’ association

Sonya Says

by Sonya Clark

VUWSA President hen I stood for VUWSA President, I never really thought that my gender was relevant in running for the position or how it would impact how I fulfilled the role. Our cohort of students is around 60 per cent women, and I’ve never felt like my experience in the lecture theatres at Vic was different to that of the guys around me.

At the University’s Audit and Finance meeting (who make sure the books are in order), the penny dropped when I looked around the table: 16 white men in suits looked back at me, and the only other woman in the room was the Secretary. For the first time in my role, I felt like the fact that I was wearing a dress separated me from the people in the room. I felt like my contributions in the meeting were treated differently because of my gender. This is something that I’ve gone on to experience a number of times throughout the year.

It made me think back to my heavily Christian upbringing, where at church I was sometimes told a woman’s place was not to speak in church, that I should marry young, and that university wasn’t a thing girls should aspire to. These things seem bizarre to me now, and would be laughed at by most Wellingtonians. But the reality is, there’s places in this country where – whether consciously or not – outdated

W

norms and expectations of gender roles are still accepted. And it is also true for the boardroom, especially the business world, where women struggle to succeed.

When I first came to university, I felt so empowered. The assumptions here were different from my small town – at Victoria and in Wellington, of course I should speak my mind, educate myself and pursue a career instead of seeing marriage and children as my only life path. But as my role has merged away from being an undergraduate student, and into experiencing more of the business world through the boardroom and the workplace, I have quickly learnt that there is so far to go for women’s economic success in the workplace. Boardrooms, our Parliament, and many senior management positions are still largely full of male faces, and can be a difficult space to navigate.

But I’m comforted when I look around campus, at all the young people – regardless of gender – who speak out for a different reality. I’ve been especially inspired

by Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, who has actively come alongside me and encouraged me in my experience as a young female leader, challenging me to bring my gender, my heart and my mind into predominantly masculine spaces, in order to bring forward a different world for young women in New Zealand. I’m grateful for that, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a woman President. But I want to sit at a board table and see familiar faces looking back at me too.

Note: I will be chairing a panel of prominent women this Thursday at 5.30 pm, on Women’s Leadership, Education and Employment. Come to Student Union Building 309/310 to hear more!

Sonya Clark

VUWSA President M: 027 563 6986 | DDI: (04) 463 6986 | E: sonya.clark@vuw.ac.nz | W: www.vuwsa.org.nz

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ASSOCIATION

GENERAL

ELECTION 2014

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editor@salient.org.nz

37

Column

Shirt & Sweet with Eleanor Merton

Your weekly column on how to be annoyed but still cute

The idea of ~woman~* A is a little iffy. It can be difficult to talk about ~woman~ without fucking something up for someone else. But if you have some kind of experience of ~woman~, interest in being ~woman~, some kind of knowledge of ~woman~, then

you have a solidly cute position from which you can talk about ~woman~. And you can talk about ~woman~ as shirtily as you want. If you have none of these, then when it comes to all things ~woman~ you should probably step the fuck off.

Anyway, the idea of ~woman~ is of questionable usefulness anyway because it reproduces that binary thinking that all those upholding the brand know to be brutally suspicious of.

However, there are ways to try: How to do ~woman~ without reinforcing the binary

First off, ~woman~ implies a certain maturity, a certain comfortable superiority, a kind of sultry electricity. In order to achieve this, you will need to be 23. if you’re not 23 yet, then don’t even bother. Sit tight and wait.

You’ll get there one day, kid.

Once reaching the golden age, on the various and continuing incapabilities of men. What is History? History is women following behind, with a bucket.

History That Hasn’t Happened Yet

by Nicola Braid

f you pick up traditional histories, you’re unlikely to encounter much in the way of vaginas. Indeed, as Mrs Lintott aptly sums up in Alan Bennett’s History Boys:

I

Can you for a moment imagine how depressing it is to teach five centuries of masculine ineptitude? … History is a commentary

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The Women’s Issue

Now, this is not to say that historians haven’t made leaps and bounds when it comes to studying the history of women, nor is it to overstate the involvement of women. But as I scroll through historical examples and interesting people, as I do fortnightly for this column, I began to wonder: what if ‘history’, as we see it, was made by women?

Take, for instance, Adam and Eve. There’s no way that it was ever going to be Adam that succumbed to the wily serpent.

It was always going to be the inferior woman (created out of Adam’s fucking rib!) that ate the delicious fucking apple.

What if women too were sent

it’s important for you to realise that society likes ~woman~ to be clean. Thus, you must make society happy (read: no.) by having good hygiene. Do this by bathing in the tears of the elements of the patriarchy (probably men) that you have destroyed.

Alternatively, you may find your ~woman~ at the bottom of a bottle of red wine. Remember that ~woman~ rarely lurks where there is wine that cost more than eight dollars a bottle, so if you reach the end of a bottle and still are not satisfied with ~woman~, perhaps try a goon. Try drinking goon out of cut crystal. Try drinking mulled goon out of jam jars with crochet wrappings to protect your ~woman~ skin from the heat of the mulled goon.

