'What was it like to be involved in the heady days of ‘second wave’ feminism in Australia, when the role of women at home and at work changed decisively? Iola Mathews was one of the founders of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, a journalist at The Age, and later a leading ACTU advocate for women workers during the ‘Accord’ with the Hawke-Keating Government. She was one of the first generation of women trying to ‘have it all’ with a career and children.
In this honest and revealing memoir, she takes us inside the day-to-day groundwork required to bring about reforms in areas like affirmative action, equal pay, superannuation, childcare, parental leave and work-family issues. This is an important record of a pivotal time for women in Australia’s history. Iola brings wisdom and experience to it, reflecting on where we are today, with suggestions for further reform. It’s a vital source for policy makers and all those interested in women, work and families.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
'The last few years have seen a spate of new memoirs and biographies charting the lives of Australian women who were connected in various ways with the second-wave feminist movement. Iola Mathews’ Winning for Women: A Personal Story is a valuable addition. As a journalist, trade unionist and politician's wife, Mathews was uniquely placed to observe not only the internal workings of the women's movement but its impact on some of the country's most influential political institutions, including the Labor Party and Australian Council of Trade Unions. Her book is directed primarily at a feminist readership interested in questions of women, work and family. However, Mathews’ insider account should also prove useful to historians of Australian politics, industrial relations and the media more generally.' (Introduction)
'The last few years have seen a spate of new memoirs and biographies charting the lives of Australian women who were connected in various ways with the second-wave feminist movement. Iola Mathews’ Winning for Women: A Personal Story is a valuable addition. As a journalist, trade unionist and politician's wife, Mathews was uniquely placed to observe not only the internal workings of the women's movement but its impact on some of the country's most influential political institutions, including the Labor Party and Australian Council of Trade Unions. Her book is directed primarily at a feminist readership interested in questions of women, work and family. However, Mathews’ insider account should also prove useful to historians of Australian politics, industrial relations and the media more generally.' (Introduction)
