The International Women's Year (IWY) Secretariat was established in June 1974 in order to service the IWY Australian National Advisory Committee (NAC) (CA 2640).  It originally consisted of a core group of about seven people who made up the administrative arm of the Committee.  In 1975, the Secretariat expanded with the addition of a range of policy positions relating to education, the workforce, health, the media and welfare.  Members of the Secretariat included Helen Prendergast, Susan Ryan, Lenore Manderson, Barbara Wertheim, Gil Appleton and Sue Taylor.

In late 1974, the Secretariat sent letters and other promotional material to Federal and State Governments, women's organisations, migrant groups and other institutions advising them of the aims and objectives of the International Women's Year (1975).

During the Year, one of the Secretariat's major tasks involved dealing with correspondence which included submissions for grants, intra and inter-departmental correspondence about the establishment and administration of the NAC and the Secretariat and correspondence with government and non-government organisations regarding the functions of the Committee and its activities.  It also dealt with written enquiries from women in general.

Also during the Year, the Secretariat and NAC participated in speaking at public engagements.  A newsletter was also produced about the activities of the NAC.

The Secretariat ceased to exist in 1976 and its functions were taken over by the Women's Affairs Branch of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.  The Women's Affairs Branch also administered continuing grants which were approved during the Year.


Sources:

[1]   Sawer, Marion and Groves, Abigail, 1994, 'Working from the
      inside, twenty years of the Office of the Status of Women'

[2]   IWY Report of the Australian Advisory Committee, Parliamentary
      Paper No 210/1976
Historical agency address
1974-1974: c/ Department of the Special Minister of State, East
           Block, Canberra
1974-1975: Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie ACT
1975-1976: Block B, Childers Street, Turner ACT
1976-1976: c/ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, West
           Block, Canberra