Tag: sex-based rights
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Reforming the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 to Restore Sex-Based Protections for Women and Girls
Submission to the Tasmania Attorney General Guy Barnett on 15 December 2025 1. Introduction Women Speak Tasmania (WST) welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission regarding urgent reforms to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tasmania) (“the Act”). WST is a community organisation committed to safeguarding the rights, safety, and dignity of women and girls in Tasmania. Our…
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Tasmanians Speak: How Gender Policies and Anti-Discrimination Laws Are Harming Our Community
Women Speak Tasmania – Testimonial Project Launch and Delegation to the Attorney General, 15 December 2025 Throughout 2025, members of Women Speak Tasmania (WST) have been engaging in extensive community outreach. We held public meetings in Hobart on 16 June and 10 August, and in the North West on 14 September. From these gatherings, conversations,…
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Australia’s Quiet Pushback Against a UN Expert Defending Women’s Sex-Based Rights
In late 2025, Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures revealed a deeply troubling episode: senior Australian officials quietly attempted to undermine Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls. Rather than publicly contesting her views, elements within the Australian government—including the Sex Discrimination Commissioner and the Department of Foreign Affairs and…
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Equality Australia: Equality for Whom?
Equality Australia presents itself as the nation’s leading LGBTIQ+ advocacy organisation, dedicated to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer Australians. Founded in 2018 in the wake of the successful same sex marriage campaign, the organisation has grown into a powerful presence in Australia’s legal, political and media landscape. With high-profile patronage,…
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Analysis of CEDAW: What It Is, What It Means for Women, and Why It Matters in Australia
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) What Is CEDAW? The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is often described as the international bill of rights for women. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and in force since 1981, CEDAW legally obliges…
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Tasmanian Minister Urged to Follow Queensland’s Lead and Define What a Woman Is
Women Speak Tasmania congratulates Queensland Minister for Women, Fiona Simpson, for providing long-overdue clarity on the definition of “woman.” By confirming that “a woman is an adult female human being,” the Queensland Government has restored essential precision to a term that underpins the protection of women’s sex-based rights. This simple but vital definition ensures that…
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Protecting Women in Prison: Tasmania Must Follow the Northern Territory’s Lead
Women Speak Tasmania welcomes the strong leadership shown by Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who has announced that born males will no longer be placed in women’s prisons. The NT is now the first jurisdiction in Australia to take decisive action to protect the safety and dignity of female inmates. Chief Minister Finocchiaro’s clear…
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Women Speak Tasmania Welcomes Northern Territory Leadership on Prison Safety
Women Speak Tasmania (WST) congratulates Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro for her decisive action to ban transgender women who are born male from being housed in women’s prisons. This landmark policy prioritises the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of women in custody. Chief Minister Finocchiaro’s statement that “there should be no men in women’s…
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Why Women’s Safety Must Be Central to Tasmania’s Prison Policy
Equality Tasmania welcomed the Custodial Inspector’s concern about the safety of LGBTIQA+ prisoners, following reports of assaults against gay men in Tasmanian prisons. In a December 2024 statement, Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome said the organisation was “alarmed by repeated cases of abuse and violence against LGBTIQA+ people” and called for stronger policies and training…
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Thank you for agreeing to further consultation with women’s advocacy groups – Letter to Anna Cody
Letter sent to Anna Cody on the 07 October 2025 Dear Commissioner Cody, I watched your address to the National Press Club September 24 with great interest. Your response to the question from Women’s Advocate Megan Poore gave me hope that you will engage in open, earnest consultation with ordinary women, around the removal of…