The Coalition for a Feminist Agenda came into being after the Townsville International Women’s Conference held 3-7 July 2002. The theme of that conference was “Poverty, Violence and Women’s Rights…. Setting a Global Agenda”. Attended by 410 participants from 22 countries, it was an experience which enabled all of us to view the situation of women from a global perspective and renewed our determination to continue the fight for justice for women and children.
In the words of one participant from India: “The Conference was so good, both intellectually and for the soul, that I feel nurtured, and motivated, enthused and energetic knowing that there are so many women out there who are looking so far ahead and are such wonderful human beings”.
The Conference is now part of our history and we invite you to read about it by clicking here. [PLEASE NOTE: The site has been discontinued but a few of the links are still accessible from the conference ‘Welcome’ page.]
Townsville International Women’s Conference
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Visit of RAWA member: MARIAM RAWI, member of the Cultural Committee of the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), visited Australia in April 2004 to raise awareness about the current situation for women in Afghanistan. The Townsville leg of her visit was sponsored by the Coalition for a Feminist Agenda.
WHEN: Friday 30 April, 2004 : 6.30-8pm
WHERE: Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, City Campus, Cnr. Stanley and Walker Streets, Townsville (follow the signs)
COST: $10 ($6 concession)
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Winter Institute for Women: 11-18 July 2004 held at James Cook University, Townsville. The theme of the Institute was A Feminist Agenda for the 21st Century.
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Weekend Workshop – “Contemporary Voices”: 8-10 July 2005 held at the Magnetic Island Outdoor Recreation Centre. This was the first activity of the OtherWise Series – a series of lectures and workshops in the Townsville area presenting feminist alternatives for the 21st Century. The weekend workshop featured three speakers:
Joanne Baker (James Cook University) – Radical Feminism for Today
Lara Fergus (Victoria University) – Women in Exile
Emma Woodley (Queensland University of Technology) – Women and Power: Ethical Issues
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International Feminist Summit: 17-20 July 2007 : Southbank Convention Centre, Townsville
This feminist event was offered “for all women who denounce the escalating violence and oppression that mark the 21st Century, who rage against the continued exclusion and silencing of women throughout the world, and who are convinced that a strong feminist response is essential for the creation of a fairer future”. The theme of the Summit was Women of Ideas: Feminist Thinking for a New Era.
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Magnetic Island Rage: 17-19 September 2010 : Magnetic Island Sport and Recreation Centre, Townsville
Celebrating the life and work of Mary Daly, US radical feminist, who died in January 2010. The theme for the weekend was: Hags, harpies, furies and crones: Re-membering Mary Daly.