Women Speak Tasmania

Category: Media Releases

  • Trans and Gender Diverse Guidelines in Sport – the End for Women’s Competitions?

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    The Australian Human Rights Commission this week released its ‘Guidelines for Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse People in Sport’. The guidelines are the result of a collaboration between the AHRC, Sport Australia and the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS) in consultation with governments, player associations, legal advisers and athletes. The guidelines…

  • Sue Hickey’s Vote Fails Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

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    Women Speak Tasmania was disappointed to see mandatory sentencing for serious child sexual assaults voted down last week when Liberal Speaker, Sue Hickey, used her casting vote to oppose the Sentencing Amendment (Mandatory Sentencing for Serious Sexual Offences Against Children) Bill 2018. ‘We understand the Government has been guided by the Tasmanian Sentencing Advisory Council’s…

  • Labor, the Greens and Sue Hickey Pass ‘Seriously Flawed’ Laws

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    Labor, the Greens and Liberal Speaker, Sue Hickey, failed to heed the advice of legal and academic experts, including the Solicitor-General and former Tasmanian Bar Association President, Chris Gunson, and today passed radical amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act and the Anti-Discrimination Act. Women Speak Tasmania Spokesperson, Bronwyn Williams, said – ‘Many…

  • Gender Bill Amendments Turning Good Intentions into a Running Joke.

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    The latest amendments to the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill circulated by Ruth Forrest on Tuesday are in danger of turning the professed good intentions of some Upper House members into a political three-ring circus. ‘We now have further amendments from Ms Forrest, desperately trying to paper over some of the many cracks…

  • 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…

  • Good Governance Prevails as Debate on Trans Law Reform is Deferred

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    After two weeks of intense discussion and briefings, the Legislative Council has deferred debate on the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018 until March 2019. ‘The amendments to the bill put forward by Labor and the Greens and passed with the support of Speaker, Sue Hickey, in the Lower House had several drafting…

  • 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…

  • Women Call for Parliamentary Inquiry into Transgender Law Reforms

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    Women Speak Tasmania briefed honourable members of the Legislative Council today, offering our perspective on Labor and the Greens’ proposed amendments to the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018.  ‘We outlined the very real negative impacts on the rights of female persons to safe, female-only spaces if biological male persons are able to become…

  • 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…