Women Speak Tasmania

Category: Media Releases

  • Quakers Cancel Booking for Women’s Forum 

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    The Clerks of the Tasmanian Regional  Meeting (TRM) of the Quakers yesterday cancelled the forum booking for Women Speak Tasmania scheduled for Monday night 18 March.  The forum was to be held in the Friends Meeting House in Argyle Street, New Town. ‘The cancellation appears to be the result of a smear campaign from some…

  • Women’s Groups Call on PM Morrison and Bill Shorten to Support Parliamentary Inquiry into Transgender Laws

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    International Women’s Day (IWD – 8 March 2019) is recognised as an International day to remember and centre women’s rights and achievements. A coalition of women’s organisations has written to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, calling on them to establish a national inquiry into the expected and unexpected consequences of…

  • Reclaim the Night – Is It Still About Women?

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    Tonight’s Hobart Reclaim the Night rally is one of many that occur around Australia every year. The concept originated as a means for women to express public solidarity with each other and reclaim their right to be out in public after dark without being in constant fear of sexual or other assault. Women began these…

  • Tasmanian Women’s Services Support Trans Law Reform, Then Shut Down Online Debate

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    On 7 November, four Tasmanian Women’s Services – Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, Engender Equality, Hobart Women’s Shelter and Women’s Health Tasmania – issued a statement in support of Labor and the Greens proposed transgender law reforms. In that statement, Women Speak Tasmania was roundly criticised for opposing the reforms. “We believe allowing self-identification changes to…

  • Women’s Groups Intentionally Oversimplify the Impacts of Trans Law Reforms

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    Yesterday’s joint statement by Tasmanian women’s groups, Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, Engender Equality, Hobart Women’s Shelter and Women’s Health Tasmania, continues the litany of oversimplified assurances about the benign nature of the radical birth registration and anti-discrimination law reforms proposed by Labor and the Greens. If they want to justify their claim that the amendments…

  • O’Connor and White in Damage Control over Backlash on Transgender Reforms

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    While Labor Opposition leader, Rebecca White, moves to distance the party from a deal with the Greens to fast track changes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, the Greens Cassy O’Connor has resorted to accusations of transphobia against those calling for public consultation on the issue. ‘It’s now very clear the Tasmanian people…

  • Community Consultation Essential for Transforming Tasmania Proposals 

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    ‘Women Speak Tasmania is calling on Transforming Tasmania to justify their claims that radical amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999 (Tas) are of no particular concern to the community at large’, said Women Speak Tasmania spokesperson, Bronwyn Williams. Transforming Tasmania spokesperson, Martine Delaney, says “there has been virtually no public concern…

  • Doubts about Tasmanian Law Reform Institute Impartiality 

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    Women Speak Tasmania is calling on the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute to co-sponsor a forum dedicated to providing a women’s rights perspective on transgender law reform proposals. ‘Women Speak Tasmania is developing a series of policies addressing a range of issues in the transgender rights debate.  Two of those policies, dealing with anti-discrimination law and…

  • Transgender Law Reform – Women Speak the Truth

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    While several groups and individuals are lobbying for extended transgender rights at law, Women Speak Tasmania is working on a comprehensive series of policies to address changes in the law that have promoted the rights of transgender persons ahead of the sex-based rights of women. “We have drafted two policy position papers, initially, that consider…

  • Opposition Grows Against Transgender Rights Campaign

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    Newly formed group Women Speak Tasmania, are ramping up their campaign to oppose reforms proposed by transgender lobby group Transforming  Tasmania. Spokesperson Bronwyn Williams said, ‘We are talking with many people in the Tasmanian community, especially women, who are shocked at the loss of safe women only services in Tasmania and the threats suggested by…