ABSTRACT
Gender issues have been at the core of welfare-state restructuring in Australia for several decades. At the same time, the institutions, policies, and practices of welfare have been sites of considerable feminist scholarship and activism. Historically, many elements of Australian social policy assumed the presence of a male breadwinner: women’s economic dependence was built into key aspects of the social security system as well as institutions such as the “family wage” paid to male workers. Since the early 1970s, however, the assumption of women’s dependence has been weakened and the basis of many policies has shifted from “difference equality” (Cass 1995; Shaver 1995). The labor-force participation of women, especially mothers of young children, has risen dramatically, although it is still well below the levels of similar countries (O'Connor, Orloff, and Shaver 1999). Australian women continue to be responsible for the bulk of domestic and caring work, and are likely to have part-time rather than full-time employment. The increase in women’s workforce participation and the associated growth of feminist activism nevertheless contributed to a political climate that was receptive to women’s demands for recognition of their changing status and aspirations. Under the Labour governments that held power at the national level from 1972 to 1975 and 1983 to 1996, numerous “feminist-influenced, women-friendly reforms” were initiated and consolidated (Hancock 1999, 3). During this period Australia developed a world-class child care system more in keeping with the generous, public provision of social democracies such as Denmark, Sweden, and France than with the virtual absence of national support exemplified by other liberal regimes such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The system was built around the principles of quality, affordability, and accessibility. At its core was a network of nonprofit, community-based child care centers and high quality family child care schemes. Services were open to children from all income groups, with fees determined by family income and common-wealth subsidies reducing the fees payable by low- and middle-income families.
