Both the situation of women media workers and the image of women in the media were challenged by a conference held in London on Saturday.
The conference, attended by 300 women and a handful of men who work in the communications indusInes newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, the cinema and theatre - was organised by an ad hoc group of women and men in the media unions dissatisfied with the latter's failure to deal with women's situation in a determined way Two of the workshops at the conference-books and entertainment-decided to cam separate counts at the boginning of February for all women who work in these sectars; and one of the main deci sions of the conference was that women's caucuses or committees should be formed at all levels of the unions, and especially at the place of work.
While the National Union of Journa lists and the Association of Cinemato graph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACIT) have established women's ********************* FOR CHEAP RELIABLE IBM Typesetting with fast turn-around phone Carl or Martin on 01-837 9987 MANCHESTER Bloody Sunday Rally on Eritish Troope Out of Ireland", with Joan Maynard MP: Ernie Roberts IAUEWI: Eamonn McCann; Alastair Renwick (TOM). Sunday 26 January.
2.30pm. Small Half, Barnes Wallis Build ing. UMIST for Piccadilly Station). Details from TOM, cjo 178 Oxford Road, ACTIVE TRADE UNIONISTS and other Marxists are irwited to a Trade Union Day School on Saturday 25 Jan, 10amSpro at Leeds Trade Hali, Saville Mount, Chapeltawn Road CONFERENCE of Socialist Economists (CSE/ Dey School: The Current British popers on inflation and Ireland.
Saturday 25 January, 10.30am, Birkback Collegn, Gresse Street, London W.1.
Room 401.
TRODPS OUT NOW! Birmingham IMG pubric meeting 7.30pm. Thursday 22 January, Dr Johnson House, Birmingham.
led by two ex-soldiers, Friday 24 Jan at 7.45pm ih Hammersmith Town Hall, committees, netther is rooted in the rank-and-file. They consequently find themselves isolated and powerless if they scek to challenge the union bureaucracy.
Numerous examples were given of dis Nation against women modia workers. In the theatre, for example, there are comparatively tew parts for women.be cause plays rullect discrimination against women in bourgeois society at large.
In television and the cinema, women jobs, and many avenues of promotion aru all but closed to them Instead they find themselves doing jobs which require secretarial-type qualifications.
DISCRIMINATION
In press and publishing, women are again generally excluded from senior positions, and this is reflected at all levels of employment, A trainee journalist on a local newspaper explained how it is always the male reporters gho ame given hard news stories to cover, while she is sent out to report on baby shows The conference unanimously adopted the Working Women's Charter as a basis of the demands that should be talised in the lahour movement, bringing together the sconomic and social issues without which even nominal equality at work is ruled out, But most importantly, the confetence adopted in principle a code on the presentation of women by the media. This hishlights the ways in which the medin reinforce women's appression and exploitation, and their to fight on theme issues The adoption and implementation of this code by the med unsons will seriously chailenge the ability of editors to pursue their conceptien of the "freedom of the It was also decided to form an ad loc committee, to encourage and coendinate the initiatives that will now be taken, and to consider the problems involved in implementing the anti-sexist code.
Further information shout the ad Hoc committer, and copies of conference documents (price 40p) from: Pery Brown, 442 Abingon Road, London, W.8.
Val Jones
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WEST LONDON TOM film showing of Ireland: Bonind the Wire' plus discussion