Author: Woman
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Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) — An Analysis
Introduction The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) was enacted to address discrimination on the ground of sex. It gave effect to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and promoted “the principle of the equality of men and women.” That object only works if men and women can be identified.…
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Sex-Based Violence Against Women and Girls and the Limits of Consent (A/HRC/59/47 and A/HRC/59/47/Add.4): Analysis of the UN Reports by Reem Alsalem
In June 2025, Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, presented a thematic report to the Human Rights Council: A/HRC/59/47, Sex-based violence against women and girls: new frontiers and emerging issues. The report examines forms of violence against women and girls that are based on…
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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: An Analysis
“Children’s rights” and “the best interests of the child” are constantly invoked in Australian debates about medical treatment of minors, parental authority, identity, adoption and surrogacy. They are less often read. The Convention on the Rights of the Child does not supply simple answers to these questions. It supplies a framework that has to be…
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Women’s Prisons Were Built for a Sex Class. Who Enters Them Is Now a State Policy Choice.
Australia has no Commonwealth statute that says who may be housed in a women’s prison. That is how the country is built. States and territories run adult corrections. Section 120 of the Constitution requires each state to hold people convicted of Commonwealth offences in its prisons. There is no separate federal civilian prison system. A…
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In the Name of the Child: Melbourne Conference Examines the Harms of Surrogacy
On 21–22 August 2026, the Association Representing Mothers Separated by Adoption (ARMS) hosted a two-day national conference, In the Name of the Child: The Perils of Surrogate Motherhood for Mother and Baby, at the Greg Craven Centre, Australian Catholic University, in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Women Speak Australia attended the conference, which brought together Australian and international…
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Violence Against Women and Girls in the Context of Surrogacy (A/80/158): Analysis of the UN Report by Reem Alsalem
Introduction In July 2025, UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem issued her thematic report The different manifestations of violence against women and girls in the context of surrogacy (A/80/158). She presented the report to the UN General Assembly Third Committee on 10 October 2025. The report does not treat surrogacy primarily as a family-building service in…
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Surrogacy in Australia: If It Requires So Many Safeguards, Should We Be Regulating It or Ending It?
Surrogacy is legal in every Australian state and territory, yet Australia has no single national surrogacy law. Instead, it is regulated primarily through separate state and territory legislation. There is one broad point of agreement: commercial surrogacy is prohibited across Australia, while altruistic surrogacy is permitted. In an altruistic arrangement, a surrogate may have certain…
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eSafety Commissioner Issues Removal Notice to X Over Genevieve Gluck Article: What Does the Online Safety Act Require?
On 4 August 2026, the Australian eSafety Commissioner issued a formal removal notice to X concerning a post that linked to a 2024 Substack article by US-based writer Genevieve Gluck. The article, published on 31 October 2024 on her Women’s Voices Substack, examined publicly available online material posted by an employee of the Australian Medical…
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Public Toilets and the Duty of Local Government: Why Single-Sex Facilities Matter for Women
Introduction Access to safe, private and usable public toilets is an important but often overlooked aspect of participation in public life. Across Australia, councils are increasingly considering different approaches to the design of public toilets and change facilities, including unisex and all-gender models. These approaches may provide benefits for some users, but they also raise…
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Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth) — Detailed Analysis
Background, Purpose and Legislative Structure The Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth) is the principal Commonwealth statute establishing Australia’s regulatory framework for specified categories of online harm. It received Royal Assent on 23 July 2021. The bulk of its operative provisions commenced on 23 January 2022, replacing and expanding the framework previously contained in the Enhancing…