If even after many goon without much ~woman~, it may be time to try something else. Source a mother or some other maternalistic figure,

perhaps a Sociology lecturer. Face said maternal figure in battle.

Come close to victory but then conglomerate with maternal figure and form a super being.

Encounter other ~woman~ energy. Absorb it into yourself.

Defeat everything that stands in your path.

Do ~woman~ however the fuck you want. Let no one else (not even me) tell you how you should be doing ~woman~. Tell no one else how to do ~woman~.

Stand with other ~woman~s. Be not just ~woman~ but ~women~.

Not everything cute and shirty is ~woman~, but ~women~ are everything that is cute and shirty. *This formatting indicates my own understanding of the constructed nature of anything designated ‘woman’ but without the patronisation of those quotation marks or the social implications of those already in place.

in droves to fight at the Somme or stumble down the cliffs of Gallipoli? Would we have a different commemoration of ANZAC Day? Would we still have the ‘manly hero’ that New Zealand still prides itself on today?

There have been more men named John in the history of British government than there have women.[citation needed] Would the government still have claimed legislative control over women’s bodies if it had been proportional?

If it had been soldiers, not just prostitutes tested for VD during World War One, would things have been different?

What if Lois Driggs Cannon, Buzz Aldrin’s wife, was the first person to walk on the moon?

What if this seminal (or ovarian?) moment was instead “one giant step for womankind”?

Had Helen Clark been a man, the sexuality of her partner and her childlessness would never have been up for public debate. More currently, if Tania Billingsley had been a man accusing a Malaysian diplomat of assault, would MFAT officials have comported themselves differently?

The “dustbin of history.” It’s the place that the forgotten go to die. Trotsky consigned the Mensheviks to it, Reagan consigned Trotsky to it.

Wikipedia tells me that Gaddafi consigned “the bunch of fascists” who stood opposed to Libya to it.

Women haven’t been consigned to the dustbin; they’ve just been stuck there sweeping up.

To borrow again from Mrs Lintott: are women to be forever relegated in history as having “just arranged the flowers, then gracefully retired”?

Arts

If you want to write about the arts, or think there is something we should review, email arts@salient.org.nz.

Have we talked about your single cover?

AN INTERVIEW WITH KILL MURRAY

by Emilie Emilie Marschner Marschner by

U

p-and-coming female rap artist from the backstreets of Newtown Kill Murray AKA Katie Meadows AKA 420 princess released her first music video ‘Smoke Blowbacks’ earlier this year and the video went viral.

She could be the next Justin Bieber. Keep reading for an insight into Katie’s world and what it’s like to be a female rapper in Wellington.

them afterwards and was like: “I just started rapping and writing and stuff, it’d be really cool to talk to you about it, and he just like avoided me and laughed in my face.”

When was the last time you smoked a doob?

Don’t say kale.

About 45 minutes ago. After Shortland Street.

What kind of music do you make?

Rap music for very sad people.

Who are your favourite female rappers?

Lil’ Kim, Nicki Minaj, Lady, Missy Elliot, Lisa Left Eye, Angel Haze, Iggy Azalea, does Ciara count? I love Ciara.

Where did it all start?

I was really drunk with my friend Nicole and we thought it’d be funny, and so we just started freestylin’ when we were drunk and stoned walking around Auckland. Then I went to a rap show and they invited me on stage because they thought I was attractive. I went up to one of

Whaaat?!

They were very rude so I wrote a diss track about them.

What inspires or influences your music?

Kale! No. Not kale.

Kale?

Kale is on the record.

Don’t say kale!

You just said kale so many times.

Oh kaaaale. Um, panic attacks and having too many feelings for a regular person and boys being douchebags and being really high and thinking about a lot of things all the time.

If you could be any animal what would you be?

Capybara.

A capybara? What is…?

What do they do?

They look so chill all the time.

They look wise, yet smug, yet content, and they’re like giant guinea pigs. They go swimming and just chill out. They like belly scratches.

What’s next on your list?

I’ve got songs that I’m working on

with my friend Asher AKA Skymning and my friend Nicole Dollanganger who lives in Canada. I’m going to do some stuff with my friend Eddie, who is Race Banyon and Lontalius. I’m going to put together an EP and release it through Muzai.

Let’s talk about the Vice comments.

Oh yeah, it was really scary, people on Vice are really angry. Well, a lot of people are really nice but then there’s a culture of internet trolls and people just wanting to be dicks. It was kind of funny though, my favourite comment was “grow up and do some real drugs”, and “I’m ashamed to be from NZ”. A lot of people compared me to Kitty Pryde, which was really annoying because I like two or three of her songs but I don’t base my music on that. It was basically because I’m female and I’m talking about my feelings, which is silly because if I wasn’t female it wouldn’t happen.

Who are the most influential women in your life?

My momma. Angela Elizabeth Sisson. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, definitely. She was really important for me growing up.

