To celebrate this event, the Victorian Women's Trust provided an excellent evening of lectures by three prominent historians at the Edge Theatre, on March 6 2008, on re-discovering political women's history. The lectures were attended by over 300 women of all age groups. Professor Patricia Grimshaw, of Melbourne University, spoke about the first Women's Suffrage Bill of 1889 which was called the "beginning of a major revolution in society" and finally resulted in the gaining of the vote for Victorian women in 1908, although women could vote in the Federal Parliament from 1902. Dr Jennifer Strauss, of Monash University, described the life of feminist author and poet, Mary Gilmore, who supported birth control and urged women to vote in her page in "The Worker" newspaper. Professor Marilyn Lake, of La Trobe University, described feminists as supporters of care and compassion and not denigrators of motherhood. She said that the world must change so that women can live independent lives as well as fulfilling their caring responsibilities, with three strategies: motherhood endowment, one woman - one job, and a restructure of the workforce to cover the needs of children and the elderly, including a shorter working week for all. Congratulations to all speakers.
This ambition story explores the effect of WEL both on politics and on the lives of women who discovered the power of sisterhood. It is the first full-scale history of WEL and draws on extensive archival, survey and media evidence. It challenges much social movement theory, showing women's movement continuity over time. It contests a number of current myths concerning 1970s feminism, including the idea that feminists had to suppress diversity in order to constitute 'women' as an effective political actor. Marian Sawer is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Sciences, ANU, where she leads the Democratic Audit of Australia. WEL member Gail Radford was also involved in the project. Click here to read the flyer or visit the WEL Australia website www.wel.org.au for information about ordering the book.
This book is the first full-length history of the women's movements - and their feisty, ebullient, determined leaders - who fought for women's political and economic rights, sexual rights and the right to control their bodies and their destinies. Leading historian Marilyn Lake, Professor of History at La Trobe University, challenges common misconceptions and offers new interpretations of a politics that has swung between an emphasis on women's difference from men and a demand for the same rights as men. It is her hope that a knowledge of the complexity of the past will enable us to be more clear-sighted about what remains to be done.
In August 1986 a public meeting was held in Melbourne to protest the Government sale of a major hospital for women. This meeting resolved that the hospital must be retained and the buildings preserved. The following year a group of women staged sit-ins outside the hospital distributing leaflets and petitions to protest and stake their claim to the site. So what led to this drastic action? This book takes you on a hundred year journey that lead to the establishment of the Queen Victoria Women's Centre. Visit www.barbaracameron.com.au for information about ordering the book.