Older women are named in every framework — elder abuse plans, aged care policy, and national plans on violence against women — but none of those frameworks treats them as a distinct group with distinct needs. Last week, AAWAA took part in an expert online consultation convened by Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on … Continue reading Older women: Present in the data, absent from the response
Author: AAWAA (Affiliation of Australian Women's Advocacy Alliances)
AAWAA is a peak body that co-ordinates national-level activities on behalf of our affiliated women’s action alliances and that also represents those alliances in national and international matters.
AAWAA affiliate groups are women’s liberation groups committed to the protection and advancement of women and girls on the understanding that sex is a biological fact with material consequences for females living under patriarchy.
NSW consent law: Still asking why sex ‘shouldn’t have happened’
When NSW Women’s Advocacy Alliance attended DCJ’s stakeholder roundtable on the sexual consent reforms review last month, one issue stood out sharply: despite the language of ‘affirmative consent’, the law still often operates by searching for reasons why sex should not have happened, instead of demanding clear proof that it should have happened. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7b9b16og59nNdTjCoalvsV The … Continue reading NSW consent law: Still asking why sex ‘shouldn’t have happened’
No more excuses: The SDA must be reformed
AAWAA has been making the case for reform of the Sex Discrimination Act for some time, and the Full Court has now effectively validated our concerns. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rfdl27BPRthqhFamRhtv9 The Court has admitted the problem In its 15 May 2026 decision in Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd v Tickle, the Full Federal Court traced the evolution of … Continue reading No more excuses: The SDA must be reformed
When ‘dismantling stereotypes’ reinforces them: The CEDAW draft’s conceptual problem
'Dismantling gender stereotypes' sounds uncontroversial. But what if the CEDAW Committee’s new draft recommendation risks embedding those stereotypes and making them harder to shift? https://open.spotify.com/episode/5IMJxz63mBvWcw7zBxMRmS The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women is finalising General Recommendation No. 41 — a document that will interpret States parties' obligations to eliminate 'gender stereotypes' … Continue reading When ‘dismantling stereotypes’ reinforces them: The CEDAW draft’s conceptual problem
Prostitution and the sexual contract — The Unmoved Feminist
The language around prostitution has shifted markedly over the past two decades. In media commentary and policy documents we are now more likely to see 'sex work', 'clients' and 'services' than 'prostitution' or 'male buyers'. Online platforms present it as one more strand of the gig economy, organised through apps and personal branding. At the … Continue reading Prostitution and the sexual contract — The Unmoved Feminist
“No great conflict”: The AHRC, the Lesbian Action Group, and the questions Parliament needs to ask
The Australian Human Rights Commission wants Parliament to expand its enforcement powers in matters of sex and gender. We asked the Commission's President about it at the National Press Club. https://youtu.be/GchrIJYR5ic On 29 April 2026, Mr Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, addressed the National Press Club in Canberra. The Women's … Continue reading “No great conflict”: The AHRC, the Lesbian Action Group, and the questions Parliament needs to ask
Lived experience is not enough: When ‘fertility support’ becomes a market in women and children
Behind the neutral language of ‘fertility support’ sits a blunt question: Will New South Wales authorise a market in women’s pregnancies and the handover of children, or refuse to build that market at all? On Tuesday, we appeared before the New South Wales Legislative Council inquiry into ‘fertility support’ and assisted reproductive technologies to give … Continue reading Lived experience is not enough: When ‘fertility support’ becomes a market in women and children
NSWWAA’s opening statement to the NSW Parliament’s Select committee on fertility support and assisted reproductive treatment
On Tuesday 21 April we appeared before the NSW Legislative Council's Select Committee on Fertility Support and Assisted Reproductive Treatment to give evidence on surrogacy. We went not as service providers or industry stakeholders but as women's advocates, and we opened our evidence with a formal statement to the committee setting out the philosophical and … Continue reading NSWWAA’s opening statement to the NSW Parliament’s Select committee on fertility support and assisted reproductive treatment
Protecting women’s super from violent male partners and sons: Treasury consults on reforms
The Federal Government is considering important changes to superannuation law that would stop men who use family and domestic violence from inheriting the superannuation of the women they have abused. AAWAA has just lodged a submission to Treasury’s consultation ‘Preventing perpetrators from accessing victims’ super death benefits’, setting out how this reform can and should … Continue reading Protecting women’s super from violent male partners and sons: Treasury consults on reforms
Older women: the forgotten cohort in Australia’s male violence response
Australia has a detailed framework for addressing violence against women, but older women are largely absent from it. AAWAA has just submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, documenting Australia's failure to protect older women across five interconnected domains. The submission draws on CEDAW General Recommendation No. 27, which … Continue reading Older women: the forgotten cohort in Australia’s male violence response
