Who Cares? Imagining Feminist Solutions to Australia's Childcare Crisis | Centre for Policy Futures UQ & The Australian Women's and Gender Studies Association

If we could start from scratch, what would a genuinely feminist care ecosystem look like?

Australia faces a deepening care crisis. Centre-based childcare is under heightened scrutiny following investigations by ABC’s Four Corners, which uncovered systemic issues including sub-standard care, neglect, and abuse.

The broader care ecosystem is also in crisis, as unpaid reproductive labour and childcare—disproportionately undertaken by women, especially mothers—remains chronically devalued by our governments, economy, and society.

Alongside this care crisis, Australia faces numerous related challenges: declining fertility rates; deepening cost-of-living and housing crises; and the resurgence of regressive, misogynistic gender ideals (including ‘tradwife’ and ‘manosphere’ rhetoric) that idealise women’s economic dependence, subordination to men, and domestic confinement.

These issues are not isolated but stem from the systemic devaluation of reproductive labour and care—and they require urgent attention.

We are bringing together feminist scholars, advocates, and policy stakeholders to imagine a more supportive Australian care ecosystem for mothers, children, and families.

More information and full program to come.

EVENT DETAILS

24-25 June 2026 | Online | Free registration

The event will be held in two parts.

Day One will be a series of scholarly papers and panels.

Day Two will see presentations from advocates and policy stakeholders followed by a roundtable discussion where all will be invited to imagine a better, genuinely feminist care ecosystem and begin to discuss concrete policy alternatives. 

This event is hosted by the Centre for Policy Futures at The University of Queensland and supported by the Australian Women’s and Gender Studies Association (AWGSA).

We hope it will garner new connections and collaborations among emerging and established scholars across various disciplines, while fostering meaningful collaboration between feminist scholars, advocates, and policy stakeholders.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Dr Belinda Eslick (The University of Queensland), Dr Fabiane Ramos (University of Southern Queensland), Dr Laura Roberts (Flinders University), Dr Felicity Joseph (University of New England), Dr Emma McNicol (Monash University), Dr Sarah Duffy (Western Sydney University), Associate Professor Emilee Gilbert (Western Sydney University), Dr Briony Lipton (UNSW Canberra), Emma Lang.