Diana Covell moved from Sydney to Wollongong in 1978 to help set up a new Socialist Workers Party branch. She worked as a mail sorter and applied for a transfer but was denied the request. She set about an intensive job search, adding her name to waiting lists at metal manufacturers, hospitals and retailers, and at the Port Kembla steelworks. She showed the employment office staff at AI&S the job advertisements for labourers clipped from the Illawarra Mercury but was always told the same “sorry – no jobs for women”

Diana worked with many migrant women on this campaign and authored “Najdovska and others – A history of the Wollongong jobs for Women Campaign 1980 – 1994”

This item was submitted to the inaugural Wollongong City Libraries Local History Prize Competition in 2016 supported and funded by the Friends of the Library. The research paper comprehensively covers the arduous 14 years of campaigning for “Jobs for women” at the Port Kembla Steelworks in which Diana was instrumental.

Listen to Diana’s Interview

Diana’s audio interview can be downloaded here.

Diana’s interview transcript.

Keywords

Jobs For Women Campaign – AIS – Australian Iron and Steel – BHP – Steel Works – Najdovska – Sexual Discrimination – Anti-discrimination Act – Unemployment – Migrant Women

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Diana’s Photo Album

Jobs for women tent embassy

Illawarra Mercury 30 January 1980

Four of the campaign leaders – Diana Covell, Lou-anne Barker, Louise Casson, Robynne Murphy – in front of the steelworks

1986