Australian Feminism

Women’s history has been seen as always been targeted as achieving lesser than man in career fields and legal rights. An image of mother and wife is always haunting her. Perhaps in 20^th century women mostly gained the right to vote and have increased their education and job careers. The most important thing that they fought and have now accomplished a different set of mind in traditions as well.

The liberation of women brought foremost changes for women in an Australian Society. Right through the period of 1970’s till 1990’s. The imbalance of gender stereotyping at areas of work, health, law, education and welfare were greatly reduced and many initiatives were taken to lessen it. Women took the man domination power into their hands and then used in favor of women.  Alike changes were taken in United States, United Kingdom and Europe. International Women’s Year was declared in 1975 by United Nation and it was a step towards international means for women.

Mass waves have been brought in Australian feminism through the different changing roles of women. The vote in State elections and federal by women was the first wave. Manly suffrage was brought in colonies almost halfway through nineteenth century, excluding women. It was in 1902 when Australia agreed that women should vote in federal elections. All women were given a chance to vote in 1902 except for indigenous women which included Asians, Australians or African. Even though women were included but none of them were actually elected awaiting 1921.In 1943 the first parliament of female was elected. Women were still considered only in this universe to be married and then take care of their off springs. And the women who worked also had to burden themselves with household chores and nurture of their children.

In the lead-up to World War II the women protesters and groups were very much popular. And they kept on campaigning about the rights of women in public life as a profession or the right of being treated equal at pay or own their individual property. The main spark created in women after the Vietnam War in which they realized they were treated so wrong all this time and they established their own movements for liberation. The women’s movements to seek liberation were at their fame in a small span of time. Some group emphasized on the unions and parliaments representatives that women should be a part of them. Others did all the ways to express their selves. Women who were a part of liberation movements kept themselves isolated from patriarchal society and brought the consciousness among the society. The main concerns were health, culture, education and of course sexuality. Art and Literature were the ways to express themselves to Patriarchal; Germaine Greer was the main author. The male orientated paths like science and sports were now also for girls. Women who faced violence by man were also mainly highlighted in these movements. And the health and safety needs of women became very important like abortion and contraception. The inequality made the feminists chose a different a path for themselves either same sex relationships or no relationships at all.

Theoretically it has been accepted that issue of racial discrimination between women is present. Some evidence has also been laid that the effort of White Women’s Movement has breakdown the barriers of black and the white sisterhood. Refugees of women are now serving to Aboriginal women more than the Aboriginal Women has even been employed as a refuge worker. Most of the feminist activists were anti-racial in contrast with black women who were far more limited. It was a disappointment to incorporate black women, as for the women’s movement was for ‘White Australian Female Society’.

The biggest mistake by feminism was that they thought they knew what black women wanted. It was like a position of White women as ‘Helper’ and black women as being ‘Helped’. The powerful relationship which existed in the white community and black community also existed in Black Women and White Women. Black Women always being embarrassed of the fact that they were inferior. The White Women’s Movement toward the Black Women is struggles between the two different sexes which use oppress black people. Whenever Black Women use to face any problem they felt comfortable with Black Women solving their problem not with White women.

Hilary Saunders has summed up the feelings of many black women:

“We must not let this awareness as women go too far: We are a race of

People who have suffered many injustices. We are fighting for self-determination.

Women must play a large part in this yet we can only hope

To achieve this as one people not a race of men, nor a race of women but

Of Black United People”.