The UN initiated a Decade for Women with an international conference in 1975, and a celebratory International Women’s Year.  The year was marked in NZ by a United Women’s Convention.  It was one of a series of feminist events that challenged stereotypes and male dominance. (1)

During the 1970s there were four women’s conventions – Auckland 1973, Wellington 1975, Christchurch 1977 and Hamilton 1979.  All were organised by women, who gave their time voluntarily, with little funding or support outside what they gave each other.

Primarily the Conventions were the vehicle for women

• to collectively express their identity as women,
• to challenge the assumption that women’s primary role was that of wife and mother,
• to organise a strategy that gave women a real choice over how they lived their lives.  What many sought through that time was recognition that women fulfil many roles throughout their lifetime and that they should not be stereotyped into one role for their entire lives.

At that time in the 1970s women sought recognition of their right to equal opportunities in the paid workforce.  It is ironic that today there is a belief that measures to assist women into paid work are forcing women out of the home.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The agenda of the ‘70s, to give women genuine choice in their lives, remains the same today.

To effect the changes required meant women had to be where the decisions that affected them were made.  This meant developing an agenda to work with men to change unfair laws, and it meant taking leadership positions within the community to ensure those laws were changed. (2)

In the mid 1970s there were only four women in parliament.  At the end of Helen Clark’s time as PM there were more than 8x that number.  As Labour MP John Tamihere said, “women now have their hands firmly on the levers of political, judicial, constitutional and economic power”.

Back in the 1970s, one of the primary complaints of the women’s movement was the existence of a male old boys’ network that didn’t choose the best person for the job, only the best man for the job.

Three decades later, men’s groups are now making similar complaints, in reverse.  (3)

During, and since, the 1970s, there have been sweeping reforms which were not dreamt up overnight.

In the ‘early 1970s a small group of women within the NZ Labour Party decided that enough was enough’, Margaret Shields posted on an internet forum.  Reorganization of the Women’s Section of the Party began so that it could become an agent of change; through organising and encouraging and training women to take a larger, more strategic role in politics.

Tamihere didn’t see the power shift as a coincidence commenting that these people think in timeframes of 10-15 years.  (3)

Back in 1973, the feminist movement organized its first-ever United Women’s Convention, to mark the 80^th anniversary of women getting the vote in 1893.  Attending with nearly 2,000 other women were Helen Clark, Margaret Wilson, Marilyn Waring, Silvia Cartwright and lesser known Kay Goodger. 

Goodger (feminist and then-communist, who now rejects the radicalism of her youth) authored in 1973-4 a series of documents for NZ’s Socialist Action League which set out a long term plan for changing the face of NZ society.

One of the main targets was the traditional family which for the next 30 years came under sustained attack from the radical feminist wing.  If the family could be crushed, broken down, sidelined as irrelevant, or portrayed as no better than other methods of child-rearing, radical feminism could set the agenda for centuries to come.

If women could be freed from having children then the family would suffer a body blow.

If society as a whole took responsibility for caring for children and this was embodied in the demand for government-financed, 24 hour, community-controlled childcare centres, this opened up the possibilities of replacing the family institution. (3)

There needed to be more women in education.  (Even in 1972, more than three-quarters of all teachers were women and now, in 2008, men are almost extinct as teachers.)  (3)

More liberal sex laws would help bring down the hated family unit.

Women pushing for the ‘right’ to exterminate unwanted foetuses should join forces with women seeking taxpayer-funded childcare as a means of uniting women under the same socialist banner.

Goodger realized that NZ would not just throw their hands up and agree when faced with the demands of radical feminism.  So instead, she argued for a series of smaller steps, none of them big enough to wake up the slumbering majority against them, but each step big enough to achieve irreversible change, particularly in the attitudes of the wider public.

She reinforced that whoever rocks the cradle and educates the children defines what and how future generations think. (3)

As part of the 1973 list of “demands” that would be worked towards over the next 30 years Goodger wrote:

• Abortion to be free and on demand.
• Sex education and birth control ‘integrated into the education system at all levels’ and readily accessible through ‘government-financed clinics.  The govt should initiate a public education campaign to overcome ignorance, fears, and illusions’….
• An end to coercive family laws
• De facto marriage should be considered to have the same status, legally and socially, as marriage by legal contract.
• ‘The rearing, social welfare and education of children should become the responsibility of society, rather than individual parents…All laws enforcing individual ownership of children should be abolished’.
• ‘All discrimination against homosexual men and women should be outlawed…laws should be repealed’.
• ‘All laws victimizing prostitutes should be abolished’.
• ‘Paid maternity leave of 12 weeks with no loss of job or seniority should be available’.
• ‘The government should provide the finance for free child-care centres, open to all children from early infancy for 24 hours a day’. (3)

Helen Clark was first elected to Parliament in 1981.  Twenty seven later (2008), Clark had assembled a network of very powerful women.  Most of her key advisers were female.  Three of her most senior aides were lesbian.  When she became PM her friend Margaret Wilson was promoted to Attorney-General.  Wilson had been there when Clark was first elected to Parliament.

One of Clark’s survival skills was to keep her mouth shut and to surround herself with people who could shield her allowing her to disengage from controversy but to still work at putting in place her 1970s vision of a socialist revolution.

We can see where we are now, 35 years on. 

The 1979 United Women’s Convention, held Waikato University, Hamilton, over Easter.

A small group quickly formed after their return from the 1977 Christchurch convention having discussed it during the flight.  The group interviewed for the Times story are now all in their 70s, have children and grandchildren and say they have mellowed but by their respective family histories and community work have never fitted the wild stereotypes once tossed at them. 

They shared feminist values and the men in their lives gave tacit support for the convention. 

They tried for the middle road (regarding the programme for the convention), for something that represented every woman.  Their programme was based on five main themes:

• women and health
• women as chattels,
• institutions of power (including the law, politics and the Church)
• the women’s movement
• communication

They didn’t’ expect the backlash that followed.  They got off-side early with mainstream women’s organisations e.g. National Council of Women and various Christian groups who were not part of the planning.  Radical lesbians and militant Maori women also felt a lack of consultation.

Some from these groups were disruptive and security had to be beefed up.  Men and the media were barred so women could talk freely about private issues such as marital violence and sexual problems.

As women arrived for the convention a group of male Christians erected a sign on the road which said, “Welcome to Sodom and Gomorrah”.  There was graffiti at the university left by opponents.

The women interviewed for the 30^th anniversary story felt the legacy of the conventions was that the world opened further for women, there are now increased choices that subsequent generations of women and men now have: women found their own self and worked from there. 

The conventions planted the seeds of change, they brought women with shared interests together and active splinter groups grew out of them targeting and tackling specific issues. (5)

Bits from “The Right to Live”

The real argument has not been about the biological facts.  It has been about the value society accords to children in the months before birth.  An understanding of conflicting value systems helps to lay the foundation for an understanding of the controversy that surrounds the abortion issue.

June, 1975 United Women’s Convention, Wellington, 2,200 women attended; NZ feminists, a small vocal group, argued for abortion as a liberating force for women.

23 June, 1975 The Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion began its investigation.

Oct 1975 general election for Parliament – there was much lobbying.  MPs either had huge reductions in votes or lost seats depending on whether they were pro-life or pro-abortion. 

The Anglican Bishop of Wellington said to his people: “Once you accept the principle that a human being, however small, can be destroyed for the convenience of others, you have put your foot on a very slippery slope.  One inevitable consequence is that, having approved this principle, that an inconvenient life may be destroyed, it is difficult to know when to stop.”

During the rest of the ‘70s there was much controversy, pressure on MPs, long discussions in Parliament regarding the report by the Royal Commission March 1977.  The Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion bill (CS&A) became law December 1977.

1978 pro-abortionists aimed to fight the passing of the bill.  They wore red badges saying REPEAL and held rallies.  In May the (then?) third largest petition in NZ, 318,820 signatures was presented to parliament urging the bill be repealed.  But a public survey showed the public had no idea of the law they were asking parliament to repeal.  This undermined the petition and it never came before the house.

1978 the first Abortion Supervisory Committee was appointed and met 12 Dec, but faced a difficult task implementing the provisions of the CS&A bill.  They wrote to 5,000 doctors inviting applications for the positions of certifying consultants.  The Medical Association was in turmoil.  By March 1979 the ASC had appointed 208 consultants and 45 hospitals were licensed to perform abortions.  There was a sharp rise in the abortion rate in Wellington: 62 in 1977 to 733 in 1978.

