Getting Equal: The History of Australian Feminism

Getting Equal: The History of Australian Feminism traces the development of the women's movement in Australia from the late 19th century through the end of the 20th century. Lake documents the campaigns, victories, and setbacks of Australian feminists across multiple generations. The book covers key events including the fight for suffrage, workplace rights, reproductive freedom, and equal pay. Lake presents the perspectives of both urban and rural women, examining how geography and class influenced feminist organizing across the continent. The narrative follows major figures in Australian feminism while also highlighting the contributions of lesser-known activists and grassroots organizations. Their struggles are placed within the broader context of Australia's social and political evolution. This comprehensive history reveals how Australian feminism both paralleled and diverged from women's movements in other Western nations. Lake's work raises questions about citizenship, democracy, and the ongoing pursuit of gender equality in modern society.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Marilyn Lake's overall work: Due to limited public reader reviews available for Marilyn Lake's academic works, a comprehensive review summary cannot be reliably compiled. Her books appear mainly in academic libraries and scholarly citations rather than consumer review platforms. "Drawing the Global Colour Line" appears sporadically on Goodreads with a 4.0/5 rating from a small sample of readers. Academic reviewers note its detailed research and global perspective on racial politics. Some readers mention the dense academic writing style requires concentrated reading. Other works like "Getting Equal: The History of Australian Feminism" and "Progressive New World" have too few public reviews to draw meaningful conclusions about reader reception. The lack of consumer reviews likely reflects Lake's focus on academic publishing rather than mainstream readership. Her works primarily appear in scholarly journals and university course materials rather than commercial bookstores.

Making Women's History by Joan W. Scott A history of women's movements that examines the construction of gender in historical writing and political thought across the Western world.

Sex and Citizenship in Antebellum America by Nancy Isenberg The book traces the development of women's political consciousness and activism in 19th-century America through legal battles, social reforms, and suffrage campaigns.

Finding a Way to the Heart: Feminist Writings on Aboriginal and Women's History in Australia by Ann McGrath This collection connects Indigenous and non-Indigenous women's histories in Australia through studies of colonization, resistance, and cultural exchange.

Creating a Nation by Patricia Grimshaw, Marilyn Lake, Ann McGrath, and Marian Quartly The text reframes Australian national history through women's experiences and contributions from settlement through the twentieth century.

The Real Matilda: Woman and Identity in Australia, 1788 to the Present by Miriam Dixson The book analyzes the formation of female identity in Australia through social structures, cultural practices, and power relations from colonization to modern times.

🌟 The book was the first comprehensive history of Australian feminism, covering over a century of activism from the 1880s to the 1990s. 📚 Author Marilyn Lake is one of Australia's most prominent historians and has served as President of the Australian Historical Association. ✊ The book reveals how Australian women gained the right to vote earlier than their British and American counterparts, with South Australia being the first state to grant women's suffrage in 1894. 🔍 Lake explores how Indigenous women's rights were often overlooked by early feminist movements, highlighting the complex intersection of gender and racial politics in Australian history. 💫 The book documents how Australian feminists invented the term "sexual harassment" in the 1970s, which was later adopted globally to describe workplace discrimination against women.