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Legislative
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| Sandra Kanck Deputy Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
Parliament Index |
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Legislative
Council |
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| Sandra Kanck Deputy Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
Parliament Index |
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WOMEN'S STUDIES RESOURCE CENTRE
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about funding for the Women's Studies Resource Centre.
Leave granted.
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: In 1975, the Women's Studies Resource Centre began operation. It received government funding despite fears that the centre was, in the words of Jennifer Cashmore, `. . . of radical feminist bent and therefore slightly dangerous.'
The Hon. Carolyn Pickles: She changed her mind.
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: She did change her mind. The year 1975 was special for women all around the world. It was International Women's Year, and women were challenging the boundaries which had previously marginalised them from employment and educational opportunities. Much new written and recorded material was being generated at this time. Women were now being attributed roles in written works beyond that of wife, mother or prostitute.
A group of South Australian women realised that such new written material and records needed to be protected and collated to preserve a permanent record of women's achievements. So, when the government allocated a corner of the teachers' resource centre to the collection, the Women's Studies Resource Centre was born. The centre provides all people with access to a comprehensive and unparalleled collection of resources concerning the achievements of women around the world and across time. It has brought issues such as feminism, sexism, sexual harassment and equal opportunity into schools, tertiary institutions and workplaces. There is nothing else like it in South Australia-and, arguably, Australia or even the world.
The twentieth anniversary newsletter of the Women's Studies Resource Centre remarks on these achievements but also on the centre's vulnerability. It states:
These two major threats-loss of on-going funding both for the collection, maintenance and growth and salaries for workers and establishing a central location-have been the twin Damoclean swords hanging over the WSRC for its entire 20 years.
Not much has changed. In fact, things have got worse. The past few years have seen a gradual attrition of funding and support from the government. The Women's Studies Resource Centre has now been told that there will be no more funding beyond the end of the current financial year. This will mean the end of a collection that belongs to the women of South Australia.
The government has said that it will relocate the collection to new premises at Hindmarsh, but there is no guarantee that people will be able to access it or whether it will remain a separate collection. Ironically, the cost of relocating such a collection is estimated at $80 000, a sum which would guarantee the continued operation of the centre. Funding for the Women's Studies Resource Centre is currently through the Department for Education, Training and Employment. Will the minister:
1.Acknowledge the important role of the Women's Studies Resource Centre in South Australia?
2. Support the centre by allocating funding from her budget for the status of women portfolio to maintain the collection and staff?
3. Guarantee that the centre's collection will always be available to the women of South Australia?
The Hon. DIANA LAIDLAW (Minister for the Status of Women): I cannot and will not be able to fund this initiative through the Office for the Status of Women portfolio because it does not have anywhere near those resources and also it does not see itself funding such specialised activities. The Office for the Status of Women has sought to devolve that responsibility to other portfolios. The office sees itself as working more with the wider community on general issues and coordinating issues across government. In line with those roles, the Office for the Status of Women has been involved in coordinating meetings with the funder of the Women's Studies Resource Centre (the Department for Education, Training and Employment), and it is my understanding that those discussions are proceeding well. I will have to obtain an update on those matters.
The honourable member mentioned that the Women's Studies Resource Centre has now been advised that it will no longer be provided with funds. It is my understanding that, last year, it was advised by the Department for Education, Training and Employment that the position of coordinator would no longer be funded and that the centre should seek alternative funding sources. It appears that the centre has not been able to do that.
The offer that has been made to the centre is that the collection be relocated at the Hindmarsh Information Technology and Training Centre, which has been designed specifically for DETE. That centre has at least 20 librarians on its staff. So, it is my understanding that, if the collection is relocated there, it will be accessible and that the librarians who operate the Information Technology and Training Centre will be responsible for ensuring access to the collection.
I understand that this offer is being considered by the collective and that there is a proposal to draw up a memorandum of understanding between the collective and the department. That is my latest information, but it might not be the most recent information on the subject. Therefore, I will promptly follow up the questions which the honourable member has raised in this place. I have visited the centre many times in my own right and supported its activities publicly and privately. I certainly wish to see the collection remain accessible to those who wish to use it in the future.
