Social work has traditionally been dominated by women both as clients and practitioners. Gender and sexuality influence how social issues are experienced. While progress has been made towards equality, inequality persists in areas like pay, superannuation, and opportunities. Violence disproportionately impacts women and girls. Social movements have advocated for women's rights and LGBTQ+ equality through several waves. Key legislation promotes nondiscrimination, though ongoing challenges remain around issues like poverty, leadership, and violence against women.

1. Gender, sexuality
and power
Women and Social Work
HCS103- Topic 4
Katrina Gersbach
Acknowledgement: Some slides from Karen Bell

2. Key considerations
• Social work is a profession dominated by women – as clients and as workers.
• Gender and sexuality influence how people experience social issues.
‘For all the progress made towards sexual equality, the distribution of resources and
availability of opportunities are still influenced by gender and sexuality. In spite of
all the challenges, social workers who promote sexual equality are best placed to
understand the social problems that stem from, or are related to, sexual inequality’
(Fraser & McMaster 2009, p.81).
2

3. Violence and silence…
Violence against women- it’s a men’s issue: Jackson Katz
19 minute YouTube clip
3

4. United Nations, 2006
• ‘Violence against women and girls is one of the most
pervasive and systemic human rights violations in the
world.
• Up to seven in ten women in the world report having
experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point
in their lifetime, and up to 50 percent of sexual assaults are
committed against girls under 16’.
(Fergus 2012, p.2)
4

5. Indicators of ongoing, significant
inequality and disadvantage
• Women in Australia earn 18.8% less than men - this gender gap has widened in last 4 years see
Workplace Gender Equality Agency Report (2015) – https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
• Women chair 2% of Australian Stock Exchange companies and hold 8.3% of Board Directorships
• Superannuation payouts for women average $63,000, for men $136,000
• 73% of single aged pension recipients are women
• ‘Australia has made great strides towards achieving equality between men and women. However,
systemic barriers… still remain’ (HREOC 2010, p.9).
5

6. Women’s predominance as clients
• Single parents
• As victims of violence
• Feminisation of poverty
• Carers – paid and unpaid (70% caring undertaken by women)
• Other?
6

7. Women’s predominance as SW’s
• 75% SWs in Australia are women
• 89% new graduates are women
Consider the personal, political and professional
implications of gender
7

8. Historical Context
• Post-colonial tradition of women-centred services
• Elizabeth Fry
1812 – Fry worked to allow women convicts being transported to Aust. to bring
their children with them
1815 – women and children sent on different ships to men
– worked with NSW Magistrate to establish hostels for transported women
and children
• Caroline Chisholm
1830s – female immigrants lacked shelter, were being assaulted etc.
1841 – female immigrants’ hostel established (Sydney), also helped gain
employment for these women
1843 – Arranged for wives & children of emancipated male convicts to be
transported to Aust 8

9. Second wave feminism- 1960’s & 70’s
Criticised existing mainstream services for reproducing
social inequity by espousing traditional roles for women and
limiting choice and self determination
9

10. 1970’s
• Major reform agenda of Whitlam gov’t
• First women’s advisor appointed (Elizabeth Reid)
• Women’s Affairs section of Dept PM & Cabinet (later
became Office of Status of Women)
• Activism – e.g. Women’s Electoral Lobby
• Links between lobbyists, community
agencies and bureaucracy
10

11. 1970’s continued
• Violence against women increasingly recognised
• Women’s refuges open – volunteer staff
• 1975 – International Year of Women
– increased public awareness
of women’s issues & more
funding for women’s services
11

12. 12
Social movements for sexual equality
The women’s movement – 3 main waves
First wave - focused on citizenship rights such as the right to vote (suffragettes), property
ownership and contract rights.
Second wave – 1960s – mid 1980s – expanded agenda of equality to promotes human right to
freedom from violence, focus on domestic violence and sexual assault as major means of
subjugation of women, social activism, influential impacts on social theory, philosophy, etc. Major
legislative changes for equality.
Third wave – mid 1980s – current – focus on more complex, subtle and ongoing forms of
oppression, feminisation of poverty, cumulative disadvantage, global issues (trafficking in
women, body parts, embryos, etc).
(Fraser & McMaster 2009).

