What happens when kindness becomes an expectation that we use words we dispute, set aside our boundaries and treat our own objections as prejudice? It goes against women's socialisation to argue against 'kindness' in the abstract, which is exactly why 'be kind' gets away with the job of work it does for patriarchy. In the … Continue reading TUF. Be kind, Part II: From policed speech to compelled speech (The Unmoved Feminist)
Tag: female-only spaces
The exemption problem: How a practical default is becoming a developing expectation
Ordinary female-only provision of services and spaces was never meant to require government permission. We examine how a temporary, discretionary exemption process is coming to function as the default pathway women's organisations are expected to rely on — and what that costs organisations already stretched thin. Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (SDA), provision of … Continue reading The exemption problem: How a practical default is becoming a developing expectation
A decade of failure on women, absent from Australia’s draft UN report
Australia will soon report to the UN on how it has upheld women's rights over the past decade. We tested that account as it currently stands against the data, the courts and the FOI record. Over the ten years since Australia's last periodic report to the UN on its compliance with the International Covenant on … Continue reading A decade of failure on women, absent from Australia’s draft UN report
What did Gillard know? Reckoning with the 2013 SDA amendments
In the current debate over the 2013 Sex Discrimination Act amendments, former prime minister Julia Gillard has now made her first public comments about claims that her government “destroyed” women’s protections. Speaking at Manchester University, she told the audience that concerns about the issues now being raised “were not raised by anyone” when the changes … Continue reading What did Gillard know? Reckoning with the 2013 SDA amendments
TUF. Female‑only spaces and the politics of women’s safety (The Unmoved Feminist)
The current debate about female‑only spaces can make it sound as if they are an eccentric preference or an unfortunate relic from a less “inclusive” time. In policy documents and media commentary, refuges, rape crisis centres, women’s prisons and female sports categories are increasingly described as exclusionary or old‑fashioned. Proposals for “gender‑neutral” services present themselves … Continue reading TUF. Female‑only spaces and the politics of women’s safety (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. 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 Advocate … Continue reading No great conflict: The AHRC, the Lesbian Action Group, and the questions Parliament needs to ask
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
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
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