Workin' at the Women's Centre

I talked to ‘bout a thousand women this year
Some live in squalor; some live in fear
None of them are what you could call free
In this rich, white, so-called democracy

Sometimes I hate this world, all I see
is what they’re doing to women, every travesty
a reminder that when women walk through my door
they have to walk back out and fight some more

OK, I get it! It’s not supposed to make sense;
Reactionary thinking is so past tense
And I’m past being tense, angry, sore;
I’m tired of fighting this particular war

I sit at another boardroom table
I keep my mouth shut as long as I am able
But I know it’s gonna happen, I’m gonna see red:
I’ve got the blood of women spilled running through my head

Compassion, respect, accountability
Why are these words familiar only to me?!
Democratic process ain’t so tough -
give up a little power, control, some stuff

I look around the table, they’re all nice folks
They feed me lunch, they laugh at my jokes
But they always get scared when I start my spiel
about how every woman’s got the right to feel

That she’s part of the process;
That her voice counts;
That she can make a decent living;
That her safety’s paramount!

When I’m finally finished my usual rant,
they’re looking at me like I’m a giant ant
Then they say what they say, inevitably:
“We’ll defer that issue to the next meeting, shall we?'

Well, that’s the story of poor old feminist me,
rejected again by patriarchy
I know I sound jaded, but now I’ll turn this around
and tell you all how to keep gaining some ground:

There are signs of hope, the big boys gave us the key:
We need to go global to find equality
The Battle of Seattle, the UN Declaration,
Women’s March 2000 - women fighting as one nation!

Put your foot down now! Take a stand against the MAN,
and I mean capital M - A - N, as in corporate plan.
There’s nothing free about trade, it makes women slaves
When you hear “global competition” stand up and rave!

Create a network of support, expect the unexpected,
be prepared for a backlash -
the MAN is well connected.
The antidote to competition is community -
build some together and live collectively

This is hard, endless work, so allow yourself despair
Get some comfort from your friends
and then get back out there!
Eyes open to the truth see both beauty and pain,
celebrate the struggle and all that we’ve gained

Vote with your feet or you’ll encourage those fools -
We can’t tear that house down with the master’s tools
March on your city, wheel or strut through your town:
Show them women have the power and
we won’t back down!
Women have the power and we won’t back down!
WOMEN HAVE THE POWER AND
WE WON’T BACK DOWN!!

written and performed by Gwen O'Reilly for the Thunder Bay World March of Women Saturday, September 16, 2000.