The life for women has changed greatly in the 20th century.

Changing Technology

In the late 1980s and 1990s, developments in Australian home appliances focused on energy efficiency. Environmental awareness was at an all-time high and studies had established that home appliances were a major source of electricity consumption and greenhouse gas production. The government then introduced a product labelling program, where the energy efficiency of an appliance was clearly displayed. This encouraged customers to buy the most environmentally-friendly option available.

In the 1990s, manufacturers were also subject to stricter environmental policies. Appliances like refrigerators were obligated to become more energy efficient, while dishwashers and washing machines were designed to decrease water consumption.

A lot of the home appliances used by Australians in the 1990s were basically the same ones used in the 1950s, although with slight improvements and additional features. Some brand new appliances were also available – customers could choose from an incredible range of machines that would make bread, cappuccinos, homemade ice cream and even blow the leaves off their driveways.

Improvement in home appliance technology led to the introduction of different plastics and other new materials. Thermoplastics increased strength and stability and other plastics reduced the weight of appliances, which consecutively lowered transport costs. In the early 1990s, a ‘noise-free’ dishwasher was released and manufacturers developed quieter motors and new, sturdier types of metal and glass.

Social Impact

In the 1950s, when they were first launched, home appliances were hailed as the key to easing women from hours spent on household tasks. Women still had the responsibility for the majority of household chores in the 1990’s, but research found that home appliances may not have actually saved women much time at all. As consumption increased throughout the decades, the amount of household chores also increased. For example, home appliances may have made Australians more efficient, but the general level of home hygiene that was considered acceptable had also increased. Also, washing machines may have reduced the time it took to wash clothes, but the amount of clothes people owned in the 1990s had increased significantly.  

Political Changes

Many changes which happened in women’s favour by the 90’s was thanks to the passing of the Franchise Bill in 1902 which granted suffrage to white women over the ages of 21 in Federal elections. The passing the Franchise Bill was due to the contribution of women such as Vida Goldstein who had published magazines such as Woman’s Sphere and Women’s Voter, Maybanke Wolstoneholme and Rose Scott who led the Womanhood Suffrage League and Louisa Lawson- founder of the Dawn Club. These women aroused the awareness of women’s rights to suffrage, through petitions and protests.

In the 1990s, it had become clear, as we experienced the third wave of feminism, that the vote does not ensure women’s full access to the public. Women from all domains from politicians, activists and artists experience what has become known as the ‘glass ceiling’ an invisible barrier which prevents them from advancing beyond a certain point on the professional or political ladder. The majority of positions of power in education, business and politics are still occupied by men.

Democratic processes treat women as if they were the same as men, while in reality the lives of women are often drastically different to those of men. Feminism, while liberating many women from the domination of their partners, fathers or brothers have not liberated them from the domination of social expectations. The laws governing women’s bodies, voting rights, employment and education opportunities have changed, as did the expectations placed on women by society. Until the 1960s a woman was expected to be a wife and a mother, now she is expected to be everything else as well.

The right to work, seen by the second wave of feminism as a tool for gaining equality and independence for women, pushed women into the double, or maybe even triple burden situation where they are expected to be efficient workers, loving mothers and partners as well as active citizens. At a time when sexual harassment is illegal, wage equality is cherished by law, date rape and domestic violence are recognized as a crime and the word chairman has been replaced by chairperson to reflect the fact that some women hold positions of power, somehow women’s access to democracy is still limited.

Another factor, which contributes to the exclusion of women from democratic processes, is that feminism, despite its claims, never fought for the rights of all women. The feminist movement has been largely a middle class pursuit, and while women all over the world have been fighting for rights, somehow western middle class Anglo-Saxon feminism gained supremacy over other women’s movements. The first wave of feminism was essentially a middle class movement. It was lead by well – educated women, excluded from the political and professional organisations run by middle class men. The second wave of feminism was more inclusive, it promoted the interests of middle – class professional workers and other working women. However it still remained predominantly a middle class movement. As a result of their exclusion from the feminist movement, many women from lower socio – economic background have also been excluded from active participation in Australian democracy.

Another group often excluded from the feminist movement, and thus often excluded from democratic processes, are women from non-English speaking backgrounds. Although modern Australian feminism acknowledges the need to include ‘other ‘ (non-Anglo Saxon and non middle class) women in its discourse, to some extent it continues to contribute to the marginalisation of ‘other’ women as far as access to democracy is concerned. As argued by an Australian feminist of Chinese descent this marginalisation is partially due to the fact “that the very attempt to construct a voice of self-representation in a context already firmly established and inhabited by powerful formation is necessarily fraught with difficulty.”

In Australian society women from non-English speaking backgrounds remain one of the most marginalised groups. They suffer more unemployment than any other group in Australia except for Aborigines and people with disabilities,  they have poorer mental health relative to other women in Australia they often suffer alienation and isolation, and are largely unrepresented in government bodies and in other sectors of the public.

                                        By: Chanelle, Allisha & Emily

The women’s liberation movement brought about huge changes for women in Australian society. Throughout the 1980s, many initiatives were put in place in the areas of health, work, law, education and welfare that attempted to redress the imbalance between men’s and women’s power and opportunity. Women slowly began to infiltrate areas of power that had hitherto been closed to them. Women obtained 19% of all undergraduate college degrees around the beginning of the 20th century. By 1984 the figure had sharply increased to 49%. Women also increased their numbers in graduate study. By the mid-1980s women were earning 49% of all master’s degrees and about 33% of all doctoral degrees. In 1985 about 53% of all college students were women.

South Australia put measures into legislation in 1975 with its Sex Discrimination Act. The federal government followed this initiative with a similar Act in 1984 and the Equal Opportunity Act of 1986. Other laws provided women with welfare payments to help them support children on their own. This and other measures helped women to lead lives independently of men and made it easier for them to disentangle themselves from unhappy marriages.

Gradually women had greater access to contraception and abortion. Women’s health clinics were opened up around the country, one of the first of which was the Planned Parenthood Clinic that opened in Melbourne in 1974. Although this took place in the 1970s, it had a large affect on the women of the 1980s. These measures allowed women greater control over reproduction, which in turn afforded them greater ability to plan their families, work and study.

Technology:

The 80′s signalled the start of the computer age, following on from the creation of Microsoft and Apple towards the end of the 70s, the technology and the speed of innovation, both in Hardware and Software together with the affordability, provided a speed of growth. The birth of the IBM PC signalled the start of Personal Computers first in the Offices and then into peoples homes, becoming an integral part of our lives, following on from Microsoft’s MSDOS on PCs to the first versions of Windows a GUI Graphical User Interface. This aided all working Australians in their careers, women being a growing proportion of which. They enabled simplified documentation and communication, ultimately simplifying workplace transactions.

Thanks to the arrival of the microchip in domestic appliances, the 80s was a time when the general public began to see everyday examples of technological innovation. By the end of the decade, most televisions had infra-red remote control handsets and, thanks to the growth of the VCR, the home video cassette market boomed- as did video piracy. Another technology that was also just starting was that of cellular mobile phones, in the beginning the phones were big and heavy and hit and miss for signal strength but changed lives. Although women’s rights were largely developed in the 80s, there was the lingering stereotype of the housewife, the woman whose duty was to maintain a happy home. Only now they had the added responsibility of work. Without the advances and developments of technology, pursuing a career would have been an impossibility for many women around Australia.

Workplace:

By the 1980’s, the idea of women in the workplace was largely accepted – as long as their professions were confined within the hair, beauty and cosmetics industry; Although a number of inspirational women chose to ignore the images of the stereotypical housewife and the ‘Avon sales woman’ to pursue office careers and desk jobs. It was common for a woman to enter this field and receive a secretary position, but for them to advance up the promotional ladder was frowned upon by many who still had the ‘traditional female image’ instilled in them. The women who did manage to advance to higher positions were tagged as ‘no nonsense’ ladies adorned with a tailored suit featuring the unforgettable shoulder pads, marching fiercely through corridors and behaving as brutally as their male colleagues. Eventually these women would be faced with the ‘glass ceiling’; an invisible barrier preventing women from progressing past a certain point in their careers. The existence of the ‘glass ceiling’ was constantly denied my male colleagues but the effect of it was felt by a majority of women employed by high profile businesses. The shoulder pads – a fashion for women in clerical positions, gave a certain air of masculinity with its emphasis on broad shoulders showing that women struggled with acceptance as long as they bore feminine qualities. Women who desired a family found it especially difficult to advance through a career with the stress of house work, motherhood, and work related pressure including deadlines, and discrimination from male colleagues. One such woman, Quentin Bryce, was often labelled a super woman for juggling her family life of five children, along with her hectic but highly acclaimed career. During the 80’s, she held the following positions:

