Women's Equality, Demography and Public Policies: A Comparative Perspective

396 Pages·1993·19.364 MB·English

by  Alena Heitlinger

Women's Equality,
Demography and
Public Policies
A Comparative Perspective
Alena Heitlinger
WOMEN'S EQUALITY, DEMOGRAPHY AND
PUBLIC POLICIES
AlsobyAlenaHeitlinger
REPRODUCTION, MEDICINEANDTHE
SOCIALISTSTATE
WOMEN AND STATESOCIALISM: Sex Inequality
in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia
Women's Equality,
Demography and
Public Policies
A Comparative Perspective
Alena Heitlinger
ProfessorofSociology
Trent University, Canada
FirstpublishedinGreatBritain 1993by
MACMILLANPRESS LTD
Houndmills,Basingstoke,HampshireRG21 6XS
andLondon
COIllpaniesandrepresentatives
throughouttheworld
Acataloguerecordforthisbookisavailable
froTHtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN0-333-51578-1
FirstpublishedintheUnitedStatesofATnerica 1993by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC.,
ScholarlyandReferenceDivision,
175FifthAvenue,
NewYork,N.Y. 10010
ISBN0-312-09638--0
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Heitlinger,Alena.
WOIllen'sequality,demography,andpublicpolicies: acOTnparative
perspective/AlenaHeitlinger.
p. Clll.
Includesbibliographyreferences(p. )andindex.
ISBN0-312-09638--0
I. WOTHen-Governmentpolicy. 2.WOTnen'srights. I.Title.
HQ1236.H4 1993
305.42--dc20 93-12
©AlenaHeitlinger1993
Allrightsreserved. Noreproduction,copyortransnlissionof
thispublicationIHaybeInadewithoutwrittenpennission.
NoparagraphofthispublicationTnaybereproduced,copiedor
transmittedsavewithwrittenpennissionorinaccordancewith
theprovisionsoftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct 1988,
orunderthetellnsofanylicencepermittinglimitedcopying
issuedbytheCopyrightLicensingAgency,90TottenharnCourt
Road,LondonWIP9HE
Anypersonwhodoesanyunauthorisedactinrelationtothis
publicationInaybeliabletocriminalprosecutionandcivil
clainlsfordamages.
11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
04 03 02 0I 00 99 98 97 96 95
PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby
AntonyRoweLtd,Chippenharn,Wiltshire
For David
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations x
Women's Equality, Childbearing and the State: An Overview
~PART I WOMEN'S EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S
POLICY MACHINERY 23
2 Models ofWomen's Equality: From Equal Treatment to
PositiveAction 25
3 International Women's Policy Machinery 51
4 National Women's Policy Machinery: Canada, Australia and
Great Britain 78
PART II DEMOGRAPHY 119
5 Pronatalism and Women's Equality Policies 121
6 Immigration as Substitute for Higher Birth Rates and
Pronatalism 143
PART III EGALITARIAN COMPONENTS OF
DEMOGRAPHIC POLICIES OR
DEMOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS OF
POLICIES PURSUING WOMEN'S
EQUALITY: CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND
GREAT BRI1~INCOMPARED 167
7 Protective Legislation and Equal Employment Opportunity 169
8 Maternity and Parental Leaves and Benefits Programmes 190
9 Childcare Policies and Programmes 221
10 Fiscal Support for Parents and their Children 261
11 Conclusion 293
vii
viii Contents
Appendix: Matrix ofEgalitarian Components ofSpecific
Pronatalist Policies 312
Notes 314
References 324
AuthorIndex 349
Subject Index 354
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council ofCanada (SSHRC) and Trent University for their generous
supportofthis study. SSHRCfinancial supportfacilitateddatacollection
during 1988-91 in Canada, Great Britain, Australia and continental
Europe. Partial release from teaching supportedbyboththe SSHRC and
Trent University enabled me to engage in more sustained analysis and
writing than would have been possible with a full teaching load.
I wouldalso liketo gratefully acknowledge the supportoffriends and
colleagues who discussed the project with me in the initial stages ofits
fonnulation, suggested additional references and colleagues to consult,
facilitated the various interviews conducted'with officials in relevant
government departments, women's bureaux, voluntary agencies, trade
unions and research institutes, orcommentedon earlierdrafts ofseveral
chapters ofthe book. I want to thank in particular Georgina Ashworth,
Diana Leonard Baker, Bronwen Cohen, Freda Hawkins, Heather Joshi,
Jane Lewis, Peter Moss, Ann Oakley and Malcolm Wicks in Great
Britain; Katharine Betts, W. D. Borrie,BettinaCass, Robert W. Connell,
Eva Cox, LynneDavis, Lincoln H. Day, Meredith Edwards, Lois Foster,
Renate Howe, Marian Sawer, Jocelyn Scutt, Sheila Shaver, Peter
Whiteford and ChristabeJ Young in Australia; Maureen Baker, Roderic
Beaujot, Monica Boyd, Thelma 1vlcCormack, Maureen O'Neil, Anatole
Romaniuc, Anthony Richmond and Peta Tancred in Canada.
Special thanks are due to my husband, DavidMorrison, who gaveme
encouragement, supportand criticalcommentsthroughoutthe writingof
this book and shared family responsibilities despite his busy schedule.
Finally, it must be noted that I alone am responsible for any errors or
deficiencies in this study.
ix