On 14 September, Women Speak Tasmania met with a group of community members in the North West to discuss pressing concerns around free speech, cancel culture, and women’s sex-based rights. The gathering provided an important space for local parents and citizens to share their personal experiences and reflect on the challenges facing women and girls in everyday life.
A key theme that emerged was how legitimate concerns—such as fairness in women’s sport—are increasingly met with efforts to silence, punish, or discredit those who raise them. Participants observed that cancel culture has become a powerful tool for intimidation, turning dissenters into examples rather than fostering open and respectful debate.
Parents at the meeting also expressed deep fears for the future of their daughters. Many spoke of how, in their view, women today have fewer rights and protections than two decades ago. They described a growing sense that young girls are entering a world where their safety, privacy, and opportunities are being eroded rather than strengthened.
Another strong concern was the proliferation of unisex toilets and the expectation that women and girls must share intimate spaces with males who identify as women. For many participants, this development represents not only a profound threat to safety and privacy but also a dismantling of hard-won sex-based protections that underpin women’s dignity in public life.
These discussions made it clear that such issues are not abstract debates—they are real, lived concerns affecting families, schools, and communities across Tasmania every day. Women Speak Tasmania will continue to host forums and community meetings to amplify these voices and defend the sex-based rights of women and girls against policies and practices that undermine them.
As part of this commitment, we encouraged attendees to take citizen action by sharing the Women’s Pledge with their local councillors, mayor, and other community leaders, so the community can see who truly supports women’s rights. We also invited participants to attend our upcoming forum and shared information about other initiatives WST is leading across the state.
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring your voices are not only heard but are placed at the centre of decision-making that impacts women and girls in Tasmania.