Unfinished Revolution

In 1975, the fight was alive. It was the year the United Nations declared International Women's Year as a marker of progress and aspiration. Fifty years on, award-winning journalist Virginia Haussegger shines a light on the feminist revolution in Australia, capturing its spirited momentum and a fatigued lag.

Unfinished Revolution tells a fresh story of feminist action in this country, from the largest women's protest rally March4Justice in 2021 to the dynamic Australian Women's Liberation Movement of the 1970s. With a focus on gender and power in politics and the media, from national consciousness raising to shifting media narratives, this book is an exploration of what feminist change looks like.

'Here is contemporary history at its best. Virginia Haussegger presents Australian feminism as a promise of liberation that gutsy, passionate and brilliant women have pursued not in waves but persistently, across eras and generations. Unfinished Revolution should be compulsory reading for anyone serious about understanding, in its historical and global context, Australia's own #MeToo "moment" of 2021 as well as the wider possibilities for a resurgent feminism amid continuing gender discrimination, male violence against women and anti-feminist backlash.' — Frank Bongiorno AM

'Virginia Haussegger is not just a brilliant journalist, but an original and insightful thinker and feminist. I will read anything she writes. And I recommend you do too.' — Jane Caro AM

'In Unfinished Revolution, Virginia Haussegger stares down a terrifying global swing to the far-right and yells: Enough. This is the battle cry we desperately need right now, one that refuses to be watered down into niceties that ask politely for equity. This is a book that dares to fight back, and pulls no punches.' — Hannah Ferguson

'At a time of global backlash against women and the women's movement, Unfinished Revolution is a spirited piece of feminist scholarship. It practically hums with righteous fury. For those who were at the pointy end of some of the historical changes in the Australian cultural zeitgeist that it charts, it is a timely reminder of what can, and has been, achieved. It acknowledges that there have been some painful moments along the way. That change is not always linear, that setbacks abound, but none of these things are cause for despondency and complacency. There is a relentless, almost bloody-minded optimism in these pages. It feels like a book which urges women to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and just keep marching.' — Louise Milligan

'A brilliant read. And a reminder that feminist change is possible and it's happening right now. Unfinished Revolution honours the Australian feminist movements past and present that have shaped our lives today. A must-read for every young Australian woman ready to build the next chapter of the feminist fight.' — Yasmin Poole