Women as a sex class in a world of ‘identity’ — The Unmoved Feminist
Today, we launch 'The Unmoved Feminist', a new podcast from the Affiliation of Australian Women's Advocacy Alliances. Hosted by Liv and Martine, the series applies second-wave, materialist feminist analysis to the issues and debates women are navigating right now — because our analysis hasn't shifted, even as the political and cultural landscape around us has. … Continue reading Women as a sex class in a world of ‘identity’ — The Unmoved Feminist
Local Action: Accuracy over approval, Dr Megan Blake, barrister
AAWAA brings to you ‘Local Action’, interviews with women getting it done across Australia. Today, Emma interviews Dr Megan Blake, barrister for the Lesbian Action Group and President of the newly established charity YAEL Women’s Defence Guild about her views on the fight for women’s sex-based protections and rights in Australia. Throughout her career Megan … Continue reading Local Action: Accuracy over approval, Dr Megan Blake, barrister
Victoria’s Conversion Practices Act: What the review must address
Victoria's Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021 is currently under review by the Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC). The Commission is conducting a focused review of how the ban is working in practice, and submissions closed this week. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5D2J12te0gzWTdBQvwF9Ca AAWAA has been working in this area for some time. We have submitted to … Continue reading Victoria’s Conversion Practices Act: What the review must address
Equality Australia, the Governor-General, and the limits of accountability
Equality Australia sits at the centre of a growing tension between advocacy, public funding and accountability: while it campaigns on laws that cut directly across women’s sex‑based protections and rights, including female‑only spaces, and supports access to contentious gender‑affirming treatments for children, key institutions have moved to endorse and protect its work from scrutiny. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1JFN0rfMQqSBMqQwYPPA44 … Continue reading Equality Australia, the Governor-General, and the limits of accountability
How all‑gender toilets are now allowed to quietly replace female‑only spaces in NCC 2025
With the National Construction Code 2025 preview, the Australian Building Codes Board has included a new ‘all‑gender’ toilet provision as a Deemed‑to‑Satisfy pathway in NCC 2025 that leaves fixture numbers intact on paper but allows a reduction in toilets reserved exclusively for women. This change appears technical, but it has clear implications for women’s access to … Continue reading How all‑gender toilets are now allowed to quietly replace female‑only spaces in NCC 2025
CEDAW and the Netherlands: how ‘sex work’ language weakens protection
When the CEDAW Committee examined the Netherlands this year for its seventh periodic review, many of us hoped its findings would finally confront the reality that so‑called ‘regulated prostitution’ has not delivered safety or equality for women and girls. And the advance unedited concluding observations from the report do recognise serious harms in the Dutch … Continue reading CEDAW and the Netherlands: how ‘sex work’ language weakens protection
One year on: Age pension audit confirms what women already knew, but we remain invisible
Late last month, the Auditor-General tabled a comprehensive performance audit of the administration of the age pension in Australia to Parliament. One year earlier, AAWAA was invited to submit detailed evidence to the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) documenting the systemic barriers older women face when seeking to access this critical income support. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7hDPQFFmTU2fHXfXgQXn2j Now, … Continue reading One year on: Age pension audit confirms what women already knew, but we remain invisible
On the record: Women’s organisations brief the Australian Human Rights Commission on Australia’s sex and gender framework
On 18 February, AAWAA, the Coalition of Activist Lesbians, and the Feminist Legal Clinic met with the President and Commissioners of the Australian Human Rights Commission to discuss the operation of Australia’s sex and gender framework and its implications for women’s sex-based protections. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ncjAGd2rvx47UJtbYFfJM We requested this meeting with the AHRC President Hugh de Kretser, … Continue reading On the record: Women’s organisations brief the Australian Human Rights Commission on Australia’s sex and gender framework
‘World‑class’ laws, invisible lesbians: the gap in Australia’s equality story
Lesbian and bisexual women are repeatedly told that Australia has strong equality laws and robust human rights institutions. Yet when females with same-sex attraction try to organise as such, or to defend female-only spaces, they encounter closed doors, shifting definitions, and institutions that treat others as the ‘real’ stakeholders on their behalf. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sd4vjXRpMPDu8RqLgxYMj AAWAA’s recent … Continue reading ‘World‑class’ laws, invisible lesbians: the gap in Australia’s equality story
Violence against mothers: The problem policy refuses to name
One in five young people report using violence against family members. Mothers are the primary targets. Most perpetrators are boys. Violence against mothers remains dangerously under-recognised in Australian policy, despite overwhelming evidence of its scope. Our submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls lays bare the problem: thousands of mothers … Continue reading Violence against mothers: The problem policy refuses to name