• Lecturer and Tutor in Law, The University of Queensland, 1968-1983
• Convenor, National Women’s Advisory Council, 1982-1984
• Inaugural Director, Queensland Women’s Information Service, Office of the Status of Women, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 1984-1987
• Director, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Queensland, 1987-1988
• Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1988-1993

Mrs. Quentin Bryce is now the Governor of Queensland. Women in the 1980’s had a difficult time following career paths while being oppressed by traditional views which had only recently begun disappearing.

Those women who fought through the male dominant industries to receive positions of high status while raising a family are considered truly inspirational. The full on youth culture and vivid fashion of 80’s teenagers emphasises the point of women breaking the boundaries of their former restrictions including society’s impression and stereotypical images. The 1980’s were a time of testing change for Australian women as they pushed past the typecast which had defined them for so long and started preparing early for a dive head first into the 21^st century.

Politics:

The 1980s was a revolutionary time for women in politics. Several events which made it so include:

• 1983- Senator Susan Ryan is the first Labor woman federal minister.
• 1984- As the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Senator Ryan introduces the Sex Discrimination Act
• 1986- Mrs Joan Child MP, representing the Australian Labor Party, becomes the first woman to be Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    Senator Janine Haines becomes the first woman to lead an Australian   political party, the Australian Democrats.

• 1986- the Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunities in Employment) Act

The women’s liberation movement in Australia grew rapidly in a short space of time. It had a formal presence in specific organisations such as the Women’s Electoral Lobby and the Women’s Action Group. It also had a large informal presence among the many women who discussed and questioned their identity and place in society.

Society:

The role of society in previous decades had dictated the lives of women; the perfect female, dressed modestly, raising her children, keeping her house neat and satisfying her husband. However as the Women’s Liberation Movement was introduced in Australia demanding certain rights alongside the launch of the contraception pill and a ‘free loving’ attitude of the hippies , it seemed that society abandoned the 50’s signature housewife image as the new generation of women rose to challenge everything they’d achieved in the past 30 years. Vivid, mismatched clothing fulfilling a pop/punk/retro theme with a back drop of ‘new wave’, energetic music accompanied by the growingly popular video clip defined 80’s youth culture. Rebellion was all the rage, the conformity, sophistication, modesty and general calmness societies of the past few centuries had worked hard to achieve was wiped out in the course of a few short decades and the kids of the 80’s were first to try it out. Australian teenage girls became heavily influenced by icons such as Olivia Newton John, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper; music and fashion was a unit. The older generations of women, mainly those who mothered the rebels were challenging the oppressive behaviour of the men by proving their worth as employed workers with an equal wage. Women’s role in society during the 1980’s was easy going, and relaxed yet there was still that underlying expectancy that seems to have never disappeared.

The role of women in society was profoundly altered with growing feminism across the world and with the presence and rise of a significant number of women as heads of state outside of monarchies and heads of government in a number of countries across the world during the 1970s, many being the first women to hold such positions.

Women’s rights and wages were high on the public agenda throughout the 1970s. Women continued to challenge traditional gender roles that confined them to work as child bearers and housewives, or kept them in routine, low-status positions.

In the early 1970s, women constituted one-third of the workforce, but were still paid less than men. In 1972, the Whitlam Government ruled that women doing the same job as men should be paid the same wage. In 1979 women also won the right to paid maternity leave. Few women, however, were employed in managerial or high-status roles.

Political Changes

The Feminist Movement in the United States which began in the 1960s carried over to the 1970s, and took a prominent role within society. The fiftieth anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (which legalized female suffrage) in 1970 was commemorated by the Women’s Strike for Equality and other protests.

With the anthology Sisterhood is Powerful and other works, such as Sexual Politics, being published at the start of the decade, feminism started to reach a larger audience than ever before.

Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Betty Ford, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Robin Morgan, Kate Millet, Elizabeth Holtzman, and many other women-and men-led the movement for women’s equality.

