International Women's Year National Advisory Committee (1974 - 1976)

The federal government (Whitlam) appointed the International Women's Year National Advisory Committee to oversee the distribution of government funding for projects between 1974 and 1976 associated with the United Nations-proclaimed International Year of Women (1975). Australia's activities for the International Year of Women were also supported by a secretariat under Elizabeth Reid, the women's advisor to the Prime Minister. Reid also convened the committee. Membership included Ruby Hammond, Irene Greenwood, Caroline Jones, Margaret Whitlam and Shirley Castley.

The committee attracted criticism from some activists in the Women's Liberation movement over spending priorities. However, seed and grant funding assisted the development of many important organizations and publications including the Working Women's Centre and Dr Kay Daniels's Women in Australia An Annotated Guide to Records.

Chaired by

• Reid, Elizabeth Anne (1942 - )

Member

• Whitlam, Margaret Elaine (1919 - )

Presided

• International Women's Day, Australia (1928 - )

  [1975 - ]

Sponsored

• Daniels, Kay (1941 - 2001)

  Dr Kay Daniels' Women in Australia history project received funding from this committee

Related Corporate Bodies

• Australian-Migrant Women's Association (1974 - c. 1990)

  The International Women's Year National Advisory Committee supported the Australian-Migrant Women's Association by providing important seed-funding in its first year of operation.

Related Events

• International Women's Day, Australia (1928 - )
• Migrant Women Workers Project (1974 - 1975)

  In 1975, The International Women's Year National Advisory Committee provided important funding to the Fitzroy Ecumenical Centre to conducted research in the problems confronting migrant women factory workers. It was an occasion when liberal feminist concerns combined with ethnic rights multicultural concerns.

Reports

• International Women's Year National Advisory Committee, Report, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1976. [ Details... ]

See also

• Caine, Barbara (ed.), Australian Feminism: A Companion, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1998, 607 pp. [ Details... ]
• Lake, Marilyn, Getting Equal: The History of Australian Feminism, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, New South Wales, 1999, 316 pp. [ Details... ]
• Sawer, Marian, 'Femocrats and Ecorats: Women's Policy Machinery in Australia, Canada and New Zealand', United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 1996, http://www.unrisd.org/html/op/opb/opb6/op6.htm. [ Details... ]