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Womens Liberation in Australia

 

            What were the goals, methods and successes of the women's liberation movement?.
            
             In the decades following the war, feminists focused on achieving equality with men. Equality meant the right to:.
             - work and participate in the paid workforce.
             - equal pay and opportunity.
             - economic independence.
             - participate in civic life: to sit on juries, boards and in parliament.
             - enter clubs, pubs, venues and events without restriction.
             Methods: .
             To gain these rights, women fought to remove the discriminatory laws that prevented their participation in society - they also fought for the rights of abos and immigrants through various political strategies:.
             - the formation of organisations to lobby govts, institutions and political parties for social reform.
             - taking direct action to draw public attention to inequity and discrimination.
             - preparing and presenting submissions to govt inquiries.
             - organising campaigns around particular issues such as equal pay.
             - establishing links with international women's organisations to pressure world bodies and govts to address civil rights and peace issues, and represent the needs of women and children.
             - developing solidarity among women through the celebration of International Women's Day, the organisation orf marches, rallies and mass meetings.
             Successes:.
             Between 1945 and 1970 Australian society had changed for women in a number of ways:.
             - more women participated in the paid workforce and many of these women were married. In 1947, 22.4% of the workforce were women; 19.8% of these were married. In 1971, 33% of the workforce were women; 60.5% of these were married. .
             - The contraceptive pill was available. Women could make decisions about family planning.
             - Progress had been made towards equal pay for men and women.
             - Women now sat on juries, boards and in parliament.
             - There was greater recognition of the oppression of aboriginal women and their families.
             - An increasing number of young women were staying on at school and opting to pursue tertiary study.


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