Feminism is one of the great, enduring intellectual movements of the twentieth century. This collection of essays, mainly by academics, examines how that movement has advanced to date and where it appears to be headed.

Australian women have been attending international conferences on feminism since the 1890s when their high international profile was at odds with their lack of parliamentary representation at home. Women in South Australia gained the vote in 1894, but it was 1943 before Enid Lyons was returned to Parliament. When, after the Second World War, British and American women were rewarded with the vote, Australian women were already enfranchised, so for them there was no reward.