1893-1993: How Far Have We Come in Women's Employment in Education?

Abstract

In 1893, the year of women’s enfranchisement, women teachers were petitioning for equal pay for work of equal value. In 1993, the year celebrating women’s suffrage, how far have we come in struggles for equality? In this article, a brief overview of some historical concerns precedes an examination of the nature of present gendered hierarchies across and within the education services. Despite the equity legislation of the 1980s, there is a disturbing similarity between women’s positions and concerns today and those of a hundred years ago. A discussion of issues related to an increasing casualising of work and demands for flexibility in management and labour relations is placed in the context of the restructuring of educational administration and the Employment Contracts Act.