WEL-Diamond Valley in street march
photo by Sandy Turnbull
The Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) is a feminist political organisation founded in Australia in 1972 and New Zealand in 1975. It is a non-party-political and non-sectarian women’s political lobby.
It is the women's organisation most often referred
to in parliament, the media and books on Australian politics. Many university theses have been written about it.
For theses about WEL click
here.
"WEL’s role as an advocate for Australian women is
recognised in the political and social history of Australia. WEL has been
at the forefront of the struggle for equal employment opportunity, access
to quality child care, sex discrimination legislation, equal representation
on boards and women’s election to Parliament. WEL continues to campaign for
women’s access to reliable contraception, safe legal
abortion and fertility treatments."
(WEL-ACT)
WEL-Diamond Valley in
street march
photo by Sandy Turnbull
Despite everything that has been written by and about
WEL no full-scale history had been written - until now.
The National Journal of
the Women's Electoral Lobby
WEL Said Journal 1974
National Bulletin Nov/Feb 1989
1973/74
PHOTOGRAPHS Click here for photographs of
WEL history
The WEL History has 253 photographs spanning 30 years in its database. For
discussion of these and other photographs, please see the
PAPERS BELOW The ARC funded history has been assessing WEL’s significance
as a policy actor and its attempts to shape the public agenda over the
last thirty years. It has looked at the ideas, strategies, It explores: 
WEL-ACT 1976? Artist: Carol Ambrus
WEL-ACT for WEL-NSW 1972
Victoria Green and Margot Snyder screen printing
WEL-ACT 1972. Artist: Carol Ambrus
WEL-ACT childcare demonstration Parlt House 1974
WEL-Vic 1970s
Click for further WEL history photos
THE ARC PROJECT
networks, actions and reactions.
It builds on the fine array of university
theses (website
), local histories of WEL groups and memoirs published by WEL members,
as well as the plethora of WEL newsletters, submissions and other publications
and the 4000 items in the WEL media database.
WEL also existed in New Zealand 1975-2004 and its history is recorded in Elspeth Preddy's book, The WEL Herstory: The Women’s Electoral Lobby in New Zealand 1975-2002 , Wellington, 2003.
THE PROJECT TEAM
Depicted below is the project team as it was in 2003.
LtR: Sarah Gardiner, Erica Fisher, PJ Aguilar, Marian Sawer, Gail
Radford
Those currently working on the WEL History Project in Canberra are:
Gail Radford
gradford@coombs.anu.edu.au
Erica Fisher
For WEL History Survey Report click
here.
For WEL History Survey Report: Appendix 2 click
here.
For Report on WEL in the Media 1972-2002 click
here.
For Report on the Location of WEL Groups click
here.
For Report on WEL submissions click
here.
For Report on WEL-WA submissions click
here.
For Report on references to WEL in Hansard click
here.
For Report on WEL National Co-ordinators click
here.
UNSW Press, 2008
All draft material from Making Women Count is copyright and may not be quoted without express permission of the author, who can be contacted at:
marian.sawer@anu.edu.au
For Chapter 8 click
here.
For Marian Sawer, "The
Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act" click
here.
For Marian Sawer, "Writing WEL History" click
here
. For Gail Radford, 'WEL Women - then and now. A Progress Report on the
WEL History Project" a presentation to the 17th WEL National Conference,
Sydney 12-13 June 2004 (RTF
& PDF
) For Gail Radford "A History of WEL in Canberra" a presentation in Women's
History Month 2004, (RTF
& PDF
)
Here are a few snippets from what we received:
"I find it hard to remember myself before I joined WEL. They were heady days of working with women who believed as passionately as I did that we could change the world for women".
"The early days from 1972-75 were a time of exhilaration, adrenaline, trepidation, sisterhood, achievement and purpose...It was rewarding to find our well-researched and professionally written submissions were being listened to and were having an effect, even if limited'.
"For the first 14 years of my WEL membership I was in the country and treasured my monthly newsletter. It opened up to me another world--of women who cared enough about women to spend their free time meeting and writing submissions..."
"It was apparent very early that we could not expect serious coverage in the local press; any press releases issued by WEL were included in the social pages (if at all). A meeting with the Editor demonstrated just how difficult this would be to change. He insisted that we be identified by our husband's name - Mrs. JOHN Smith etc, and wanted to send the social reporter to any WEL functions, to describe our fashions! Later as community video facilities became available we not only learned how to use it, but used it effectively to train ourselves how to perform capably before the camera. The result was that most issues were commented on by WEL members, as local TV producers realised that an interview with a spokesperson who didn't "um and er" or freeze with nerves was a relatively easy option."
"Driving to Canberra for a WEL conference in the 70s with three other women. First time drove cross-country--broken fan belt but refitted it ourselves. We felt invincible."
"I am disappointed WEL fizzled out on its own success. For perhaps 15 years it was like a ginger beer plant: growing, maturing and dwindling as women gained confidence, experience, skills and moved on--to be replaced by new women."
"X later became one of my mentors and guided a very naive me around the importance of networking and lobbying. Now that I'm an adviser in government, she rings me up and lobbies about stuff. This makes me laugh sometimes".
[new member]"While there is life in WEL the feminist heart of Australia remains unconquered".
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information please contact the WEL History Project Team, Political Science Program, RSSS, ANU, Canberra, ACT 0200, Phone: (02) 6125 2128 or Fax: (02) 6125 3051.