When women won the vote what was the prize?

Australia prides itself that it was one of the first countries in the world to "give" women the vote (i.e to stop depriving women of their right to participate equally in a democratic society). So how do women make some sense of the fact that more than a century later there is still not pay equity for women, elected female officials do not reflect the female proportion of the population and the government's idea of affordable, accessible childcare is to subsidise a male to become the richest person in Australia under 40 ... and subsidise the share holders of ABC Learning Centres ... ?

In the meantime so many women are having to forgo their desire to celebrate all their gifts, skills and knowledge and participate and contribute to their community and country the same way their children's father gets to do and childcare workers are among the lowest paid workers in the country!

The many female elected officials I have contacted have either ignored me or told me they can't speak up for Australian children and women trapped overseas, responding as follows ...
I can't help you because I'm not in the government I am only the opposition
Hopefully when your children grow up they will contact you ... but in the meantime I'll pray for you
We can't get involved in situations that involve only one person ... speaking up publicly for David Hicks and Scott Parkin is "different"
The government has no responsibility or ability to assist you

Yet these are women who have made public statements; either in the media, in parliament, on their personal websites, about their belief that children and women deserve to live free from violence. These are elected officials who have spoken publicly that the government should assist David Hicks, Robert Jovicic etc... but when I communicate with them and let them know that more Australians than just my children and myself are trapped overseas by abusive former spouses and abusive justice systems for some inexplicable reason they cannot speak up for any for us.

Could someone please help me understand exactly what women won when we "won" the vote? What was the prize ... and who has received it?

Take care ... take heart .... Merinda