Would you say she shapes you as a human?

Yep. Sometimes I go out hunting men, cutting off their penises.

Oh yeah, the single cover for ‘Smoke Blowbacks’ is a picture of me that a man from the internet printed out and ejaculated onto. Then he took a photo of it and sent it to me. It’s one of my favourite pictures of me! I’m pretty sure the random man on the internet who jizzed on a photo of me is the same random man on the internet who sent me a giant vibrator.

Really?

I was bored and would troll fetish websites and say I was a dominatrix to see if I could find someone to pay my rent. I was really successful! I set up an eBay wish list and put some vibrators on so it looked legit. I thought the vibrator was really small and then it came in the mail and it’s like the length of an arm, one of those giant Hitachi ones. It’s in the video. They’re really loud as well, you’d have to go into the lounge and be like “Alright everyone: I’m going to use the Hitachi, I’m going to brutalise my vagina.”

What movie would you recommend everyone to watch?

Freaks, by Todd Browning, and it’s about freaks at a freak show filmed in the 1920s/30s.

Is it scary?

Nah. That’s the thing, ‘freaks’ is not a bad word; they were the celebrities of their time and they toured America and stuff like that.

There’s this real babe in it called Jonny Eck the Half Boy and he didn’t have any legs but he did things like one-armed handstands.

But also everyone should just watch Groundhog Day again because it really is fantastic.

We out.

Photography by Kate Baxter

editor@salient.org.nz

39

Film

Broadening Broads Borders With B-Grades Even if they pass the Bechdel test, movieland has a lot to answer for in terms of women’s expression and representation in film. Like, isn’t it awesome when a female character’s motivation isn’t her rape, or when all of her narrative arcs aren’t in reference to men, or when she looks and acts counter to society’s narrow construction of her gender? Here are some films that will satiate the feminist spirit while entertaining the senses and stimulating the brain.

Drama: The Color Purple (1985) Directed

by Steven Spielberg. Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey.

Nominated for 11 Oscars and given 4 stars by Roger Ebert, the film is an emotional epic that covers off class, race, gender and sexuality. Phew! Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, it was never a film that was going to match the complex and breath-taking source material, but Celie Harris’s powerful narrative is deserving of whatever attention a platform is willing to give it.

Admittedly, the blockbuster Hollywood shine did the private and personal journey of the characters more harm than good, and the desperate silver-lining complex and happy-ever-after mythology is in full swing here.

Still, Oprah Winfrey’s rare on-screen moments are raw and

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The Women’s Issue

incredible; her resilience and strength make it all the more harrowing to watch her graceless and cruel descent. The film reminds you that you don’t have fucking problems, and if women survived these conditions, you can make it through the day without your trim soy latte.

Honourable mentions: Boys Don’t Cry (1999).

Action: Alien: Resurrection (1997) Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Starring Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder.

Its sci-fi, it’s postmodern.

Postmodernism and feminism don’t typically mix, but it can be refreshing when gender is neutralised by survival conditions.

I love the Alien franchise, and this instalment was a standout in terms of wrestling Hollywood’s women complex into submission.

The allegory is all too obvious:

Ripley’s body is exploited by the oppressive cooperation, the body is a host for the abuse and profit for others, commandeered for its function as life-giving vessel (extracting people of their bodily autonomy). Eventually, the Alien queen adversary (now laden with womb – how expository) must be confronted by Ripley (who embodies the disembodied and rejects the confines of her gender) and the latter is forced to defeat her proverbial alienhybrid child, aborting it through a vacuum in space. CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE AVERTED! Woah! That’s a lot to process. And so much action and suspense and thrills!

Honourable mentions: G I Jane (1997) Trigger Warning: questionable treatment of sexuality.

Comedy: The Heat (2013) Directed by Paul Feig. Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy.

Hey, wouldn’t it be great if someone made a buddy cop movie where instead of men making jokes about their demanding family life, that they’re getting too old for this shit, and how everyone happens to be a motherfucker, there were ladies making jokes about their demanding families, that they’re getting too old for this shit, and how everyone happens to be a motherfucker. Well, someone did! And believe it or not, this exclusive comedy duo, without precedent, manage to pull it off.

Sure, the storyline was uninspired and you may find the buddy cop genre a painful exercise in tedium. But let me put it this way: it’s probably because all the genre jokes to be made have been made, AND all of the jokes also just happen to have been made by men. Give in to mediocrity! This

one flew under the radar during New Zealand syndication, but the extras material alone (on the DVD release) is worth digging out your old Video Ezy account number.

Honorable Mentions: Sister Act 2 (1993), Some Like It Hot (1955) – this film is as transgressive today as it was back then, even though it doesn’t quite fit the bill, it is hilarious!

Documentary: The Punk Singer (2013) Directed

by Sini Anderson. Starring Kathleen Hanna, Adam Horovitz.

What happened to the third wave? Are we the fourth wave?

