Letter sent to Tasmania Attorney General Guy Barnett on the 16.04.26
Dear Attorney General,
I write to you respectfully as an ordinary Tasmanian citizen, and as a member of the National Council of Women (Tasmanian branch), regarding a matter of public interest, namely the sex-based rights of women and girls. Specifically, I request that urgent consideration is given to reforming Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act (1998), to restore sex-based protections.
Unfortunately, the current Act does not include ‘sex’ as a protected attribute. This omission has created significant legal and practical consequences for the protection of women and girls, including uncertainty around single sex sport, services, design of and provision of public toilets, accommodation facilities, and safeguarding practices.
Please consider and initiate minimal evidence-based amendments that will restore clarity. It is essential that Tasmania’s legislation upholds Tasmanian human rights obligations towards women and girls to ensure equitable protections for all Tasmanians.
I respectfully request that the Tasmanian government prioritise review of the Act to include sex as a protected attribute within Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Framework.
Whilst biological sex is a clear and well-established reality that is also able to be clearly defined, the current Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act (1998) does not provide explicit protection based on sex — a foundational biological attribute.
With biological sex as a measurable biological category, as recognised by Australian health care practice, it is therefore vital to ensure that our Tasmanian legislation reflects this reality, to ensure protection in public policy and practice of our women and girls who comprise over 50% of Tasmania’s population.
These reforms will not detract from the existing protections within the current Act based upon subjective gender identity, persons with intersex biology and persons who subjectively identify as transgender.
Please therefore ensure that Tasmania’s legislation harmonises with and meets obligations relevant to the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
I look forward to your response to my letter.
Yours Sincerely
A.G
Cc: Mrs Dorothy Kelly, President National Council of Women Tasmania