Badge collection relating to International Women's Year and the Decade for Women

March 8th 1975 was the first year that the United Nations officially sanctioned International Women's Day, a day observed globally since union-led activists pressed for equality in 1910. The United National proclaimed this year to also be International Women's Year. The Whitlam Labor government appointed Elizabeth Reid to be convenor of the National Advisory Committee on International Women's Year. Due to political turmoil and financial problems in Canberra that culminated in Whitlam's Dismissal in November 1975, Reid resigned and a United Nations Interregional Seminar was cancelled.

After the World Conference on Women held during the International Women's Year 1975, the United Nations declared 1976-1985 to be the Decade for Women worldwide. This focus on gender parity and the advancement of women global led to the development of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979, the first human rights treaty to uphold the reproductive rights of women.

The dove emblem intersecting with the Venus symbol is the logo of International Women's Year and features in the designs of many of the badges in the Library's collection .

The Library has a growing collection of badges related to Australian women that have been donated by a number of Library members and supporters.

The badges in our diverse collection have been generated by campaigns such as that against sexism, sexual harassment, war, nuclear energy and abortion laws. Others promote and celebrate working mothers, peace, International Women's Day and feminist values. Women's groups are well represented, although few political party badges have been collected. We do, however, have a badge from Jessie Street's campaign as the Labor candidate for the seat of Wentworth in 1943.