Constitutionally flawed: Why Australia’s proposed hate groups listing framework threatens democracy — and in particular, women
The Australian government has proposed sweeping new legislation in response to serious terrorist threats. But a critical examination of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 reveals that its prohibited hate groups framework contains constitutional vulnerabilities that could suppress lawful political advocacy and undermine women's participation in democracy. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0BuT7uRCCJ5SXj0GBT2iQ6 AAWAA has submitted a detailed … Continue reading Constitutionally flawed: Why Australia’s proposed hate groups listing framework threatens democracy — and in particular, women
We are the line: AAWAA’s year of consolidation and strategic advocacy
This year, AAWAA moved from building foundations to stepping into our national power. We took what we learned in 2024 – that women would respond to clear, sex-based language; that politicians would engage with us; that governments are vulnerable to scrutiny on women's rights – and we scaled it up. We built something durable. And … Continue reading We are the line: AAWAA’s year of consolidation and strategic advocacy
Abolition of surrogacy is within the ALRC’s power: Responding to the terms of reference claim
On 18 December 2025, the Australian Law Reform Commission held a roundtable consultation with seven women's organisations who support the abolition of surrogacy in all its forms. What occurred was not merely a disagreement about policy content. It was a demonstration that fundamental questions about the review's legitimacy remain unaddressed — and that the ALRC … Continue reading Abolition of surrogacy is within the ALRC’s power: Responding to the terms of reference claim
ALRC surrogacy review: why process matters as much as principle
On 18 December, feminist organisations from across Australia will participate in a roundtable discussion on the Australian Law Reform Commission's review of surrogacy laws. This review will shape national policy affecting women and children for years to come. Yet the process through which this review is being conducted raises fundamental questions about impartiality, democratic participation, and compliance … Continue reading ALRC surrogacy review: why process matters as much as principle
Why NSW’s sexual consent review must confront the limits of ‘consent’ itself
The NSW Department of Communities and Justice is currently conducting its statutory review of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Consent Reforms) Act 2021. This review asks whether the 2021 ‘affirmative consent’ reforms to the Crimes Act 1900 are working as intended and whether further changes are needed. Our formal submission to the review is necessarily … Continue reading Why NSW’s sexual consent review must confront the limits of ‘consent’ itself
Beyond consultation: CEDAW means more than just ‘asking a few women’
Across Australia, governments are enacting legislation that strips away women's sex-based protections and rights whilst systematically excluding us from the rooms where decisions are made. But the problem runs deeper than flawed consultation processes: even when governments do consult us, consultation alone does not satisfy Australia's obligations under CEDAW (the UN Convention on the Elimination … Continue reading Beyond consultation: CEDAW means more than just ‘asking a few women’
ABC Managing Director says ACON relationship is “new to me this week”: Board must now commission independent audit
On 19 November 2025 at the National Press Club, we asked ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks about the ABC's relationship with ACON, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation that operates the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), an accreditation program first publicly mentioned by the ABC in its 2019–20 annual report. Mr Marks's response revealed that this significant … Continue reading ABC Managing Director says ACON relationship is “new to me this week”: Board must now commission independent audit
DFAT reinterprets CEDAW, campaigns against UN expert who “doesn’t conform with our views”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been campaigning against the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, over her interpretation of women's sex-based rights under CEDAW. Remarks by former Ambassador for Gender Equality Stephanie Campbell, contained in a departmental transcript released under FOI (reference LEX 1781, unpublished) reveal … Continue reading DFAT reinterprets CEDAW, campaigns against UN expert who “doesn’t conform with our views”
Setting the record straight: The political erasure of our feminist lineage
Women's rights organisations advocating for sex-based protections and rights from a second-wave feminist tradition have been systematically mischaracterised in public discourse as 'right-wing', 'reactionary', 'regressive', or sometimes even 'far-right' or 'extremist'. These labels are not merely inaccurate: they represent a form of political erasure of women's organising that obscures the feminist lineage of our advocacy … Continue reading Setting the record straight: The political erasure of our feminist lineage
Who counts as a stakeholder? How government decides whose voices matter on women’s rights
When Australian governments develop policies that fundamentally affect women's sex-based protections and rights, FOI evidence and analysis of processes reveals that LGBTQIA+ organisations are invited, resourced, and embedded in advisory structures, and considered at the development stage; women's groups focused on sex-based protections and rights, on the other hand, must monitor parliamentary websites, track down … Continue reading Who counts as a stakeholder? How government decides whose voices matter on women’s rights