As we head toward the 2025 federal election, the AAWAA has written to every candidate standing for the 48th Parliament of Australia with a clear message: women’s sex-based protections and rights must be a priority—and we have let them know that voters are paying attention.
In our letters, we thank each candidate for stepping forward to represent their communities, but we also raise an urgent concern—one that has been quietly but deeply affecting women and girls across the country: the 2013 amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), introduced under the Gillard Government that removed the legal definitions of ‘woman’ and ‘man’ based on biological sex. This opened the door to a legal framework that now allows individuals to self-identify their sex on official documents, in some jurisdictions up to once per year.
This has had wide-reaching and unintended consequences, particularly for women’s access to female-only spaces, services, and opportunities. Crisis centres, shelters, change rooms, sports competitions, and political gatherings—spaces originally created to safeguard women’s dignity, safety, and privacy—are now legally open to any individual who identifies as a woman, regardless of their biological sex.
We believe this change undermines the sex-based protections that generations of women fought to secure. It also leaves many women afraid to speak up, fearing social or professional backlash. But with this federal election, voters are watching—and we want candidates to know that this is not a fringe issue. It’s a voter issue.
Restoring a clear, biological definition of sex in federal law does not negate the need to protect people on the basis of gender identity. Both can and must be addressed with fairness and compassion. But women’s sex-based rights cannot be sacrificed in the process.
We’ve provided every candidate with detailed information and asked them to clarify where they stand — and already we are highly encouraged that a large number of candidates understand our concerns and recognise them as legitimate. See below, also, for our 1-page flyer on restoring women’s protections under the SDA.
