Tag: Tasmania
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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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Call for Clear Policy on Housing of Trans-Identifying Male Prisoners – Letter to Tasmania Premier
Letter sent to the Premier on 14 October 2025 Dear Premier Rockliff, Re: Protecting Women in Custody – Call for Clear Policy on Housing of Trans-Identifying Male Prisoners Women Speak Tasmania commends Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro for her decisive leadership in banning born males from being housed in women’s prisons. This policy places…
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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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Women Speak Tasmania Calls for Consultation with Women on Transgender Prison Policy
Women Speak Tasmania has written to Attorney-General Guy Barnett expressing concern over the Tasmanian Department of Justice’s development of a Trans and Gender Diverse Prisoner Policy in consultation with its LGBTIQA+ Reference Group, but with no women’s organisations included as stakeholders. The group thanked the Attorney-General for his earlier correspondence of 12 March 2025, confirming…
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Consultation with Women on Transgender Prison Policy – Letter to the Attorney General
Letter sent to Tasmania AG Guy Barnett on 12 October 2025 Dear Attorney General Guy Barnett, We thank you for your letter of 12 March 2025 confirming that, for statistical purposes, data relating to rape crimes and victims is recorded according to sex, not gender. We note that the Department of Justice is developing a…
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Women Speak Tasmania – Community Meeting, North West
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…
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Who Decides What Children Are Taught? The Growing Up Program and Parental Rights in Tasmania
In recent months, a debate has emerged in Tasmania about what primary-school children are being taught regarding bodies, relationships, and gender. At the centre of the discussion is the state’s “Growing Up Program” (GUP), a relationships and protective-behaviours curriculum delivered in many primary schools. The issue gained wider attention after One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson…