Sonja Davies

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Sonja Davies

• Charles Chauvel MP
• charles.chauvel_at_parliament.govt.nz
• www.charleschauvel.com

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As we go marching, marching in the beauty of the
dayA million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill
lofts grayAre touched with all the radiance that
a sudden sun disclosesFor the people hear us
singing Bread and roses! Bread and roses!
James Oppenheim's poem Bread and Roses Inspired
when over 20,000 workers walk out of Massechusets
factory in 1912 to protest cuts to pay and hours
for women.
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Decade later, Sonja born Armistice Day 1923. Good
time to be born a female?
- Illegitimate child, not adopted out. DPB was
an unimagined dream. Many foster homes. - Age
14, left school to join workforce. Sexual
harrassment. - Married and divorced at 17,
patronising maintenance payments. - During
war trained as a nurse, contracted TB suffered
from 1945 to 1955. - Widowed later in life when
second husband, Charlie, dies after 23 years of
marriage.
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Sonja made sure others would not have to go
through what she did. Fought for womens rights
and childcare movement.
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Leadership
- 1955, outraged by National government's
proposal to rip up part of Nelson railways.
Rallied local women to sit on tracks stopped
workers from passing to do the demolition. - By
1960 was leader locally. JP after complaining
that female JPs barely did anything. City
Councillor and sitting on Hospital Board. -
1966 Labour candidate for Hastings Electorate -
1972 picketed Labour Party victory conference
in protest of lack of mention of women in policy
manifesto. - One of only 17 female delegates to
1973 Federation of Labour conference. - Spent 14
years in Wellington organising for Shop Workers'
Union, lobbying specifically for better
conditions for women. - Campaigned successfully
for Equal Pay Act in 1972
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Working Women's Charter
- Rejected by all male policy committee at 1978
FOL conference because wide-sweeping
provisions, and FOL should not seek to retain
and add privilege and protection to any person
or group of persons - 1980 accepted by
both FOL and NZLP - Sonja elected
Vice-President of FOL in 1981
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1. The right to work for everyone who wishes to
do so. 2. The elimination of all discrimination
on the basis of sex, race, marital or parental
status, sexuality or age. 3. Equal pay for work
of equal value meaning he same total wage plus
other benefits. 4. Equal opportunity of entry
into occupations and of promotion regardless of
sex, sexuality, marital orparental status, race
or age. 5. Equal education opportunities for
all. 6. (a) Union meetings to be held in working
hours(b) Special trade union education courses
for women unionists to be held with paid time off
for participants 7. Equal access to vocational
guidance and training, including on the job
training, study and conference leave. 8.
Introduction of a shorter working week with no
loss of pay, flexible working hours, part-time
opportunities for all workers. 9. Improved
working conditions for women and men. The
retention of beneficial provision which apply to
women. Other benefits to apply equally to men
and women. 10. Removal of legal, bureaucratic
and other impediments to equality superannuation,
social security benefits, credit, finance,
taxation, tenancies, and other related
matters. 11. Special attention to the needs and
requirements of women from ethnic communities as
they see them. 12. Wide availability of quality
child care with Government and/or community
support for all those who need it, on a 24-hour
basis, including after school and school holiday
care. 13. Introduction of adequate paid parental
leave (maternity and paternity leave) without
loss of job security, superannuation or
promotion prospects. 14. Availability of paid
family leave to enable time off to be taken in
family emergencies, e.g. when children orelderly
relatives are ill. 15. Sex education and birth
control advice freely available to all people.
Legal, financial, social and medical impediments
to safe abortion, contraception and sterilisation
to be removed. 16. Comprehensive government
funded research into health questions specific to
women.
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The Childcare Movement
- 1960 President of Nelson Day Nurseries
Association. - YMCA (who leased building for
nursery) refused to put in extra toilet needed to
run nursery. - Wrote to Minister of Social
Development he was annoyed because fifth
complaint related to childcare in a month If
you were all joined together in one group it
would be easier for everyone! - Did just that
formed National Association of Childcare
Centres. First meeting in 1963. - In 1982
formed he Early Childhood Workers' Union. In 1990
became the Combined Early Childhood Workers'
Union of Aotearoa, and in 1994 merged with NZEI
Te Riu Roa.
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Fourth Labour Government (1984 - 1990)
- Equal Pay reviews -Equal Opportunities
Tribunal -Chair of NZ International Year of
Peace Committee (was devoted to anti-nuclear and
disarmament causes) in 1986. (PM at time David
Lange, Oxford Union speech) - NZ Women's Refuge
Trust Foundation. - MP for Pencarrow 1987
1993 (now Hutt South/Trevor Mallard) -
Foundation Member of Order of New Zealand 1987
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Remembering Sonja
- Died 12 June 2005. Speakers at funeral
included Governor-General, Prime Minister,
Speaker of the House of Representatives. -
Sonja Davies Peace Award Christchurch Women
Peace Campaigners Auckland Muslim Girls Peace
Camp Dunedin Rape Crisis Workers TV Ad
Victory Over Violence Aotearoa, SGI NZ Young
Womens Division (Buddhist Peace Group) 2008
winner - The Kowhai and Plaque in Parliaments
Precinct - 1993 film Bread and Roses a
must-see!
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Sonja would be proud of...
- 20 hours free ECE - Paid Parental Leave
but not so proud of...
- Disestablishment of Pay Equity Unit - Funding
cut to ACC Sexual Abuse services for victims -
90 Day Fire at Will Bill
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NZEI's impression of Sonja (Colin Tarr,
13/06/05)
- We pay tribute to the major contribution she
made in advancing the rights of women and in
building the trade union movement, but we
particularly want to acknowledge the pioneering
work Sonja did in early childhood
education. - Sonjas contribution to the
development of early child education is huge. It
cannot be overstated. She was the true pioneer
of early childhood education in New Zealand.
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What Sonja went without
- Pay equity - Fair working conditions - Paid
parental leave - Early Childhood Education -
Support for victims of domestic violence and
sexual abuse - Wide representation of women -
Flexible working hours - Wider career options
for women - Birth control, abortion and sex
education - Respect for and belief in women
if it werent for her, would we still be
fighting?
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Sonja Davies

• Charles Chauvel MP
• charles.chauvel_at_parliament.govt.nz
• www.charleschauvel.com