Most efforts of the movement, especially aims at social equality and repeal of the remaining oppressive, sexist laws, were successful. Doors of opportunity were more numerous and much further open than before as women gained unheard of success in business, politics, education, science, the law, and even the home. Though most aims of the movement were successful, however, there were some significant failures, most notably the failure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution with only three more states needed to ratify it (efforts to ratify ERA in the unratified states continues to this day and twenty-two states have adopted state ERAs). Also, the wage gap failed to close, but it did become smaller (there is also action still taken to ensure pay equality to this day).

Fashion in the 1970’s:

By 1970 women chose who they wanted to be and if they felt like wearing a short mini skirt one day and a maxi dress or hot pants the next day – that’s what they did.

For evening wear women often wore full length maxi dresses, evening trousers or glamorous halter neck catsuits. Some of the dresses oozed Motown glamour, others less so. 

For evening in the early seventies, either straight or flared Empire line dresses with a sequined fabric bodice and exotic sleeves were the style for a dressy occasion.

One frequently worn style was the Granny dress with a high neck. Sometimes the stand neck was pie-crust frilled, or lace trimmed. Often they were made from a floral print design in a warm brushed fabric or viscose rayon crepe which draped and gathered well into empire line styles.

Another hugely successful evening style of the 1970s was the halter neck dress, either maxi or above knee.
At a disco, girls might don hot pants. In contrast to the reveal all mini, a woman would suddenly confound men by completely covering her legs and retort that mini dresses were an exploitation, rather than a liberation of women.

The Changing technology of the decade and what impact it had on women’s lives

By the 1970s, owning a wide range of home appliances was deemed essential for daily living. Microwaves revolutionised food preparation – making it possible to defrost, cook or reheat food in very little time, and prompting a growth in the consumption of frozen convenience meals. With the invention earlier of the microwave oven and now the capability to manufacture and sell cheaply many homes adopted the technology in their kitchens.

By 1973, almost three-quarters of Australian families had a home telephone. Telephone technology was constantly improving. In the late 1970s, the rotary dial telephone was replaced with a keypad model, called the Touchfone 10, making dialing even quicker.

In 1975, it was estimated that 94 percent of families owned black-and-white television sets. Colour television was launched in 1975, rejuvenating interest in the medium. Within three years of its launch, it was estimated that 70 percent of households in Sydney owned a colour television set.

Computers in the 1970s were large and cumbersome and used only by large organisations like universities and banks. In 1977, developments in satellite technology made it possible for Australian computers to link with overseas computers for the first time.

Music:

The rock ‘n’ roll craze of the 1950s and 60s was changing the way young people entertained themselves. Teenagers clad in the latest fashions would gather in dance halls, or discos, and perform dance fads like the stomp and the boogaloo. The twist, named after the popular Chubby Checker song, was especially popular. It was the first major dance style that did not require a partner, so anyone could try it.

Some of the world’s biggest bands toured Australia in the 1960s, including the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and in 1964, the Beatles. Australia was gripped by Beatle-mania as thousands of hysterical, screaming fans mobbed John, George, Paul and Ringo wherever they went.

Australian music charts in the 1960s were dominated by American and British music, and local acts were strongly influenced by overseas trends. Some Australian musicians enjoyed international success. Folk outfit the Seekers were extremely popular in America and Britain, becoming the first Australian group to sell over a million records.

By the late 1960s, the American psychedelic and acid rock movements had filtered into Australia. This music was prompted by, among other factors, Vietnam War protests and the new drug and counter-culture scene. Lyrics from this music style spoke of peace, love, freedom, social protest and civil rights – the social revolution had arrived.

A famous song that hit the Australian top charts in the 1960s was “RESPECT” by Aretha Franklin. Respect was a song written and originally released in 1965. It became a hit and signature song for R & B singer Aretha Franklin. It was song about having respect and recognition for women.

Women at Home:
During the time of the 1960s, life at home for women was changing. Many were housewives or stay at home mothers, but others were soon branching out into society and into the workplace. Food was changing, and take away stores were soon opening up. This made it easier for women, and gave them options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Women were also starting to use cars, which would have made it easier for transportation purposes.

Women in the Workplace:
In the 1960s women did not receive the same pay as men for the same jobs. Women also earned on average, less than men because many were employed on part-time work, and had their careers interrupted when they had children. At the end of the decade equal pay was granted by the Arbitration Court to be phased in over three years. 

