The Australian Women's Register

Women’s organisations affiliated with the National Council of Women of Victoria have a wide range of goals and aims. Thirty five organisations were affiliated in 1902, and 139 by 1977 [Norris, p. 10-11]. These organisations include groups dedicated to philanthropic and reform causes, social and cultural societies as well as professional organisations. These included the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, the Young Women’s Christian Association, the Australian Women’s National League, the League of Women voters of Victoria, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Melbourne, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Union of Australian Women, the Royal Australian Nursing Federation (Victorian Branch), the Right to Choose Coalition, the Victorian Association of Benevolent Societies, the Women’s Electoral Lobby, the Family Planning Association and the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria.

All National Councils of Women, and the International Council of Women, operate though a standing committee system. The process was for specific issues to be brought before the Council by individual delegates. Often the issues were of special interest to one or more affiliated organisations, who may have been working unsuccessfully on them for some time. Once it appeared from preliminary discussions that there was general agreement that a question should be taken up, a subcommittee was established to investigate the matter and draw up recommendations on which the Council could act. The first subcommittee formed in 1902 on the introduction of Police matrons in city and suburban lockups. Other early committees concerned themselves with the establishment of a colony for epileptics, with children playgrounds and with street lighting. Latter standing committees included: Arts and Letters; Child and Family; Education; Health; Home Economics; Internal Relations and Peace; Laws; Mass Media; Social Welfare; Women and Employment; Migration.

From at least 1919, they advocated equal pay for equal work – [Norris, p. 41] but it was not until 1954 that active steps were taken by the Council to promote wage equality for women [Norris, p. 46]