Melba Marginson, Executive Director of the Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition (VIRWC), was one of the lead figures of Filipino-Australians in the celebration of the International Women’s Day. On March 10, she was one of the panel speakers at Melbourne Playback Theatre’s (MPT) celebration of International Women’s Day. She joined Clementine Ford, Jane Gilmore and Tammy Anderson in “The F-Word: Celebrating International Women’s Day”, the first in a Question and Answer series by the MPT.
The Northside Magazine highlighted the role of the Filipino community in the introduction of the DV legislation. “I believe that the only ones who can release themselves towards achieving their goals are the women themselves. It’s really important that they get educated about their rights, their importance in the world, about what they can do together and individually,” she was quoted saying. “The three most difficult issues faced by refugee and immigrant women are social isolation, family violence and lack of employment opportunities,” she added.
Marginson was also interviewed about feminism by Aphra Magazine. “A feminist is someone who is actually aware of the issues of women, and when we say women [we mean] generally women, but as well aware of particular and specific issues that specific groups of women also have. I, for example, am working with immigrant and refugee women and international students too, so multicultural women is my specific concern. To be a feminist is to be aware of those issues that impact on women and at the same time be aware of our abilities as women and how we can actually change the world and believe in our abilities compared with the other gender,” she said in the interview.
Part of her interview
Aphra Magazine: What advice do you give to young women who feel frustrated by barriers they face as a result of gender discrimination?
Melba: I have a 19 year old daughter and you are in this generation where you are told to be assertive and often society, or people make the mistake of tapping you on the shoulder and saying, go for it, you can do it. But it’s not that easy because there are so many trappings, wherever you are, whether in churches, or in the community agency, whatever institution you go to, the ladder of success is actually most open for men and not for women. You have to be really smart in how you negotiate your rights and what sort of networks you should be part of.
Networking is so important, don’t do it alone, you need support at every level and also always think of the more vulnerable and the more marginalised of women, put yourself in their shoes. So that you won’t forget what feminism is really all about. I get a bit disappointed when I see young women going up the ladder and forgetting that there are millions of other women who are far less lucky than them and look down at women.
You know, those women who are in parliament saying it’s about merit. Hello, what merit are you talking about, what context of merit you are talking about? You get jobs not always based on merit, it’s because the men allow you to get that job. That’s why it’s important, the collective power of women to assert their rights is so important but it has to be founded in wisdom, in maturity, in awareness, self-awareness, that you are just one of the many and you look at the many and you have responsibility for the many, not only for yourself.
To read more about the interviews, please visit: thenorthsider.com.au and www.aphramag.com