This excellent documentary gives the viewer a mere snapshot, on speed, into the infamous phenomenon that was and is Kathleen Hanna. If you don’t know anything about riot grrrl, Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, The Julie Ruin etc, you will come out of this film desperately googling for more. She’s fierce, accessible, opinionated, and honest: a real girl. Lots of tender intimate moments, lots of fan-girl moments (sadly, Joan Jett’s scene where she praises Kathleen is understated), lots of nostalgia and angst. Don’t put her on a pedestal; she asks you not to. Don’t create a martyr out of her; she’s not dead yet. That sort of thing. The archival footage alone is worth the watch, but of course it’s a healthy reminder of the personal as the political. And feminist punk is badass.

Honorable Mentions: Miss Representation (2012), I Shot Andy Warhol (1996).

Fantasy/Fairytale: Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014) Directed by David Zellner.

Starring Rinko Kikuchi, Bunzo.

A modern fairytale adventure

Film

“Hey, wouldn’t it be great if someone made a buddy cop movie where instead of men making jokes about their demanding family life, that they’re getting too old for this shit, and how everyone happens to be a motherfucker, there were ladies making jokes about their demanding families, that they’re getting too old for this shit, and how everyone happens to be a motherfucker.

Well, someone did! And believe it or not, this exclusive comedy duo, without precedent, manage to pull it off.” where a Japanese woman escapes her pedestrian existence in search of treasure that is all too real in her mind (even if it fudges with others’ expectations and sense of reality). Kumiko is a wonderful character that embodies a woman’s need to escape, particularly in the face of blatant patriarchy and society’s expectations of and for her.

She is a bag of contradictions that is refreshing among the contemporary plethora of onedimensional and equally boring ‘anti-hero’ representations of women. Beautifully shot and directed, there is something magical in the film’s use of realism: there are no princes, fairy godmothers or anthropomorphic animals, but you’ll get over that quickly. Of note: plot holes are filled efficiently and with little regard for the audience’s expectations – this movie requires that the viewer dispense with logic and simply enjoy a happy ending.

Honourable mentions: Frozen (2014) – jokes, that storyline was terrible, but Brave (2012) was excellent. Spirited Away (2001) also deserves a nod.

And, to top it off, a film to remind you why you are a feminist and that your ideology is still relevant:

Pain & Gain (2013) Directed

by Michael Bay. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Where to begin. This film epitomises modern misogyny in such a stark and obvious way it should probably have been named “Virulent male – the superior gender”. Male sexual impotence is lampooned and mocked. It is seen as a painful process of recovery – cloaked in shame, because there is nothing more demoralising than the loss of male sexual potency amiright? I mean, what else are we all doing here? Women only feature as sexual background material (Rebel Wilson, I expected better from you). At one point, cock-jock The Rock snorts coke off a woman’s derrière: after all, a woman is only as good as the prop you make of her. Women asked to “show them your tits” jiggle delightedly. Clearly, there can be nothing more gratifying than being complicit in your own objectification (especially given that your male counterpart – owner – has benevolently financed your physical improvement). In one scene, a group of men are desperately enthusiastic to play the ‘rapist’ in a safety skit with an attractive woman. The idea, that “but rape and sex are the same thing when we’re playing

pretend”, made my hymen grow over. Of course, there are some classic homophobic ‘jokes’ – a man who shows emotion by crying is called a queer, and a priest is beaten to death for what is perceived as a sexual advance.

Hilarious! The setting in a sex-toy warehouse paves the way for obsessive penetration complexes of such an extent that Freud would be rolling over in his grave to revise his castration-anxiety thesis. Regrettably, this movie

isn’t satire. It’s not even comedy.

Forgive me if I don’t trust Michael Bay’s good filmmaking intentions.

This movie is a gross, morbid, car wreck of a spectacle. Its dedication to finding entertainment in said spectacle sees it traverse the boundary between entertainment and endorsement of completely insane regressive bullshit. This movie won’t just piss you off, it will make you want go full militant.

By Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana

The Dark Horse

Directed by James Napier Robertson Reviewed by Charlotte Doyle

Sipping (albeit fizzy) red wine while munching on Bellinis (a stretch considering the lack of salmon) was a reeking statement of privilege after emerging from a movie which plunged the audience into gang-patched Gisborne. The potential post-film conversation starters thrown around included: “Do you feel an urge to play chess?”, “Isn’t this wine just so refined?” and, “Did you even know we had gangs in New Zealand?” Having arrived concerned about the cleanliness of my Palladiums and leaving feeling an immense gratitude for never experiencing a punch in the face, the Russell McVeagh Gala screening of The Dark Horse was thus an event with an immense reality check.

Avoid the temptation to consider this yet another Once Were Warriors saga, as the themes are infinitely more universal. Anyone can relate to the innate need for sympathetic companionship. The blind desperation for security. Loyalty to overbearing family members. An inability to visualise something beyond all you’ve ever known. At the same time, many members of the audiences paying easy money to see this film have most likely never been deliberately peed on to harden them up.

