Donna Ward
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Donna Ward has worked in community management, social research and policy development in a number of social services including Western Australian Council of Social Services, and The Brotherhood of St Laurence. She was the Founding Chair of Fitzroy Learning Committee, a Board Member of Prahran City Mission, the Inaugural President of Out of the Asylum Writers Group in Fremantle, and a founding member of the International Singles Studies Association. During the 1990s she established a private psychotherapy practice which included an organisational consultancy focussing on strategic planning. In her retirement she established, Indigo: the Journal of Western Australian Creative Writing, and the micro-press Inkerman & Blunt. Her prose has appeared in national and international publications. Her memoir, She I Dare Not Name: A Spinster’s Meditations on Life, was released in 2020. She campaigns on the unique challenges facing single people, particularly women without children. In 2024 she presented at the Third International Singles Studies Conference in Boston, USA, established Singlehood Australia, and instigated the International Singlehood Advocacy Network. Donna is an Australian authority and thought leader on singlehood, and is affiliated with Antwerp University.
Donna Ward joins the Paris IAS in February 2026 for a group research stay as part of the CAT collaborative program, under the direction of Elyakim Kislev and in collaboration with the researchers Elke Claessens, Keren Eisen, Alexandra Fisher and Zhe Zang.
Research topics
Singlehood ; public and social policies.
Singlehood: Trends, Needs, and Social Policy
Over recent decades, the world has witnessed a notable rise in singlehood, with an increasing number of individuals opting to live without a long-term romantic partner. This global shift reflects broader social changes, including urbanization, the rise of the welfare state, advancements in women's rights, increased longevity, and the impact of technological innovations, particularly in communication and reproductive health.
Despite the growing prevalence of singlehood, current policies are still largely designed around traditional family structures, often neglecting the unique needs of single individuals.
Social policies, tax systems, and legal frameworks frequently disadvantage singles, who may face higher taxes, limited access to social security benefits, and inadequate workplace policies that fail to account for their specific caregiving needs and life choices. This lack of policy consideration exacerbates social inequalities and highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to address the challenges faced by single individuals.
This project aims to promote a more inclusive approach to policy development by ensuring that the voices and experiences of single individuals are considered in the policymaking process. By providing tools to assess and compare how different countries or regions address the needs of single people, the results can help to identify best practices and encourage the adoption of policies that improve the quality of life for this often-overlooked demographic.
Key Publications
Donna Ward. She I Dare Not Name : A Spinster's Meditations on Life, Allen & Unwin, 2020.
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