Accent of Women

Today on Accent of Women, we speak to author, Lora Inak. Her latest book is a culturally specific story, in the young adult fiction genre, about cultural conflict. It's called Unspoken Rules, and is being released on the 17 September.

This week's Accent of Women looks at apostasy – the practice of changing or leaving your religion.Apostasy is a critical demand for the international workers movement – it goes to the heart of collective consciousness, especially working class consciousness. It is about breaking the chains of religion that suppress and oppress, particularly women.But it is also an extremely difficult conversation to have, in this political climate. Atheism and the rejection of religion entirely, arises with scientific and technological development – and these two things are often conflated with western progress. So then, the conversation about apostasy is often appropriated by liberals, right-wing feminists, and quite frankly, racists.And yet, apostasy is a critical demand of the international workers movement.Accent of Women attempts to have this conversation. There are progressives right across the world, challenging the hold of religion on their lives, their societies, and their struggles for liberation. They live in place

On today’s Accent of Women, we conclude our exploration of early Japanese communist women.Shomi Yoon is member of the International Socialist Organisation in Aeteoroa/New Zealand.  Shomi herself is from Japanese origins, and was a keynote speaker at the Marxism conference held in 2014.

On today’s Accent of Women, we take a step back into history and look at early Japanese communist women.Shomi Yoon is member of the International Socialist Organisation in Aeteoroa/New Zealand. Shomi herself is from Japanese origins, and was a keynote speaker at the Marxism conference held in 2014. 

********LANGUAGE WARNING******** On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that affirmed the constitutional right to abortion. With tthis decision, an estimated 25 US states are expected to pass laws that restrict abortion. Thirteen already have because of their “trigger laws” in place in anticipation of the decision. Many of these anti abortion laws involve total abortion bans, including in cases of rape.This is the culmination of years of campaigning by the American right, targeted at restricting the rights of women. The reactionary justices have also indicated that the right to contraception, to same sex marriage and the overturning of laws that forbid same-sex consensual relations are also in their firing line.Today on the show, we bring you audio from the protests outside US Supreme Court following the leaking of the draft decision back in May.

On today’s program we look at the role of education under capitalism. This is a speech delivered by socialist and teacher activist, Manolya Moustafa at the annual Marxism Conference held in Melbourne every year, organised by Socialist Alternative. 

On today’s program we examine the recent violence in Jerusalem for the commemoration of Jerusalem Day. Palestinians were banned from the holy city on that day and there was a considerable alt-right Israeli rally. We speak with Palestinian and Socialist activist, Reem Yunis.But first up on today’s show, we speak with Elisabeth Araujo, Country Organiser in East Timor, for APHEDA – Community Aid Abroad. She joins me to discuss the recent East Timor elections.

As of broadcasting, polling has closed in the Philippines Presidential election campaign, and Ferdinand ‘Bongbong” Marcos has a healthy lead. No doubt he will win by a landslide, as has been predicted.  In the coming weeks and months on Accent of Women, we will cover the impact and consequences of this election win on democracy, workers rights, the rights of women and young people, climate justice and of course the broader civil rights movement. But for today, I will play our show from the 15th March when we spoke to  Kristine Lawrence, the Secretary of Gabriela Australia, about the situation in the Philippines for women, and the broader politics surrounding this election campaign.

On today’s program, we look at the country, Rwanda. The period between April 7 and July 4 is known as Kwibuku – it means rememberance. This period marks the 100 days of genocide in 1994 where the Tutsis were targeted by the Hutus. This year is 29 years since the genocide, and Rwanda has been catapulted once again into the international spotlight because of the UK off-shore processing deal that was made with the Rwandan Government.Yet we know very little about the country, and very little about its people.  Concluding this week, I speak with Stephanie Kabanyana Kanyandekwe about Rwanda – the legacy of the genocide, how the country is healing, and what things are like today.

On today’s program, we look at the country, Rwanda. The period between April 7 and July 4 is known as Kwibuku – it means rememberance. This period marks the 100 days of genocide in 1994 where the Tutsis were targeted by the Hutus. This year is 29 years since the genocide, and Rwanda has been catapulted once again into the international spotlight because of the UK off-shore processing deal that was made with the Rwandan Government.Yet we know very little about the country, and very little about its people.  Over the next two shows, I will be speaking with Stephanie Kabanyana Kanyandekwe about Rwanda – the legacy of the genocide, how the country is healing, and what things are like today.

On today’s program, we welcome back Kamilia Al-Eriani, Yemeni activist and academic, to give us an update on the situation in Yemen

On today’s program, we look at women climate warriors across the world, and the work that they are doing in relation to fighting against the tide of environmental destruction, for the survival of the planet.

March 30 is commemorated as Land Day in Palestine – a commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of that date in 1976 in Israel. In 1976, in response to the Israeli government's announcement of a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land for state purposes, a general strike and marches were organized in Arab towns from the Galilee to the Negev.On today’s program, I speak with Palestinian, Noura Mansour, about Land Day in Palestine this year. 

Today’s program is an interview between Frieda Afary – Iranian socialist feminist and librarian based in California, and Ella Rossman, a feminist from Russia, and a member of the co-ordinating group of feminist anti war resistance.

On today’s show, we look at the Nagaworld Casina dispute in Cambodia, where predominantly women workers have been on strike since December last year. My guest today is Sopheak Molika, a worker at Nagaworld, and she is being interpreted by Tephalin Ou, a unionist in Cambodia.

Today on Accent of Women, we look at IWD in the Philippines and how women there took, and are taking action for women’s liberation.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the listeners around Australia and around the world. To commemorate and celebrate the struggle of women for emancipation and working class solidarity, today a speech by Nawal Al Saadawi. Al Saadawi died in March last year so we’re coming up to her 1 year anniversary. This speech is called Creativity, Dissidence, and Women and was delivered five months after the start of the Egyptian revolution, in May 2011

Today’s show is about the heroic struggle of the Anganwadi women workers in India. The Anganwadi are pre and post natal workers – the equivalent of Australia’s midwives, early maternal healthcare nurses and early natal healthcare workers. Since the 70s, these workers have been asked to work as volunteers, and in 2017, they fought and won a long hard battle for recognition as workers. Now, 5 years later, they are fighting for increased wages and conditions.Jiselle Hanna had the opportunity to interview the President of this workers union is Shivani Kaur, and the only place I could get her was directly on the picketline. The internet connection is not great and there is a lot of background noise. But the story is too important not to broadcast and I ask listeners to persist through the quality in order to hear this important story.