The first 50 years of the Office for Women

In the late 1960s, feminism in Australia focused on women’s liberation and general human rights for all. Women were challenging traditional gender roles, calling out sexism, and urging for social transformation. By 1972, many women wanted change, and were looking to the government for action. The establishment of the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) in 1972 brought the demands of the women’s movement to government – with calls for childcare, equal pay and equal opportunity, no-fault divorce and reproductive freedom.¹ It was at that time that the Hon Gough Whitlam AC QC was elected Prime Minister and made a decision to appoint a women’s advisor to his office. On 8 April 1973, Elizabeth Reid was appointed Women’s Advisor to the Prime Minister, making Australia the first government in the world to appoint such a position.²

The 1980s saw an acceleration in government efforts towards gender equality in Australia. Women’s rights organisations were advocating for reproductive rights, equal pay and for an end to workplace discrimination. Australia continued to take an active role in raising the status of women, both domestically and internationally. Australia became the first country in the world to introduce gender responsive budgeting and set out an ambitious agenda for women moving towards the year 2000.

The third decade of the Office of the Status of Women was marked by ongoing work towards gender equality. Feminism in the 1990s increased focus on diversity and inclusion, as it coincided with movements for the rights of other marginalised groups including migrants and refugees (especially those from non-English speaking backgrounds), Indigenous people, lesbians and gay men.

The fourth decade of the Office for Women built on the momentum of third wave feminism. There was an increased focus on domestic violence and sexual harassment with the release of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. This period also saw a focus on women’s leadership, the gender pay gap and economic equality. In 2010, Paid Parental Leave was introduced, and Australia elected its first female Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard AC. The Workplace Gender Equality Act came into law in 2012.

More recently, efforts to advance gender equality have gained momentum, alongside international and national conversations about violence against women and respect in the workplace. In Australia, various public cases of domestic violence have sparked national conversations and action. In 2015, Rosie Batty AO was made Australian of the Year, putting domestic violence on the national stage, and in 2017, the growing momentum from the #MeToo movement sparked a global conversation on sexual harassment and assault. In 2021, Australians all over the country took part in March4Justice protests, demanding solidarity and change. As it has been throughout its history, public discourse, events and new technologies continue to inform and shape Government priorities and the work of the Office for Women.