Transformations in Australian Women's Society: 1960-1990 Overview

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the significant changes in the place of women in Australian society between 1960 and 1990. It explores the increasing employment rates for women, highlighting the impact of changing social attitudes, legislation, and the rise of part-time work. The essay also examines the growth in university attendance for women, detailing how increased educational opportunities contributed to their employment prospects and societal standing. Furthermore, it analyzes the equal pay movement, discussing its benefits, including higher wages and reduced gender-based discrimination in the workplace. The conclusion synthesizes these key themes, emphasizing the substantial transformations that reshaped women's lives during this period and their lasting impact on Australian society.

HOW DID WOMEN’S
PLACE IN AUSTRALIAN
SOCIETY CHANGE
BETWEEN 1960 AND
1990?

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
High employment for women in Australia from 1960 to 1990...................................................1
Rise in university attendance for women in Australia helped them in their employment..........3
Equal pay movement and its benefits for women in Australia from 1960 to 1990....................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
The present scenario will discus about various changes in women's place in Australia in
the period 1960 to 1990. The present study will provide understanding of the high employment
for women in that period to encourage women to have the right for education. Also, it will
provide information about the rise in University attendance for women in Australia in their
employment. Furthermore, It will provide understanding of the equal pay movement and the
benefits it provided to the women's in Australia from 1960 to 1990.
MAIN BODY
High employment for women in Australia from 1960 to 1990
Employment is considered as major income source especially for Australian households
as they bring it with multiple opportunities for purpose of utilizing and to developing skills along
with expansion of social networks. In the present scenario, unemployment rate has fallen as it is
still higher as compared to level with experience in late 1960s 1.
(Source: Changing role of women in the workplace, 2018)
1 Changing role of women in the workplace. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-10/jericho-women-employment/4303454>.
1

Illustrati
on 1: Unemployment rate
(Source :Underutilised Labour: Unemployment trends and patterns, 2018)
In the above graph trend of unemployment has been shown where it could be clearly
viewed that make-up force is increasing from 1970 to 1990 or it could be elaborated that
participation in labour force is quite high as in 1978, 70 percent of women were employed and
looking for being employed. After 1970, participation was slightly raised as this change will be
dealing with alteration in policy. While observing this patter, in 1991 women's unemployment
rate was quite high as compared to men as this pattern has inverse with rate of unemployment
which is more than women but with difference among these rates has directly varied through
time period 2. There was also growth in casual work and part-time work in 1980 which is also
major contributing factor as it had given huge employment opportunities for women as many
seeks this part-time work.
Since this trend, social attitude to its rights and function of women have altered as this
alteration would be supported through legislation and to recognise demands for equal
2 Underutilised Labour: Unemployment trends and patterns. 2018. [Online]. Available
through
<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/
855e6f87080d2e1aca2570ec000c8e5f!OpenDocument>.
2

opportunities in employment and education. These have also considered lifting of marriage bars
through employment as it was in 1966 in Commonwealth Public service, functioning of
Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission in year 1969 where women must get
equal pay as compared to men along with passing through Sex Discrimination Act in year 1984
and in 1986 with Affirmative action.
From year 1978, number of men working part-time has also raised over 400 percent
while men working full-time has limped with absence of pace with growth of population. There
was other huge decline in share of employment of women which will be reflecting alterations in
economy with appropriate share of women working retailing and with outcome of declining staff
for being employed in retail stores and department. Simultaneously, there has presence of sharp
drop with percentage of women who belongs to finance as reflection of closure with different
branches of bank and fall in bank teller position and agriculture as well. Thus, the women's
labour market over these years is in story of economy of Australia 3.
This might be lack in industry of mining but as per industry, this will be employing
around 10 percent of all workers, and presence of strong connection with appropriate concern
women with findings and to manage work4. Furthermore, this shift will be considering job of
women are altering and in this context women are occupying one third of top position along with
growth areas in occupation with requirement of qualified skills and educated women with central
discussion.
Rise in university attendance for women in Australia helped them in their employment
There were various changes in the period of 1960 to 1990 when the women were
provided importance to get the right of being educated. The unmarried women were provided the
chance of getting educated and to get employed to work in the industry. There were various
universities that provided great help to the women in that period and in 1950, there were 4000
3 Paid Work: Trends in women's employment. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/42E23011AAF49548CA2570E
C001971C8?opendocument>.
4 Inglehart, Ronald. Culture shift in advanced industrial society. Princeton University
Press.2018
3

