MARCH - WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH in Australia - BACKGROUND

NOTE: This is an archive of our 2002 website. For current information, please see our updated site for 2003.

Australia

During the 1970s there was a growing sense that much of the history of the women who had fought for the vote, for equal pay, for better access to education and other strategies was been lost, or had been forgotten. History as taught in schools didn't meet the need for honouring these stories. In the universities in Australia, and throughout the world, there began a growth of Women's Studies and Women's History programs.

History, in the context of Women's History Month (WHM) is defined very broadly to encompass not only political and economic history but also the broader cultural and social elements. Because history is being made now, our definition embraces the present.

WHM was initiated in Australia by Helen Leonard, Convenor of the National Women's Media Centre (working with the Women's Electoral Lobby). It was her vision, drive and commitment that made the establishment of WHM in Australia possible. Gillian Polack provided the technical expertise. She developed the web resources and put the program in place on-line. Helen and Gillian were supported by a small committee comprising Anne Summers, Marilyn Lake and Lulu Respall-Turner

Women's History Month was launched at Parliament House in March 2000, by the President of the Senate, Senator Margaret Reid, on behalf of the National Women's Media Centre. WHM 2002 was launched by Senator Amanda Vanstone, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women.

Following Helen's sudden death in October 2001 a number of her friends decided to carry on her work on WHM. The National Foundation for Australian Women agreed to auspice Women's History Month 2002 and the Pamela Denoon Trust sponsored the launch of WHM 2002

For the first couple of years, WHM in Australia has been mainly Web-based with Gillian Polack providing the technical expertise. We are now planning to broaden our activities, drawing on some of the techniques that have been used successfully overseas.

WHM - in the USA and Canada

WHM in Australia is held in March. In the USA it is also held in March. Both reflect the prior existence of International Women's Day celebrations. In Canada WHM is in held in October, reflecting a significant Privy Council decision awarding Canadian women the right to be nominated for the Canadian Senate.

Both the US and Canadian events are well settled, with well-established non-Government managing organisations, associated with significant Governmental support- not necessarily financial support. Both countries have extensive local, State and Provincial actual event activities: conferences, schools observations, festivals, etc. The US month attracts substantial commercial sponsorship, judging from its web-site.

In the USA in 1978 in California the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women began a Women's History Week celebration, chosen to coincide with March 8, International Women's Day. Schools began to host their own Women's History Week programs, and the movement spread.

In 1981 the United States Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women's History Week. The movement curriculum material began to be developed for schools on a national basis.

In 1987 at the request of the National Women's History Project, the US Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since then the US Congress has issues a resolution for Women's History Month, and the US President also issues a proclamation for the event.

In Canada, Women's History Month has been celebrated annually since 1992. October is chosen there, celebrating the famous 1927 legal case when five women successfully petitioned the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of Great Britain for clarification of women's rights under the British North America Act for women to be appointed to the Canadian Senate.

AIMS OF WHM Australia

The major aims of WHM Australia include:

• raising awareness and providing information of the rich history of women's contribution to the development and future of Australia;
• providing a focus for activities which span government, bureaucracy, academe and community sectors;
• engendering an understanding of the continuum of the historic struggle for women's rights and to provide role models for Australian women; and
• developing electronic materials which document women's history.

WHM 2002

In 2002 the main activities were on-line and included live on-line chats and month long discussions led by Australian women experts from a broad range of fields.

The Website, at www.trivium.net/womenshistorymonth,* was awarded the Adult Learning Australia - Website of the Month, March 2002.

The site has attracted a great deal of interest and will remain in place until early 2003 when the new program will be finalised.

6.6.02

*The Australian Women's History Month Website is sponsored by Tamara Mazzei, Trivium Publishing, USA.