Yet in spite of this transcendence of racial presumptions, it is also possibly about time people emerged from their indoctrinated apathy to social issues in New Zealand. Instead of tripping off to the other side of the world for philanthropic campaigns (e.g. Karen Walker and her sunglasses), there are immense challenges facing local communities, and often ones with an underlying beautifully rich, indigenous culture.

This is a story passionately told. Director and writer James Napier Robertson emphatically described the film’s creation over four years as a deeply personal and life-changing project, and each speaker at the Gala emphasised the touching charisma of Genesis Potini, its main subject.

The culmination of their efforts was an intensely respectful, celebratory yet challenging film. Other than one shot of a geographical location that annoyingly didn’t match reality (while understanding the lack of beauty of a motorway), there don’t seem to be any other obvious faults.

The story of Genesis Potini has been rightfully brilliantly told.

The Dark Horse is in cinemas now.

editor@salient.org.nz

41

Trigger Warning: abortion, suicide

Feature

Rough on on Women: Women: Abortion Abortion in in Rough 19th-Century New New Zealand Zealand 19th-Century

by Margaret Margaret Sparrow Sparrow by Victoria University University Press Press Victoria

“Sbecause otherwise their voices remain silent.” tories of the women who died are important

There are newspaper clippings, advertisements, labels and wrappings, witness accounts, court reports, catalogued objects, and photographs scattered throughout this book. These are the pieces of history, the shards of physical evidence, that Dame Margaret Sparrow uses to examine women’s experiences of abortion in the 19th century. Turning every page of Rough on Women unearths something new and brings another voice to life.

The challenge of understanding abortion in 19th-century New Zealand is huge. Women who underwent successful abortions were understandably silent about what they had done – therefore, it is the hundreds of chilling coroner’s reports of “maternal deaths” that are the most useful.

Sparrow examines each one on a case-by-case basis. There’s Mrs Clara Hannagan who died in rural Ngāruawāhia when no doctor could come to her aid, Mrs Mary Brown who took a fatal dose of poison pennyroyal, and many more.

The families of women who died abortion-related deaths were fiercely protective of the unspeakable truth. They distorted facts, added irrelevant information, and deliberately lied in death notices. 19thcentury women’s experiences of abortion were, in every possible way, silenced. And it has taken a long time for them to find a voice. Rough on Women does the critical job of excavating the truth. It finally gives

TOP 55 BADASS BADASS GIRLS GIRLS OF OF LITERATURE LITERATURE TOP Jane Eyre Jane Eyre Elizabeth Bennett Pride and Prejudice Hermione Granger Harry Potter Beatrice Much Ado About Nothing Matilda Matilda

them something close to a voice of their own, even though they lived over 100 years ago.

Sparrow transports us to the isolated colonial world that these women lived and died in. Intertwined with historical analysis, there are passages of narrative where she retraces the final moments of the women’s lives.

She takes us to their front doorsteps, into their bedrooms, onto the streets where they lived.

Her style is not that of your typical history book. She writes factually and simply, sometimes almost conversationally. At fewer than 200 pages, Rough on Women is readable and always interesting, even if you’re not used to non-fiction.

The book also covers a broad range of topics affecting women in the 19th century, from infanticide rates to methods of contraception.

Important figures in the history of New Zealand feminism are introduced, such as Lady Anna Stout (1858–1931) who was among the first to publicly advocate for gender equality. But safe abortion wasn’t yet a consideration for these early feminists – it was still “unmentionable”, and we are only just beginning to be able to talk about it publicly today.

Rough on Women is essential reading for anyone interested in women’s issues and New Zealand’s social history. Its timely release just prior to this year’s election hopefully stirs us to remember that abortion is still technically a crime according to New Zealand law. It just goes to show how long it can take to undo so much stigma and unspeakability surrounding this issue. And it hasn’t been undone yet. Margaret Sparrow sees clearly what must be done next: “The fundamental flaw has been to treat abortion as a crime … Ultimately it is the woman (of any age) who should decide; not a parliamentarian with a conscience vote, or a state-funded doctor.”

She hopes that in collecting these women’s stories, the book “will be a legacy of all the women who died, and they will not have died in vain”.

Rough on Women reminds us how far we’ve come, but also that the fight’s not over yet.

Reviewed by Nina Powles

LOVE LETTERS “I don’t give a shit what the world thinks. I was born a bitch, I was born a painter, I was born fucked. But I was happy in my way. You did not understand what I am. I am love. I am pleasure, I am essence, I am an idiot, I am an alcoholic, I am tenacious. I am; simply I am. You are a shit.”

— Frida Kahlo, an unsent letter to Diego Rivera “I cut you out because I couldn’t stand being a passing fancy. Before I give my body, I must give my thoughts, my mind, my dreams. And you weren’t having any of those.”

— Sylvia Plath, journal entry from 1953 “Look here Vita — throw over your man, and we’ll go to Hampton Court and dine on the river together and walk in the garden in the moonlight and come home late and have a bottle of wine and get tipsy … Throw over your man, I say, and come.”

