“Women should just be women”: Behind the words, terms, and labels of Australian women without children

Discourses of womanhood are often associated with marriage and children, an identity that has been influenced by idealized discourses of femininity, and gender stereotypes for decades. What has been less considered are alternative definitions of womanhood drawing on discourses and practices of personal freedom and self-identity. This article draws on in-depth interviews with eight Australian women without children aged between 45 and 64 years to explore the words, terms, and labels they report have been used to describe their identity. Four interconnected themes emerged: More to womanhood than motherhood; Labels are problematic; Aliens on the social ladder; and No labels. The findings show how women's personal journeys compete with traditional gender roles ascribed to women creating a tension that acts as an obstacle to the autonomy of women's identity. The article highlights how feminist gains have inspired new avenues for alternative womanhood identities.