Friday 11 March 2011, 10.30am - 5.00pm
Fifth Floor Function Room
John Medley Building
University of Melbourne

Keynote Speaker: Professor Lyndall Ryan (University of Newcastle).

To celebrate the Centenary of International Women's Day, the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (ASSLH) are joining with the investigators on the ARC Linkage Project 'Women and Leadership in a Century of Australian Democracy' to explore how labour women have exercised leadership in the past and currently.

The role of women in conservative organisations has increasingly been recognised. Less is known of the leadership styles, trials and triumphs of working-class and labour women. How have women acted as leaders of the labour movement? What styles of leadership have they exercised? How did union women leaders acquire leadership skills without enjoying the privileges middle-class women take for granted, such as advanced education? What kind of mentoring has been available to ALP women? What obstacles have labour women encountered? How have they overcome these?

Lyndall Ryan will speak on the leadership of her mother Edna Ryan. Other speakers include Rae Frances, Stuart Macintyre, Diane Kirkby, Joy Damousi, Jackie Dickenson, Sean Scalmer, Christina Cregan, Rosemary Francis, Wendy Dick and Pat Grimshaw. A full programme will be available shortly and advertised on the web. It will also be sent individually to registrants.

The conference is free and open to all. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided. For catering purposes please RSVP by 4 March to Rosemary Francis: r.francis@unimelb.edu.au