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| Federation of Australian Women | |
|---|---|
| Name | Federation of Australian Women |
| Formation | 1950 |
| Dissolution | 1974 (de facto) |
| Type | Women's organisation |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Region served | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Affiliations | Various trade unions, peace movements, community organisations |
Federation of Australian Women
The Federation of Australian Women was a national Australian women's organisation active predominantly during the 1950s to 1970s that campaigned on social welfare, peace, and women's rights issues. It emerged amid postwar debates involving the Australian Labor Party, Australian Council of Trade Unions, and international movements such as the Women's International Democratic Federation, linking local campaigns in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. The Federation engaged with institutions including the Commonwealth of Australia, the United Nations, and community groups from Wollongong to Perth.
The formation followed discussions among activists from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Communist Party of Australia members, and women linked to the Australian Labor Party in the late 1940s and early 1950s, responding to national debates around postwar reconstruction, the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, and Cold War politics influenced by events such as the Korean War and the Soviet invasion of Hungary (1956). Early conferences in Sydney and Melbourne brought together delegates from organisations like the Australian Women's Weekly readership networks, the Country Women's Association, the National Council of Women of Australia, and local branches of the Australian Railways Union. Prominent figures associated with the Federation's history intersected with activists known from the Women's Electoral Lobby, the Union of Australian Women, and municipal leaders from Brisbane and Adelaide.
The Federation operated as a federation of state and local bodies, with executive committees patterned after bodies such as the Australian Council of Social Service and modelled on structures used by the Australian Peace Council. Governance featured annual conferences similar to the Australian Labor Party state conferences and links to labour organisations like the Australian Workers' Union and National Union of Students in university campuses such as University of Sydney and University of Melbourne. Committees addressed issues parallel to those handled by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and municipal councils including the City of Sydney council.
The Federation organised campaigns on maternal and child health similar to efforts by the Save the Children Fund, advocated for childcare policies paralleling demands from the Australian Nursing Federation and engaged in anti-nuclear protests alongside groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Friends of the Earth affiliates in Australia. It lobbied for improvements to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 framework, campaigned against conscription during echoes of debates like those surrounding the Vietnam War, and produced pamphlets and submissions engaging with the Australian Broadcasting Commission and the National Library of Australia. Events ranged from public meetings at venues like Fairfield halls to petitions directed toward ministers within the Menzies Government and the Whitlam Government.
The Federation influenced policy debates by submitting briefs to parliamentary committees including those meeting in the House of Representatives and the Senate of Australia, paralleling advocacy by the Australian Council of Social Service and the Women's Electoral Lobby. It interfaced with political figures from the Australian Labor Party and critics in the Liberal Party of Australia, and weighed into controversies involving the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and wartime conscription issues reminiscent of the Vietnam War era. Internationally, the Federation corresponded with bodies such as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and collaborated with delegations linked to the Soviet Women's Committee and western groups like the British Housewives' League.
Membership drew from trade unionists affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, housewives connected through networks like the Country Women's Association, and students from campuses such as Australian National University and the University of Adelaide. The demographic profile included women who had worked in sectors represented by the Australian Nurses Federation, the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union, and clerical members employed by institutions like the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Membership patterns reflected migration trends influenced by initiatives such as the Ten Pound Poms scheme and demographic shifts documented by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The Federation maintained relationships—sometimes cooperative, sometimes adversarial—with the Union of Australian Women, the National Council of Women of Australia, the Women's Electoral Lobby, and trade unions such as the Federated Miscellaneous Workers Union. It engaged with peace groups like Peace Pledge Union affiliates and international bodies including the Women's International Democratic Federation, while contesting positions with conservative organisations similar to the Australian Women's National League and media outlets like The Bulletin. Collaborative campaigns often involved partnerships with the Australian Council of Social Service, Save the Children Fund, and local municipal councils including Melbourne City Council.
The Federation's legacy can be traced through influences on later reforms championed by groups like the Women's Electoral Lobby and policy shifts under the Whitlam Government, including expanded childcare and social services paralleling recommendations by the Royal Commission on Human Relationships. Its archival records inform research conducted by institutions such as the National Library of Australia, the State Library of New South Wales, and academic studies at universities including the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne. The Federation's campaigns contributed to broader Australian movements represented in histories of the Australian labour movement, the peace movement, and women's activism linking to events such as the International Women's Year (1975).
Category:Women's organisations based in Australia Category:History of women in Australia