Iola Mathews, Winning for Women: A Personal Story Monash University Publishing, 2019. Have you ever wondered about the gender transformation of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)? Once the bulwark of the male… Continue reading
Political advisers can help shape public policy. They are also often the politicians of the future, so it matters who they are. Using Australian Ministerial directories, Marija Taflaga and Matthew Kerby tracked men… Continue reading
ALP Election Leaflet 1974 Reproduced by kind permission of Bruce Petty Michelle Arrow, The Seventies: The personal, the political and the making of modern Australia, NewSouth Publishing, 2019. How should we characterise… Continue reading
Much of the progress made towards gender equality under the coalition government was offset by the impact of austerity on women, writes Anna Sanders. While a number of gender equality policies were brought forward… Continue reading
They say, ‘laughter is the best medicine.’ This is true in politics as well as daily life. In fact, the rules of laughter (when are we allowed to laugh, how much can you… Continue reading
Women politicians are often presented in the mainstream media as women first, politicians second – in stories that should focus on their policies but instead analyse their personal lives, appearance and gender. Has… Continue reading
In 2006, four women senators from different parties made history when they worked together across party lines to overturn the ministerial veto on medical abortion drug RU486. What led these women to collaborate… Continue reading
The inner workings of democratic politics are often communicated through the narrative literary device – placing character, intrigue and dramatic flourish at the centre of political investigation. Political biography makes democratic processes fascinating… Continue reading
Carolyn Hendriks takes a trip to the Australian electorate of Indi, and finds a community keen to reinvigorate democracy. If anyone needs an antidote to the ‘Trump-dumps’ then can I suggest you take… Continue reading
As the first female US presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton had brought about wide anticipation that a woman President in the world’s most powerful democracy was within reach. Much was written about the expected… Continue reading