13. 13
Social movements for sexual equality
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer
(LGBTIQ) movement –
• Rejection of heterosexuality as the cultural norm
• Undermines simplistic division between female and male / straight and gay
• Queer community
• De-criminalisation and de-medicalisation of homosexuality
• Struggle for respect, acceptance and full citizenship rights is ongoing – e.g.
spousal rights
• Social activism origins and ongoing influence of Sydney’s Gay & Lesbian
Mardi Gras
(Fraser & McMaster 2009).

14. 14
Social movements for sexual equality
Pro-feminist men’s movement –
• Emerged during second wave feminist movement along with peace movement and sexual
libertarian movement
• Work with not against feminists
• Considers meanings of masculinity, differing forms of masculinities and impacts of hegemonic
masculinity on men’s experiences of life.
• Pro-feminists have shown how the hegemonic masculinity ‘impoverishes men and hurts
women and children…. It certainly hurts those who are the recipients of the sexual aggression;
however it also hurts men by limiting their opportunities to become active and positive
participants in family life’ (Fraser & McMaster 2009, p.84).
(Fraser & McMaster 2009).

15. Key Legislation in Australia
Human rights Commission Act 1986 (Previously- Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act 1986)
- Established the Human Rights and equal opportunity commission (now known as the Australian
Human Rights Commission)
- Australian Human Rights Commission has statutory responsibilities under a number of laws,
including the Sex Discrimination Act.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984
- Promote equality between men and women
- Eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status or pregnancy and, with respect to
dismissals, family responsibilities, and
- Eliminate sexual harassment at work, in educational institutions, in the provision of goods and
services, in the provision of accommodation and the delivery of Commonwealth programs.
(https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/legal/legislation#ahrc)
15

16. Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner
• Kate Jenkins became Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner in 2016.
• In this You Tube clip Kate shares what her report, A Conversation in Gender
Equality found to be prominent issues for women in Australia.
• The full report can also be accessed through the link;
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AHRC_conversation_gender_equality_2017_2.pdf
16

17. So what were the findings?
• Priority one- Violence against women
• Priority two- Women’s Economic Safety
• Priority three- Women’s voice and diversity in decision-making
Themes from the conversations;
 Living in Rural, Regional and remote communities
 Women experiencing violence at home, work, in public spaces and online
 Negative attitudes and everyday sexism
 Gender equality in all employment
 Women’s economic security
 Women at work
 Women’s voice; women’s needs; women’s services
 Community Engagement in solutions
17

18. Women’s Services
• Key features of women’s services
- Provide safety to women
- Work for social change, social justice
- Challenge stereotypes
- Support self-determination / choice
- Recognise material, financial & practical needs
- Improve access to services
- Incorporate participatory decision-making
- Often poorly funded, use many volunteers, more
unpaid work
18
• Examples of women’s services
- Women’s centres
- Shelters/ refuges
- Information and referral
centres
- Health centres
- Sexual Assault Services
- Indigenous women’s centres
- CALD centres for women
- Outreach services

19. Gender / sex ….what’s the difference?
• How is heteronormativity defined?
• In what ways does heterosexism affect social work and welfare practice?
• What is homophobia?
• What are some of the issues impacting people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
queer questioning, intersex?
• What are some of the strategies suggested by Hughes to improve practice skills in relation to
sexuality and power?
• What are some of the current debates in Australia relating to gender, sexuality, identity?
(Hughes 2013)19

