201 THIRTEEN Policy development in political parties Anika Gauja Introduction Political parties are regarded as a fundamental element of the Australian system of politics and government and an important component of the broader policy process. As aggregators and articulators of citizen opinion, one of the key functions of parties in representative democracies is to develop policy, which is presented to the voters at elections and implemented once a political party assumes elected office. This function is integral to the operation of party government and an
Part Two Social policy developments 1997–2010
PART III Human rights approaches to social policy development
275 16 Engagement in international practice and policy development Imelda Dodds Introduction The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) provides a worldwide framework for formulating, supporting and disseminating professional standards on social work ethics and human rights. It can provide support for countries where social work is developing as a profession. It can help the profession to respond with policy, advocacy and programme initiatives when social workers are responding to the impact of wars, natural disasters and pandemics, and it can
17 2 LEGAL AND POLICY DEVELOPMENTS Introduction Policies to end violence need statistics that show whether violence is increasing or decreasing. Also important are statistics on variations in the rate and form of violence in different social locations. This is to monitor progress and effectiveness, or otherwise, of policies. Increasingly, policy bodies seeking to end violence have become more explicit in their calls for relevant data, statistics and indicators. These bodies include the UN and its agencies, regional governance entities and states
to wider social and economic policy developments as well as the promotion and facilitation of community empowerment, development, advocacy and campaigning to ensure rights are realisable and extended in line with changing contexts and circumstances. This chapter analyses some of these issues alongside a discussion of contemporary attempts by NGOs and other campaigning organisations to promote the recognition of universal human rights, in areas such as the right to social protection, housing, health and education; and the rights of particular groups, such as women
39 TWO Restructuring care: comparative policy developments The developments of early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy trajectories are shaped by various cultural, social and political contexts. Australia, the UK and Canada’s respective approaches to supporting different forms of ECEC, and children and families more generally, were established at different times, and shaped by different groups of policy and public stakeholders. The feminist movement played a pivotal role in advocating for women’s right to work and the expansion of childcare in
48 Part Two Policy development: a case of case law