— Virginia Woolf to Vita Sackville–West, 1927

42

Women’s Issue

The

Theatre

A View from the Bridge Reviewed by

by David David Williams Williams Reviewed

I finally see a production of

was enormously excited to

A View from the Bridge, having previously only read the play text. The opening night at Circa Theatre was a hoot. The staff hung up both Italian and American flags behind the bar, covered their tables in traditional red-and-white-checked cloths and even boasted about having both Italians and Americans in the crowd for the evening. I think they were trying to tell us something.

Gavin Rutherford – who bears a striking, but no doubt unintentional, resemblance to Cam from Modern Family – plays Italian–American dockworker Eddie Carbone. He works hard to raise his orphaned niece Catherine (Acushla–Tara Sutton) with his wife Beatrice (Jude Gibson) among the thriving but temperamental backdrop of working-class Brooklyn in the 1950s.

Sutton’s effervescent portrayal of the innocent Catherine is a

pleasure to watch. I was almost sad to see it disappear into a panicked and confused heroine when the play took a dark turn.

Many of Miller’s works have a tragic male protagonist. Think Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman and Joe Keller in All My Sons. Rutherford plays the role of Carbone with dignity, so that by the shocking end of the play, you as an audience member aren’t disgusted by Eddie’s actions; you feel sorry for him. The whole story is overseen by the narrator Alfieri (Chris Brougham), who sometimes steps out of his chorus role to provide legal advice to Eddie.

The cast lay the Italian–American accents on very thick. They are almost comical at the start of the play. I felt as if it was going to turn into a Honeymooners episode; however as the show progressed and the cast shook off the inevitable opening-night nerves, their accents became more natural, and you’re left captivated by the wonderful, albeit heart-

Three Female Playwrights Reviewed by

by David David Williams Williams Reviewed Caryl Churchill – British playwright Caryl Churchill is known for her non-naturalistic style of theatre-making served with a pretty heavy dose of feminist content. Her most famous play, Cloud 9, split between Victorian England and a London park in 1979, explores both colonialism and gender

breaking, story.

For a play that is considered a tragedy, I was surprised at how many times the audience laughed.

A lot of the credit for that can be given to the brothers, Rodolpho and Marco. It was a pleasure to see them realised on stage.

Paul Waggot plays an excellent Rodolpho. His delightfully charismatic performance of the sewing, singing and dancing blond Sicilian is everything you want the character to be: so charming, but just charming enough so his arrogance doesn’t lose the trust of the audience.

His allure is balanced out by the straight-faced and sensible Marco, whose immense gratitude at being able to work in America finally breaks down when Eddie disrespects his brother.

The inclusion of dramatic music aimed at raising the tension or highlighting the solemnity of certain scenes was unnecessary.

The director needs to let the

script do the work and trust her audience to pick up on which scenes are tense and which are sad. The addition of music does not add to the mood; it only distracts from it.

Circa produces an annual Arthur Miller play because they prove extremely popular with their audience. However, there is more to it than simply numbers through the door. The beautifully crafted worlds of Miller’s plays are still a delight to watch, even 60 years after they were first produced. A View from the Bridge may not have the same eerie relevance as All My Sons or the political allegory of The Crucible, but it is still a brilliant play. It challenges any production to recreate the authenticity of the unique world that Miller has created, and Sue Wilson’s does just that.

A View from the Bridge runs at Circa Theatre until 23 August.

“I felt as if it was going to turn into a Honeymooners episode; however as the show progressed and the cast shook off the inevitable opening-night nerves, their accents became more natural, and you’re left captivated by the wonderful, albeit heart-breaking, story.” identity. She is still writing and producing plays today, having created Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza in 2009.

Maria Irene Fornés – Maria Irene Fornés is an American avantgarde playwright and director who was born in Cuba. She often uses finely tuned stage pictures, music and pared-back, poetic language to create scenes about the human condition full of quiet, devastating beauty. Her characters are often searching for something unknown – an articulacy, knowledge or emotional fulfilment that they may never succeed in finding. Written by Cassandra Tse Lori Leigh – Victoria University has a pretty rad female playwright in our midst. Having graduated from with an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, and a PhD from Victoria University, many of you will know Lori if you have taken more than one Theatre class at this university. She also writes pretty great plays. Revelations, on earlier this year at BATS Theatre, is a perfect example.

editor@salient.org.nz

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Arts

What’s On On What’s

Sophie Saunders: Wayfarer Paulus McKinnon: Chains Bowen Galleries, until 16 August

Music:

Ladi6 with Team Dynamite Friday 8 August, 8 pm Meow, $35 Grayson Gilmour and Eamonn Marra Saturday 9 August, 7.30 pm Breaker Bay Hall, $14 Miss June, Hans Pucket, and Fighting The Shakes Saturday 9 August, 9 pm Meow, $10 Seasons Album release show Saturday 9 August, 9 pm Valhalla, $10 Visual Arts:

