ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a feminist analysis of an Australian policy initiative to increase the percentage of women in maths and sciences in higher education, purportedly to increase gender equity in the field. In August 1988, the Federal Minister for Education, Mr John Dawkins, issued a White Paper on Higher Education in Australia. One of the main purposes of the White Paper was to announce a coordinated national scheme whereby institutions would be expected to give priority to disciplines relevant to national, social, economic and industrial development needs, and continued priority to those groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The Anti-discrimination Act of 1986 would seem to be adequate to ensure that similar policies inform action at all Australian institutions of higher education. Mary Warnock used the image of dividing a cake to set out the first steps of distributive justice.