Political and Social Changes:

The 1960s were a decade of political and social upheaval in Australia. Young people challenged the traditional values of their parent’s generation and actively opposed the decisions of the government. Women demanded equal rights and others called for racial equality and a new consideration for the environment. Many more demonstrated against the Vietnam War, conscription and the nuclear industry.

Many of these protests were part of wider social movements taking place in other Western countries. Advances in communications technology meant that revolutionary ideas and voices of dissent could rapidly be transmitted and received around the world.

Australia’s population increased throughout the decade, as European and British migrants continued to arrive. The late 1960s also saw changes to the White Australia Policy, which permitted a small number of skilled Asian migrants to settle in Australia.

All Aboriginal women and men were able to vote. In the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission ruled that ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ was to be phased in by 1972. 

Technology:

In the 1960s technology changed quite significantly. Some of the things that changed were the telephone systems. Subscriber trunk dialling (STD) was introduced in the mid-1960s which allowed people to be able to directly make long-distance areas. This was used to replace the system where the phone user would dial the operator.

Television had by then taken interest as the most popular form of communication in the 1960s. It was available in all but the most remote areas of Australia and in 1965 it was estimated that 9 in 10 families owned a television set.

There was also the production of electrical appliances. These came in mass productions which meant that they did not just become affordable but became essential parts of everyday living. Some of these appliances that soon came to the shelves of stores were refrigerators, irons were improved.

Life for Women in the 1940’s

Music of the 1940’s-

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy- Andrew Sisters, Recorded January 2^nd 1941.

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah- Sung by- James Baskett, Music by- Allie Wrubel, Lyrics by- Ray Gilbert. Recorded in 1946. Johnny Mercer did a rendition of the song in 1947 and it became a nomber 8 hit.

The 1940’s Housewife-

Generally during the 1940’s women didn’t work outside the household and for the 1940’s housewife life was extremely tough. Most women would be up at dawn, long before their family had risen and worked way into the night after their family had gone to bead finishing their work for the day. Without the help of modern technology of today you can only imagine how much longer the jobs of the house would have taken and the difficulty of them. A simple task like washing the clothes was not so simple for the 1940’s housewife. For them this was a day’s task. In the 1940’s     

The 1940’s working woman-

During the 1940’s women were getting jobs out in the workforce as many of the men had been recruited for the 2nd World War. At the beginning of the war many women were reluctant to take on roles in the workforce and move away from their previous domestic life however as the war stretched on women began adjusting to their new work outside of the home and began to enjoy their engaging and exciting lives. When the war was over the women were expected to resume their roles in the household and the returning soldiers would have jobs, however their was a huge push from the women to keep their jobs as they found them empowering and far more worthwhile than coking, cleaning and maintaining the home.  Women became excited at the idea that they would earn their own money to contribute to their family.   

Technology of the 1940’s-

• The Radio was a major form of communication for the world during the 40’s. Particularly for women and children during the war as they were able to receive information and news on their husbands who had gone off to fight. The radio was also used as a main source of entertainment as the television was yet to be invented. This meant that most homes over the country had a radio. As well as its uses during the war the radio was also popular in that it provided music and other entertainment. 
• When the men went off to the war and were injured or killed the family and wife would be sent a telegram, which was delivered by a telegram boy in the 1940’s. Australians sent about 35 million Telegrams and in the decades that followed telephones replaced the telegram.
• The Telephone was a luxury in the 40’s. There was no direct dialling and people couldn’t be connected to all places in the country, however in 1945, a caller could be connected to any capital city.

Political changes of the 1940’s-

Political changes, like social changes were changing dramatically for women. It was in the 1940’s that Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney became the first female members of the federal Parliament. Enid Lyons was elected to represent the liberal party in the House of Representatives. She was elected in 1943. She was married to Joseph Lyons, the Prime Minister during the years if 1932-1939.

Enid Lyons became the Cabinet Minister in 1949, in which she was the first woman elected.

With the movement of women being allowed to work in strictly male roles, and with the war taking place during the early 1940’s women became allowed to join the armed forces in 1941. They formed organisations such as the WAAF (the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force- in 1941) and the WRANS (the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service).  Though women were not actually allowed to fight in the war they had to perform roles that were important. Duties such as communications, mechanical repairs and transport etc.