Angela Tiatia and Shahriar Asdollah-Zadeh: The Screen Enjoy, opening 6 August, 5.30 pm Working the Gap A symposium reflecting on art writing now featuring prominent art writers, artists, designers and poets REGISTRATION NECESSARY. Email ann.gale@ vuw.ac.nz Adam Art Gallery, 9 August, 11 am – 5 pm Books:

Tuatara Open Late: feat, Seung Yul Oh and Orchestra of Spheres City Gallery, 5 pm, 7 August, Koha entry

Literary Notes lecture series – The Katherine Mansfield Project puts poems to music Thursday 7 August, 6 pm, goldcoin entry Old St Paul’s in Thorndon The IIML Presents: Writers on Mondays

Poet Hinemoana Baker on her new collection waha | mouth Monday 4 August, 12.15 pm, Te Marae, Te Papa Theatre:

Constellations 7.30 pm at Circa Theatre 26 July – 23 August A View from the Bridge Written by Arthur Miller, directed by Susan Wilson 19 July − 23 August at Circa Theatre Tuesday and Wednesday 6.30 pm Thursday–Saturday 8 pm Sunday 4 pm Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Written by Tennessee Williams, directed by David Cox 6–16 August at Gryphon Theatre Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 August 2014 at 7.30 pm Sunday 10 August at 3.00 pm Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 August at 6.30 pm Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 August at 7.30 pm

Film:

New Zealand International Film Festival 25 July – 10 August Releases Guardians of the Galaxy – 7 August. Film adaption of Marvel’s deep space superheroes.

And So it Goes – 7 August. Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas star in this comedy about a long-lost granddaughter.

Palo Alto – 7 August. Adaptation of James Franco’s short stories

by Gia Coppola (niece of Sofia Coppola) as her debut feature film.

The Expendables 3 – Final part of Sylvester Stallone’s epic trilogy.

The Film Archive Tricks n’ Treats – media-gallery exhibition. free admission.

The Revolution Continued Part II: the Metamorphosis of Memory – moving-image and sculptural installation by Shahriar AsdollahZadeh. Free admission.

WRAP UP WARM FOR WELLINGTON ZOO’S

Visit any Wednesday in August and pay only

$5 child entry and $7 adult entry wellingtonzoo.com

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The Women’s Issue

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ACROSS 1. Compass to Arctic.

4. Petty officer.

6. Gift of charity.

8. Not off.

10. Parrot.

13. Sheltered sides.

15. Maybe a mascot.

16. Compass to right.

17. Go there.

19. Do to ship’s biscuit first.

20. Phillipian paper.

22. Channel island.

23. Journey’s ___ (3) 25. Where it is.

26. Compass left.

27. Jolly Jack ___ (3) 29. Rise up.

32. Tidal flow to sea.

34. Half a laugh.

35. ____ of March. (4) 36. Boat’s back end.

37. Compass to Antarctic.

DOWN 1. Of ships.

2. Ship’s steering.

3. Fishy constellation.

4. Wind can do this.

5. When you’re guided by stars.

7. To find treasure.

9. Not you.

11. 25 across 12. Keep heads dry.

14. Keep to low pay.

16. Sail round this.

18. Not young.

19. A traded leaf.

21. Crow’s ____ (4) 24. Passengers rooms aboard.

26. Walks through shallow water.

27. Fatal lung disease then.

28. ___, white and blue. (3) 30. Belonging to.

31. Event like Trafalgar.

32. Work for pay.

33. Places of vice.

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10 14

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8 6 9 3

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Target 0-15 words: aw :( 16-25 words: fine 26-35 words: learned 35+ words: winner

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3 7 2 4 6

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Friday afternoons from 3pm - close editor@salient.org.nz

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Feature

notices Vic OE – Student Exchange Programme Missed the deadline for exchanges in Tri 1, 2015? Contact http://www. victoria.ac.nz/exchange/vicoe@vuw.ac.nz as you may be able to submit a late application.

Do you wish you could hold a product before you buy online?

Then I have a survey for you!

I am trying to understand if there is a way for products that are sold online to provide consumers with an experience similar to touching it in a retail store.

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.

What’s in it for you?

The chance to win one of two $50 Visa Prezzy cards.

You can enter the survey by going to this link: http://vuw.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0vPPKRhPXqq3l1r Thank you!

Can Do Come along to Can Do’s SGM on Thursday 7 August from 12–1 pm in SU309/310. We’ll be discussing our new poster campaign and Mental Health Awareness Week. There’ll also be free food! Come and join the discussion.

Science Careers Expo 2014 7 Aug, 11 am – 2 pm Alan MacDiarmid Building Make contacts and seek current or future career opportunities.

Science students of all levels are encouraged to attend the 2014 Science Careers Expo.

The expo is a great opportunity to check out a range of science-career options in a fun, relaxed and informal environment.

Come along to discuss job vacancies, work experience, summer jobs, scholarships and career opportunities with a variety of organisations.

This is an annual event so don’t miss the opportunity to enhance your career goals and aspirations.

