A battle against all odds

It's 1980 and the situation for working class women in the city of Wollongong is dire. Denied work at the steelworks, the city's major employer, women face either exploitation in backyard sweatshops, or having to make the pre-dawn trek to Sydney every day in the hope of finding work.

When a local shop owner's cruel exploitation of the women's desperate situation is revealed, a spark is lit that begins a fire of rebellion - a battle for Jobs for Women.

It is a battle where working class and migrant women will face off against the country's richest and most powerful company. The clashes will rage from the factory gate to the courtrooms.

The company will pit male steelworkers against the women, including any of their wives that join the campaign. Leaders of the campaign will be 'outed' as 'socialist agitators'.

The campaigners must navigate anti-discrimination laws that are yet to be tested in court. And where the company has bottomless pockets for its legal defence, the women must struggle even to access the most basic legal aid.

Yet the movement for Jobs for Women grows. From handfuls camping at the company gates, the struggle expands to hundreds of diverse women fighting a class action to win jobs, supported by a growing collection of allies.

An inspiring story as rich in humour as in rebellion, Jobs for Women shows how solidarity can not only overcome the biggest hurdles, but can change the world. 

View some inspiring images from the campaign.

Why a feature film?

Jobs for Women is not just an incredible true story that changed the situation for women across Australia. It is a tale of liberation that is virtually unknown. 

The Jobs for Women 'stars' are not politicians nor celebrities nor figureheads of any kind - but ordinary working class women who, through tireless grassroots struggle and by gathering support and building alliances, stand up to a seemingly unbeatable foe.

It is film about equality for women, about unionism and workers' rights, of migrant justice and breaking down barriers, of challenging corporate tyranny, and of building solidarity.

It is also a rollicking tale, full of passion and humour, that deserves to be seen.

Find out about the film producing team, see how you can support the making of this film, participate in developing the script, or contact us if you have other ideas.