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Andrew Dickens: Suffrage Day - What's notable is right under our noses

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Wed, 19 Sep 2018, 1:16PM
It seems amazing to us now that women were denied the mandate for more than 50 years.

Andrew Dickens: Suffrage Day - What's notable is right under our noses

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Wed, 19 Sep 2018, 1:16PM

So happy Suffrage Day. 125 years since New Zealand women were the first women in the world to get the vote.  For those a bit dodgy on their maths that was back in 1893. It seems amazing to us now that women were denied the mandate for more than 50 years after the signing of the treaty and the creation of modern New Zealand.

So the week and the day have been a celebration of women. Today’s paper is wall to wall women and what I’ve liked about it is that they have concentrated on the trailblazers. The women who were first and it then makes you see how many achievements you weren’t aware of.

And I was really chuffed to see our own Ricki Swannell named as one of the 125 trailblazing women of note. Rikki, our workmate, our friend but of course a trailblazer as the first female lead commentator in Rugby. What’s really notable is that, at the time, for all us at ZB it wasn’t notable. It was just Rikki doing what Rikki does best. Bit by bit we’re getting to the point that things shouldn’t seem so incredible because of your gender.

The first men mentioned in an article in the paper turned up on page 20. The 12 deported from Australia yesterday. Then again there were 2 women also deported. The next article was Donna Awatere Huata’s new job as an advisor to Maori on climate change. Which is not notable because she is a woman but because she’s one of the few MPs to have been convicted of fraud and sent to prison and now been given another chance. There’s some equality right there.

So as well as the media content there have been many functions for women. To network and discuss. This has meant a very busy week at my house as Helen rushes hither and thither. 

Yesterday she was at a conference for women in the law and we all know the issues there with culture. But there were also sessions on work-life balance. It finished at 5 and she rushed home put on some glad rags and went to the Women of Influence Awards. The supreme winner was Jacki Clark from the charity TheAunties who has done so much great work for women affected by domestic violence. She’s a great woman and great company if you ever get the chance to spend some time with her.

Last night in accepting the award she said most people think domestic violence is physical, it's not just that. The most common form of it is emotional violence... It's not knowing whom you'll wake up to the next morning. It's like walking on eggshells. So true

So at 11 last night, Helen came home fizzing, full of stories about Jackie Clark and Theresa Gattung and Hilary Barry and Hine Elder and then said what have you been up to?

Well, I said. I worked. I came home. Walked the dog, then fed it and medicated it. I cooked a pork fillet pasta for dinner for Jack and I. Washed the dishes, put the rubbish out and then watched the last hour of the Emmys and then you came home.

And we sat there and looked at each other and then laughed. Welcome to 2018. Kate Shepperd would never have recognised it.

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