For more information visit CareerHub www.victoria.ac.nz/careerhub Careers and Jobs Applications closing soon: Organisations: Closing Date Compac Sorting Equipment: 8 Aug Fisher & Paykel Healthcare: 10 Aug Unilever Australia & New Zealand: 12 Aug Palantir Technologies: 13 Aug Wairoa District Council: 14 Aug New Zealand Superannuation Fund: 15 Aug Auckland Council: 17 Aug Fonterra : 17 Aug Methanex New Zealand : 17 Aug Aviat Networks : 18 Aug Simpson Grierson: 18 Aug ANZ: 22 Aug Powerco: 22 Aug ASB: 25 Aug Upcoming Free Careers Events for all 46

The Women’s Issue

students Science Careers Expo – 7 Aug IAG IT Graduate Programme Presentation – 13 Aug Careers in Focus Seminar (Humanities & Social Sciences) – 14 Aug EY Presentation – 19 Aug Careers in Focus Seminar (Tourism) – 14 Aug Victoria Business School: Executive Careers Expo – 11 Sept 2015 JET Programme – 19 Sept Check details/book on CareerHub: www.victoria.ac.nz/careerhub Development in Africa Victoria International Development Society event THIS EVENING! VUW African Students’ Association and VicIDS are proud to bring you ‘Development in Africa’, a panel discussion with four inspiring guest speakers: New Zealanders from different African countries.

Our wonderful guests will speak on their perspectives of development in Africa – in terms of health, politics, education and more. Come, learn and discuss with us! What’s more, to accompany the food for thought, we are providing nibbles and drinks from Afrika restaurant! Everyone is welcome. Look forward to seeing you Monday evening, 5.15 pm, Cotton Building 304.

giveaways COMEDY TICKETS PlayShop LIVE is Wellingtons late-night improv comedy show.

Every Friday, 10 pm at Paramount Cinemas, it brings the laughs with a troupe of trained performers transforming any suggestion to life on stage. If you like Whose Line is it Anyway? you’ll love this show. A rotating cast of 39 members means every week is different.

Send us your favourite joke to win a double pass valued at $26 to next week’s show!

MOVIE TICKETS Win a double pass to GOD HELP THE GIRL at the NZIFF! This long-awaited, massively crowdfunded pop musical – written, composed and directed by Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch – stars a radiant Emily Browning as an up-and-coming Glasgow singer.

It screens on Sat 9 August at 6.15 pm at the Paramount. We have two double passes to giveaway.

Send us the name of the person that you would go with to go in the draw!

Feature

contributors editors: Duncan McLachlan & Cameron Price d e s i g n e r : I m o g e n Te m m news editor: Sophie Boot c r e at i v e e d i t o r : C h l o e Dav i e s c h i e f s u b - e d i t o r : N i c k Fa r g h e r distributor: Joe Morris f e at u r e w r i t e r : P h i l i p M c S w e e n e y ( c h i e f ) , P e n n y G a u lt , Alex Hollis w e b e d i t o r : D e x t e r E d wa r d s n e w s i n t e r n s : S i m o n D e n n i s , S t e p h Tr e n g r o v e arts editors: Nina Powles (Books), Charlotte Doyle (Film), H e n r y C o o k e ( M u s i c ) , D a v i d W i l l i a m s ( Th e a t r e ) , S i m o n G e n n a r d ( V i s u a l A r t s ) , M i c h a e l G r a h a m ( Te l e v i s i o n ) C o lu m n I l lu s t r at i o n s : P h o e b e M o r r i s general contributors: H i l a ry B e at t i e , N i c o l a B r a i d , C h r i s s y B r ow n , R u t h C o r k i l l , Rebekah Fistonich, Madeleine Foreman, Kieren Gera, Ben G u e r i n , Te P o H a w a i k i r a n g i , K a s i a , E v e K e n n e d y , A l e x a n d r a K i n g s t o n - R e e s e , L e x i e K i r k c o n n e l l - K awa n a , M o l ly M c C a r t h y , N at M c I vo r, E m i l i e M a r s c h n e r, E l e a n o r M e rt o n , G u s M i t c h e l l , Vi v e k a N y l u n d , A l i c e P e a c o c k , P r e y a R e g u n a t h a n , O l l i e Ritchie, Sofia Roberts, Hollie Russell, Kent Smith, Steph Tr e n g r o v e , J u l i a We l l s , A m b e r Wo o l f

contributor of the week Chrissy Brown Advertising Manager Tim Wilson sales@vuwsa.org.nz (04) 463 6982

Funded by Victoria University Wellington students, through

of the

student services levy

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@salientmagazine

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Feature

Thinking Melbourne Uni? Get on track to your dream career at Australia’s number one university.‡ Wellington Information Evening Tuesday 5 August, 7:00pm Rydges Hotel Wellington Whether you’re interested in professional development, want to change careers or simply study something you love, graduate study at Australia’s leading university will give you the edge you’re looking for.

CRICOS No: 00116K

Register now: futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/newzealand ‡Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013–2014

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The Women’s Issue