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
Tag: female-only spaces
Protecting women in custody: Why all must follow the NT’s lead on sex-based prison laws
The Northern Territory Women's Action Alliance (NTWAA) has written to Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro to thank her for confirming that males shall not be housed in NT female-only prisons and that placement shall occur by sex at birth. Her clear statement that there should be "no men in women's jails" and that this … Continue reading Protecting women in custody: Why all must follow the NT’s lead on sex-based prison laws
Why NSW anti-discrimination law must deliver safeguards for women and girls
The current review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) could reshape the rights and daily realities for women and girls in New South Wales for decades to come. The NSW Women’s Action Alliance has made a submission to the review, saying it is critical that law reform is grounded not in shortcuts or administrative expediency … Continue reading Why NSW anti-discrimination law must deliver safeguards for women and girls
Equality Australia and the Lesbian Action Group: contesting the meaning of ‘woman’ in women’s spaces
The Tickle v Giggle case has become a defining moment in Australian discrimination law, crystallising fundamental tensions around sex and gender. As an appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court gets underway, two vastly different ideas have emerged about how women’s spaces should be defined and protected: Equality Australia’s, and the Lesbian Action … Continue reading Equality Australia and the Lesbian Action Group: contesting the meaning of ‘woman’ in women’s spaces
Tasmanian women call for review of sex self-ID laws
The Women’s Action Alliance Tasmania (WAAT) wrote to the Tasmanian Attorney-General, the Hon Guy Barnett, urging the government to take a closer look at the real-world impacts of sex self-identification laws on women and girls in the state. The letter, sent in April 2025, highlights a growing sense of unease among women’s advocates about the consequences … Continue reading Tasmanian women call for review of sex self-ID laws
Aus vs UK: female-only spaces, self-ID, and legal ambiguity
The recent UK Supreme Court decision on the Equality Act 2010 has created a sharp legal distinction between the UK and Australia regarding the recognition of sex and gender in anti-discrimination law. In the UK, the Supreme Court ruled that ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act refer strictly to biological sex as observed at … Continue reading Aus vs UK: female-only spaces, self-ID, and legal ambiguity
The silent exemption: How sporting clubs are misled about protecting women’s sport
The current confusion surrounding gender inclusion policies in Australian sport has left many local sporting clubs and associations in a precarious position. While the ambition for greater inclusion in sport is widely shared, the reality of achieving such inclusion is, for local sporting clubs, far more complex. Too often, guidance from authorities focuses on broad … Continue reading The silent exemption: How sporting clubs are misled about protecting women’s sport
A landmark victory for women’s rights: UK Supreme Court upholds biological definition of ‘woman’
The UK Supreme Court has just delivered a landmark ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, affirming that the term “woman” in the UK's Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, not gender identity. This decision clarifies that single-sex spaces and services—such as crisis shelters, hospital wards, and sports—can lawfully exclude biological males to protect the … Continue reading A landmark victory for women’s rights: UK Supreme Court upholds biological definition of ‘woman’
Institutional integrity, free association, and women’s rights: our groups join the national push for sex-based protections
As the 2025 federal election approaches, the Affiliation of Australian Women’s Action Alliances (AAWAA) and its member groups are taking action. Across the country, our women-led organisations — and our individual members — are writing directly to candidates, urging them to restore clarity and fairness to Australia’s anti-discrimination framework. Our member groups have joined the … Continue reading Institutional integrity, free association, and women’s rights: our groups join the national push for sex-based protections
Women’s rights are on the ballot: Candidates urged to back sex-based protections
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 … Continue reading Women’s rights are on the ballot: Candidates urged to back sex-based protections
NSW Minister for Women urged to safeguard women’s access to female-only spaces
NSWWAA have written to the Hon Jodie Harrison MP — the NSW Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault — expressing urgent concerns regarding the erosion of female-only spaces and services in NSW, as highlighted in recent parliamentary hearings, and in particular as they pertain … Continue reading NSW Minister for Women urged to safeguard women’s access to female-only spaces
24 theses or disputation on the social power of men to invade Women-only gym spaces
