Gender is a double-edged sword. It can aid the rise to political power for women but can also limit their political ambitions, including what they can achieve for fellow women. The presence of women...
Category: Commentary
Remote communities also need free menstrual products
In Australia, most states have introduced initiatives to provide people who menstruate with free period care products in public schools. The Queensland government’s recent announcement of free...
The capitalisation and secrecy of the menstrual industry
Cash Flow: The Businesses of Menstruation, by UK-based academic Dr Camilla Mørk Røstvik, delves into how much we know about the menstrual industry - its surprisingly patriarchal business model, how...
Why ‘Heartstopper’ means so much to queer viewers
Netflix’s adaptation of Heartstopper has been confirmed for two more seasons and we–queer people–are thrilled about it. Originally a webcomic written and illustrated by Alice Oseman, the Netflix...
Gender a key barrier to electoral success
In this analysis, Anna Hough of the Australian Parliamentary Library analyses the gender composition of Australian state and territory parliaments in comparison to that of the Federal parliament....
More women: will Parliament be a safe workplace?
The 2022 federal election was a win for women candidates, and a historic moment in Australia’s journey towards a parliament that truly endorses and promotes gender equality in all its work. At this...
Bra-burning to Hollywood – trailblazing women in film
In an electric event held at the ANU last month, some of Australia's best female film makers and experts shone a light on a tough, sexist industry. The battle continues for female film practitioners...
When women vote, reason trumps rage
A hundred or so years ago, there was a woman called Vida Goldstein. She was an internationally renowned suffragist. She was the first Australian in the oval office. She ran as an independent several...
Online data could be used against people seeking abortions
When the draft of a Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked to the press, many of us who have been studying privacy for vulnerable individuals came to a troubling...