Social changes of the 1940’s

• In April 1941 the Australian workforce diminishes as men enlisted in the army at war. This caused women to be bought into the workforce to take up the role of traditionally male jobs in the workplace. This was in places such as factories. This was a significant social change for women, particularly housewives as it now meant that they were able to have roles outside of the home and other than taking care of their families. Even though this was an important change it was not enough to change the government’s view that women shouldn’t work.
• Though women were working the same jobs as men and completing them to the same standards they were still not being paying the same rates. On the 22^nd of march1943 in Melbourne, women’s munitions workers strike for pay rate equal to 90% paid to men in the industry.
• Women were not given consideration for having a life outside of work and were not given payment or leave for taking care of young children.

Other social changes of the 1940’s were greatly influenced by music and fashion. With the popularity of entertainers in America like Marylyn Monroe, women were being encouraged to take more interest in fashion and express themselves more through their appearance. They were becoming more independent and breaking free of societies expectations.

Australian Women in the 1930′s 

AUSTRALIA IN THE 1930′S

At least one piece of Music from the 1930’s:

We’re off to see the Wizard

Wizard off Ozz Cast

 Women at home and in the Workplace:

• The traditional role of the 1930′s woman was as a homemaker, a nest builder for her husband and her family.
• The women often had extended family near, such as her parents or her husband’s parents. Also aunts and uncles and cousins. This extended family was there to help out in times of need, as well as to have fun with at picnics, family reunions and get-togethers.
• Times were tough in that decade. Women darned holes in socks, hung laundry on the outside lines to dry, wore cotton or rayon stockings, wore dresses and NO slacks or jeans.
• They enjoyed their family, and enjoyed cooking and cleaning; even tho it meant a lot of work.
• The 1930’s was the start of the economic depression, soup kitchens were located all around Australian cities where woman would work.
• The economical depression had a big effect on woman, but for some it didn’t matter as their husbands had jobs;
• Woman would go from door to door to sell home-made clothes, flower seeds etc. Factories shut down.
•  Women were often given jobs as they had lower wages than men.
• Those who were too poor and couldn’t afford food or clothing were put on the “susso” families became homeless
• During these years fewer babies were born then ever before
• Depression faded at the end of the 1930′S

 Changing technology

• The pedal radio was in common use. It allowed people that lived in the outback people to communicate with the Royal Doctor Service
• George Beauchamp and engineer Adolph Rickenbacker create their first electric guitar. But Beauchamp doesn’t get a patent until 1937, and by then several other companies are making their own electric guitars.
• The Hot water tap
• The gas stove
• Refrigerators
• Washing Machines

 Social Changes for Women

• The 1930’ saw the great Depression through Australia.
• For the women who never married, most of them went into teaching school, or nursing. There was very little to do other than those two careers
• Women battled with men for jobs
• Many employers preferred to employ women because, legally their wages were lower.
• Men were regarded as the source of income for their families and women were expected to keep the house and look after the children
• All states had laws that discriminated against women.

 Political Changes for women

• The Great Depression was an economic catastrophe that caused a decline in international trade, personal income, tax revenue, prices and profits.
• No one could buy anything, which meant no businesses made money and therefore no jobs were available in a catastrophic cycle.
• The NSW government passed laws to dismiss all married female teachers to allow more jobs for men.

Bibliography:

Page 73- was it only yesterday? Australia in the twentieth-century world by sheena coupe

Women's fashion in the 1920's

The social changes for women in the 1920’s allowed more freedom and ease from the traditional housewife to working women. During the 1920’s the traditional role for women no longer was the same. Women no longer felt obliged to their household duties and began to venture beyond their roles as housewives. During World War I women had taken the place of men in many areas of employment and the number of working women increased.

The jobs which women were commonly employed in were largely domestic, nursing, teaching and secretarial positions, as tertiary education was still undertaken predominantly by men.

The women of the 1920s were called ‘flappers’. They cut their hair short in the ‘Eton style’. Dresses were lighter and brighter, and backless dresses received special attention. Skirt lengths were shortened to knee-length revealing enough leg to be controversial.

Women began to smoke and drink, apply make-up in public, wear their hair short to go to parties without supervision and to go bathing in revealing styles of swimwear.

There were also many important women who sat in Parliament, those of which include: Edith Cowan, Millicent Preston Stanley and May Holmen.