when political issues and conflicts were an open part of public life. Australian women were exposed to the struggles of the women"s movement overseas, particularly the media coverage from the U.S. Members of Australia"s contemporary movement came from backgrounds in student protest, the anti-war movement and pushes for equal pay and representation in trade unions. These women felt their issues and concerns were being ignored , as they were playing a supportive role to their spokespeople who were nearly always men , and who"s positions were rarely challenged.
The new women"s movement made it"s first serious impact into parliamentary politics, with the establishment of the Women"s Electoral Lobby (WEL) in 1972. The WEL campaign focused on equal pay, equal employment opportunity CEEO, equal access to education, free contraceptive services, abortion on demand and free 24-hour child care. With it"s establishment on 23 April 1472, WEL had an initial membership of 85 people all holding a primary aim of social protest. WEL"s concerns were focused on changing legislation"s rather than promoting feminist consciousness.
WEL worked to have major influence of the 1972 elections as they drew public.
attention to the issues of women, causing politicians to take them into serious.
consideration during their election campaigns. WEL"s success derived from their well researched submissions and media skills. Women journalists were recruited into WEL and produced articles that appeared in Nation Review, the Age, The Australian, The Bulletin, The National Times, The Australian Financial Review, Women"s Day and The Sunday Telegraph.
WEL"s means of power in using the communications media to influence politicians.
had hold over a large number of women voters.7 Media exposure meant that WEL"s.
access into public life could not be ignored. Television and radio increased and.
accelerated it"s political impact. Publicity was supportive of WEL and it"s issues.
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