Date & Time
19 November 2026
05:15 PM
- 07:00 PM
Timezone
(UTC+11:00) Australia/Sydney
The Australian Population Association Borrie Lecture brings together leading thinkers and practitioners to explore the ideas and issues shaping the future of planning, cities and communities. Honouring the legacy of Professor W. D. Borrie, the lecture provides a forum for fresh perspectives, informed debate and forward-looking discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing Australia. Join us at the Shine Dome for the lecture followed by light refreshments.
The Missing Demographic Revolution: Gender Equality and Australia's Future
Australia has experienced profound demographic and social transformations over the past half century. Women's educational attainment has risen dramatically, labour force participation has increased, and family formation patterns have changed. Yet the transition to parenthood remains a critical turning point in the production of gender inequality. Drawing on longitudinal research on parental leave, workplace flexibility, gender attitudes and the division of unpaid labour, I show that family-friendly policies help families manage competing demands but do not fundamentally redistribute care responsibilities between women and men. I argue that future reforms should move beyond family-friendly policies towards gender-equality policies. If the major demographic revolutions of the twentieth century concerned mortality decline, educational expansion, and changing fertility, the missing demographic revolution of the twenty-first century is the redistribution of care. Australia's social and economic future may depend on whether this transition can be achieved.
Janeen Baxter is Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course and ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow in the Institute for Social Science Research at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on gender equality, social disadvantage, life course and longitudinal studies. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the National Academy of Sciences.
Wednesday 18th Nov 2026
- Friday 20th Nov 2026
Australian Population Association Conference
Creating Demographic Resilience 18/11/2026-20/11/2026 ...
Creating Demographic Resilience 18/11/2026-20/11/2026 ...