The most important factor which facilitated permissive abortion was the capitulation of the medical profession from its traditional ethical stand.  Those that argued passionately that their colleagues remain faithful to the profession’s ethical stand were voices crying in the wilderness.  Most doctors remained silent.

A side effect of this seemingly increased support for liberalised abortion was that those who opposed abortion on demand – the majority of NZ – lapsed into silence.  These ones were attacked as being narrow-minded, self-righteous, judgmental nosey-parkers forcing their brand of narrow morality down the throats of others. 

The Women’s electoral Lobby, 1981, claimed that in 4 years women had made the system answerable to their needs, that review procedures could be manipulated in women’s interests.

The 1977 beachhead – putting in place a law expected to protect the lives of unborn children – had been overrun. (4)

PRAYER POINTS:

v      Let’s THANK God for the good for women and families, that has come out of our history.  (There’s a great timeline about NZ on www.monumentalstories.gen.nz highlighting specific women, laws and events, 1815-1995, that have helped women and girls in particular e.g. Kate Shepherd who was a major force in the battle for women’s suffrage.)

v      “REPENT and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”  (Acts 2:38)  Pause and allow God to show you your sins relating to the feminist movement and their agenda e.g. your anger, hatred, self-righteousness.  They are made in God’s image as we are and He loves them, although not their sin, or ours.  If this is difficult, ask for God’s grace.  Repent and ask God to forgive you.

PRAY and ask for God to baptise you afresh with His love for them, with His concern and desire that all be saved and come into knowledge of the truth.

PRAY for God to intervene in the life of each feminist, especially those who were involved back in the 1970s in setting the agenda for NZ, who are now much older and maybe facing death.  PRAY for the Holy Spirit to bring understanding, conviction and godly sorrow of their part in the direction NZ has taken the last 30+ years. 

PRAY for sorrow to bring repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. (2 Cor 7:10) PRAY for each to be baptised in the love of Our Father: love for children, men, families.

(Could this repentance and love help break the hold Satan has on NZ?)

v      Kay Goodger may not be radical or a communist now, but her legacy and the fruit remain and widespread damage has been done to our nation.  Each ten years has been like a wave of an invasion of locusts as in Joel 1:4 

         “What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten;

          What the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten;

          What the young locusts have left the other locusts have eaten.”

      Everything in Israel was affected by the plague of locusts.  Likewise all of life in NZ has been

      affected by the feminist agenda.  Joel urges the people and the priests to mourn, grieve, fast

      and cry out to God.  (I have used phrases from Joel below.)

      CRY OUT to God to have mercy on us even though innocent blood has been shed in our land;

      that He would pardon our bloodguilt and begin to reverse the damage done in NZ; for a

      decisive intervention by God in 2010 at this stage of our history; for God to be jealous for His

      land and to take pity on His people; that He will restore for us the years the locusts have eaten;

      that instead of the damage and fruit of the last 30 years, the threshing floors will be filled with

     grain and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

     CRY OUT for the Lord to thunder at the head of His army, to gather forces beyond number to

     fight for NZ, for the mighty ones to obey His command. 

     CRY OUT for the Lord to pour out His Spirit on all people, for our sons and daughters to

     prophesy, our old men to dream dreams and our young men to see visions; that everyone who

     calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision.

     CRY OUT for the Body of Christ to cease shutting down, to cease feeling intimidated by the

     strident feminist voice, and to once again lift up holy hands in prayer in agreement with God; to

     once again lift her collective voice in the land to welcome God and make known His

     commandments and His will concerning the unborn, children, families, fathers and mothers.

     CRY OUT for God to once again dwell amongst us, to be a refuge and a stronghold for His

     people; for a fountain of worship to flow out of the Lord’s house, every Christian church, and

     change every valley into a place of beauty – for our nation to be washed clean.

     CRY OUT for parliament to boldly take up their God-given authority and exercise it in regard to

     all the laws passed over the last 30+ years that are contrary to God’s moral laws; to rend their

     hearts and return to the Lord for the day of the Lord is near and He will enter into judgment

     against the nations.  CRY OUT for righteousness and justice.  1 Tim 2:1-8; Is 9:6-7

v      Pray for families – Eph 6:1,4; Ps 8:2; Prov 17:6; Mal 4:6; Matt 19:14; Acts 16:33-34; Luke 2:40

v      PRAY for Helen Clark and her influence in the UN and other key NZ feminists who are having influence internationally.