ABSTRACT
From a vibrant, colourful, and theatrical movement in the 1970s, to an institutionalised set of actors in the early twenty-first century, the New Zealand women’s movement has experienced major changes in both the way it operates and the way it is perceived. These changes have led to varying claims about the state of the movement. In the 1990s feminist Sandra Coney stated: ‘The movement was silent because there is no movement – only isolated groups working on specific issues’.1 By contrast, feminist economist Prue Hyman claims there is still a feminist movement in New Zealand and elsewhere:
Many areas of work . . . continue, and many young women are active recruits. Some may not use the word feminist of themselves, with the backlash and other negatives . . . giving the word a bad name in some circles – but ask what they believe, and the concepts are there.2