20. It only takes a girl…
Watch this short (4 minute) video
20

21. Gender
• Influences social policy – often supports women’s position as secondary (assumptions about
caring work, invisibility of unpaid work
• Welfare state developed as a system of gov’t support using social security and taxation systems & was based on these
assumptions:
- women responsible for caring work and unpaid work in the home
- men are in paid employment
- state supports women when no male to do so
• Harvester Judgement 1907
- men’s wages set on assumption of a dependent wife and 3 children to support
- women workers’ wages set at 50% of males’ (this challenged in 1958, still not equal)
In a capitalist system where life chances and influence in society are very much determined by economic prosperity and
labour market participation, women have been severely disadvantaged by a welfare state based on an inequitable industrial
and wage system characterised by labour market segmentation
(Alston 2005, p. 24).
21

22. Power
• What is power?
- capacity to act to control others - personal, political
- power as a process - legislated / mandated / official
- formal, informal power
Current parliamentary representation
House of Representatives (150 members)
107 men (71.3%)
43 women (28.7%)
Senate (74 senators)
43 men & 31 women
(aph.gov.au)
22

23. Power Continued
• Gender and power
- privileging of male world view, downplays women’s invisibility
- SW as ‘housekeeping’ – also devalued and often invisible
- SW as social control – reinforcing traditional roles – e.g. stolen generation,
past adoption practices, some social security legislation – mutual obligation
requirements?
• Ideology and power
- ideology – filters through which social world is interpreted; e.g. women are
supposed to be at home, in private space, men are the legitimate public space
inhabitants
- caring portrayed as a gendered activity 23

24. Issues for Social Work
• Recognise inequity – for clients and for the profession as a female-
dominated (and undervalued) profession
• Work for social justice, empowerment, social change
24

25. Moving forward…
Balancing paid work and caring responsibilities
Paid parental leave with superannuation, Flexible work hours should be part of work culture, Increased access to age appropriate child care
Ensuring women’s lifetime economic security
Equal pay for equal/comparable work, Making retirement fair, Superannuation – inequities, Taxation policy- to redress unequal pay gap,
Access to adequate housing
Promoting women in leadership
Strengthen representation of women at all levels of leadership, Targets, quotas to reach equal representation – or at least 40%
representation of women, Raise profile of women making contributions to the community
Preventing violence and sexual harassment
Reduce incidence of violence > zero-tolerance of violence, Ensure adequate access to support services, Cohesive National Plan to Reduce
Violence Against Women
Strengthening national gender equality laws, agencies and monitoring
Federal Office for Women – adequate funding and influence in policy and decision-making, Strengthen the Sex Discrimination Act, Genuine
charting of progress on gender equity, report to parliament / 2 years, ABS data, Promote and protect all human rights, including equality
25

26. 26
References
Alston, M. 2005. Working with women. In Alston, M. & McKinnon, J. (eds) Fields of social work practice. OUP, 2005
Australian Policy Online (APO) 2010. The lodge and the House: A gender Paradox? www.apo.org.au
Fergus, 2012. Prevention of violence against women and girls. Background paper, UN Women. http://www.unwomen.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/09/cs557-EGM-prevention-background-paper.pdf
Fraser, H. & McMaster, K. 2009. Gender, sexuality and power. In Connolly, M. & Harms, L. (eds) 2009. Social work contexts and
practice. 2nd ed. Melbourne, OUP, chapter 6.
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) 2010. Gender Equality Blueprint. AHRC. http://www.hreoc.gov.au
Hughes, M. 2013. Sexuality and social work. In Connolly, M. & Harms, L. (eds) Social work contexts and practice. 3rd ed.
Melbourne, OUP, chapter 8.
Parliament of Australia (2017) Senators and Members http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members
Workplace Gender Equality Agency Report (2013) - http://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/docs/WGEA_Gender-Pay-
Gap_2013.pdf
Resources;
www.women.gov.au – info on drink-spiking, body image, discrimination against young women, etc
http://www.hreoc.gov.au