Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Edited by Michelle Arrow, NewSouth Books, $34.99.
Aptly described, Women and Whitlam is political history at its best. Not only is it a “reminder that politics can be radical, feminist and one that we can be proud of”, but it’s also priceless, and a stirring call to younger generations.
April 2023 marked 50 years since the Whitlam government of 1972-75 appointed Elizabeth Reid as a women’s advisor to national government — a world first. It was a landmark appointment and heralded major policy reforms for Australian women.
Whitlam was part of a group of Labor figures in the 1960s who wanted to reform the Labor party to focus on human rights, not just worker’s rights, and to think about other kinds of inequality other than class. This meant he was much more open to action on Indigenous rights, on poverty and disadvantage, and of course, on improving women’s rights.
The Whitlam government reopened the equal pay case. It extended the minimum wage for women, introduced the single mother’s benefit and paid maternity leave in the public service, ensured cheap and accessible contraception, funded women’s refuges and women’s health centres, introduced accessible, no-fault divorce and the Family Court, and much more.
To coincide with this landmark anniversary, Women and Whitlam, edited by one of Australia’s leading contemporary historians, and professor in Modern History at Macquarie University, Michelle Arrow puts it all into perspective. It brings together three generations of women, including Elizabeth Reid, who write about the lasting impact of the policy reforms of the early ‘70s on Australian women and how we build on that revolution for the future.
As a result, we get a glimpse of how the Whitlam era was a period of significant reform in many aspects of life. It also highlights how the scale and scope of reforms for women were remarkable.
It also demonstrates there are many different ways to achieve reform, and a reminder that we need to use all the levers at our disposal if we’re going to make life better for all women – from radical protest to working with government. Importantly, if you want a better world, you need to turn up and help make that change!
Who was appointed by the Whitlam government as a women’s advisor to national government 50 years ago? If the answer is correct, three lucky winners will get a copy of Women and Whitlam: Revisiting the Revolution. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 10 July 2023. Names of the winners will be published in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column on 11 July 2023.