Download a two-page printable copy of this statement. OVERVIEW This statement reflects a view grounded in the legal provisions of Australian law, the lived experiences of Women, and the need for special measures that enable Women to overcome systemic disadvantages in a male-dominated and male-created society. IT IS NOT UNLAWFUL TO PROVIDE FEMALE-ONLY SPACES Women-only … Continue reading 24 theses or disputation on the social power of men to invade Women-only gym spaces
Rejoinder to Michael Foran re Tickle v Giggle and the principle of legality
We thank Michael Foran for his recent and insightful analysis of our previous post. We maintain that: Parliament's intention was to amend the law to provide protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status, within the Act's defined areas. The removal of the definition of ‘woman' from the Act served this … Continue reading Rejoinder to Michael Foran re Tickle v Giggle and the principle of legality
Tickle v Giggle and the principle of legality
Some questionable claims have been made recently about gender, sex, what it means to be a woman, and women's rights. But one statement from Justice Bromwich in the Tickle v Giggle case really takes the biscuit. Set aside, if you can, Justice Bromwich’s declaration in the Federal Court that “on its ordinary meaning, sex is … Continue reading Tickle v Giggle and the principle of legality
Provision of free and accessible sanitary facilities must not come at the expense of adequate female-only facilities
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) recently put out a call for submissions for proposals to create 'all-gender' sanitary facilities in the National Construction Code (NCC), by removing the term 'sex' and replace it with 'gender' throughout the code. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5yZ6UNKAx1936MCZsgMoZa AAWAA holds that the provision of sanitary facilities should be made in regard to the … Continue reading Provision of free and accessible sanitary facilities must not come at the expense of adequate female-only facilities
Sex self-ID being rammed through WA parliament
The Western Australian Parliament’s Births, Deaths, and Marriages Amendment (Sex or Gender changes) Bill 2024, introduced by the WA Attorney General, the Hon John Quigley MP, seeks to amend two different laws in Western Australia and would allow people to change their legal sex — multiple times. The effects of this would be 1) to … Continue reading Sex self-ID being rammed through WA parliament
Inclusion in sport must not come at the expense of safety, fairness, or the right to privacy and dignity in changerooms for women and girls
AAWAA made a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls in reponse to her call for input to her report on violence against women and girls to the UN General Assembly on violence against women and girls in sport. We value inclusion in sport but not at the expense of … Continue reading Inclusion in sport must not come at the expense of safety, fairness, or the right to privacy and dignity in changerooms for women and girls
Not too late for AHRC to uphold lesbians’ civil and political rights to opinion and assembly
The Affiliation of Australian Women’s Action Alliances (AAWAA) is surprised and disappointed at the Australian Human Rights Commission’s preliminary view not to grant a temporary exemption to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (SDA) that would allow lesbians to meet on the basis of their sex and their sexual orientation. We are particularly puzzled as the … Continue reading Not too late for AHRC to uphold lesbians’ civil and political rights to opinion and assembly
AHRC urged to allow lesbians freedom of assembly without men
AAWAA has supported an application by the Lesbian Action Group (LAG) to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for an exemption under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to conduct ‘Lesbians Born Female’-only events, including to celebrate International Lesbian Day. We believe that an exemption is necessary to ensure the safety and security of this group … Continue reading AHRC urged to allow lesbians freedom of assembly without men
State and territory women’s alliances back lesbian-only gatherings
Two powerful letters sent to the Australian Human Rights Commission in August 2023 demonstrate clear, grassroots support for the Lesbian Action Group’s right to female-only events. Both the Queensland Women’s Action Alliance (QWAA) and the Western Australian Women’s Action Alliance (WAWAA) wrote in strong, principled defence of lesbian women’s right to assemble as a group, … Continue reading State and territory women’s alliances back lesbian-only gatherings
Critical gaps in Australia’s human rights for women and girls must be remedied
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (PJHCR) has accepted AAWAA's submission to the Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework. The Women's Action Alliance Canberra (WAAC) is a member of the Affiliation of Australian Women’s Action Alliances (AAWAA) brings together women’s liberation groups from the ACT, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia, all of whom contributed to … Continue reading Critical gaps in Australia’s human rights for women and girls must be remedied