women at universities which increased to 29000 in 19705. Also, the rise in the female enrolments
increase in the year 1960 to 1970 which was double the rate of males.
These increase in women education helped them in building their place in the society and
provided them helps in their employments. Also, it helps the women in garbing high employment
opportunities 6. There were also rise in the Universities in Australia from six to nineteen which
provided sustained growth in the economy of Australia. In the year 1966, the number of
universities rise to 13 which increased the number of enrolments in the university in that period.
Women's of Australia has improved their position in the society in that period. In 1960, the ratio
of male to female in university enrolments was 1 : 3.
In 1970, women in Australia gained only 29.6 % of bachelor's degrees. In the arts field,
the women took the majority of pass degrees but then also they gained 44 % of the honour
degree. In science, 19.7 % were the contribution of women's for honour degree and women in
commerce for honour degree accounted for 6.1% 7. This indicate that women were having the
small portion of the honour degree despite the increase in the overall female participation. The
female participation was more in the field of Arts and social science and there were few female
that prefers the field like engineering.
From the period 1960 to 1990 there were huge changes in the university attendance
which improve the level of education with gender biases. Women were provided with equal level
of education which was provided to the men to Australia 8. There were various changes in the
education level and ratio of women was increased in universities. Women in 1987 surpassed the
men as they were more in number than men. Women 's were provided more importance than
men in that period to increase their level of education and provide them various opportunities for
employment.
5 Montgomery, Tommie Sue. Revolution in El Salvador: From civil strife to civil peace.
Routledge. 2018.
6 Baskin, Deborah. Casualties of community disorder: Women's careers in violent crime.
Routledge. 2018.
7 Lee, David. Competing discourses: Perspective and ideology in language. Routledge.
2017.
8 Thane, Pat. The foundations of the welfare state. Routledge. 2016.
4

With the growing movements towards the gender equality large number of people
attended the university in Australia. Also, the period provided the liberal education and
understanding of higher education of population. There were various universities which were
dependent on the funding from government many universities were affected by the new social
pressures. Also, training was provided to the faculties about the various fields to provide better
understanding of the subjected to the students.
Also, the ratio of male to female faculties was increased in that period in which the
female faculties were more than that of male faculties (Goldscheider and et.al, 2015). This
changes in the level of education helped the women's of Australia in gaining higher education
and provided the assistance in higher employment.
Equal pay movement and its benefits for women in Australia from 1960 to 1990
In the year 1969, equal pay for equal work was introduced in which the female and men
were provided with wages on the basis of the work done by them. There was no discrimination
between the men and women in paying the wages for the work done by them. Before this act was
introduced the there was various discrimination between the male and female for paying the
wages for the work done by them9. With the helps of equal pay movement there was no
discrimination between male and female on the base of gender, age, sex etc. according to this
movement equal pay were provided to the men and women.
In 1969, new laws abolish women's minimum pay which were equal to 75 % of men
wages. In 1972, the principle of equal pay for equal work was established in the law. In the year
1973, women's working in common wealth public sector receive maternity leave entitlements10 .
In the year 1974, the concept of “family wage” where men were provided with more pay because
they are member of family that earns money to support the family.
In the year 1975, south Australia enacted the country's first sex- discrimination
legislation. In 1984, the sex discrimination act was introduced. There were various changes that
occurred in Australia which provided various benefits to the society and women11. Due to equal
pay movement workforce was provided with equal wages for the work done by them. In that
9 Curtin, Jennifer. Women and trade unions: A comparative perspective. Routledge.
2018.
10 Pay Equity Timeline. 2016. [Online]. Available through
:<https://www.equalpayday.com.au/pay-equity>
5

period, minimum wage were provided to men and women on the basis of same rate to reduce the
chance's discrimination between them and provide equal treatment without any gender bias.
Equal pay for equal work provide benefits to women in Australia such as higher wages to
women, treating women as equally without any discrimination. It also provided benefit to the
women to become the breadwinners of the family.
CONCLUSION
The above essay has concluded about the place of women in Australia in the period 1960
to 1990 which has provided understanding about various changes in the education level in the
Australia in that period which has encouraged women to work and get the higher education to
help them in their employment. It has also provided with the higher employment for women in
196 to 1990 that has provided various opportunities for women for work. Furthermore, it has
also consisted information about Equal pay movement which has provided various benefits to
women such as made them independent Etc.
11 Goldscheider and et.al., "The gender revolution: A framework for understanding
changing family and demographic behavior." Population and Development Review 41.
no. 2 (2015): 207-239.
6

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Baskin, Deborah. Casualties of community disorder: Women's careers in violent crime.
Routledge. 2018.
Coates, Jennifer. Women, men and language: A sociolinguistic account of gender differences in
language. Routledge. 2015.
Curtin, Jennifer. Women and trade unions: A comparative perspective. Routledge. 2018.
Goldscheider and et.al., "The gender revolution: A framework for understanding changing
family and demographic behavior." Population and Development Review 41. no. 2
(2015): 207-239.
Inglehart, Ronald. Culture shift in advanced industrial society. Princeton University Press.2018.
Lee, David. Competing discourses: Perspective and ideology in language. Routledge. 2017.
Montgomery, Tommie Sue. Revolution in El Salvador: From civil strife to civil peace.
Routledge. 2018.
Thane, Pat. The foundations of the welfare state. Routledge. 2016.
7

Bibliography
Changing role of women in the workplace. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-10/jericho-women-employment/4303454>.
Paid Work: Trends in women's employment. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/42E23011AAF49548CA2570E
C001971C8?opendocument>.
Pay Equity Timeline. 2016. [Online]. Available through :<https://www.equalpayday.com.au/pay-
equity>
Underutilised Labour: Unemployment trends and patterns. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/
855e6f87080d2e1aca2570ec000c8e5f!OpenDocument>.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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