Tag: United Nations
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Surrogacy in Tasmania and the National Push for Abolition: Our Voice in the ALRC Review
Tasmania’s Surrogacy Act 2012 was designed with the best interests of the child in mind. It permits only altruistic (non-commercial) gestational surrogacy, requires written agreements, judicial oversight through parentage orders, and residency rules for both surrogates and intended parents. Yet even this tightly regulated framework cannot eliminate the inherent risks of physical, psychological and economic…
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United Nations demands answers over suspension of Queensland gender clinic whistleblower
Opinion by Des Houghton The United Nations has demanded Queensland’s Premier explain child safety measures at a hospital gender clinic after a psychiatrist’s controversial suspension, writes Des Houghton. It is time for the Queensland Government to admit that the sacking of child psychiatrist Jillian Spencer by Queensland Health was gut-wrenching injustice. Her “crime” was to…
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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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Transgender breastfeeding case sparks UN expert alert
UN’s top expert on violence against women has warned males ‘continue to be males’ regardless of gender identity amid an explosive Australian trans breastfeeding case. Males “continue to be males” no matter how they identify by gender, the UN’s top expert on violence against women has warned, as she entered the polarising debate on trans…
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Analysis of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the world’s leading human rights treaty for children, setting out their civil, political, economic, and social rights. It establishes that every child is entitled to protection, guidance, and care that promote their wellbeing and development. Core Principles of the CRC The Convention is…
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Analysis of the UN Report by Reem Alsalem titled The different manifestations of Violence against Women and Girls in the context of Surrogacy (A/80/158)
The report investigates the practice of surrogacy and its implications for the human rights of women and girls, with a focus on the risks of violence, exploitation, and commodification. Surrogacy, particularly in its commercial form, is framed as part of a global industry that thrives on gender inequality, economic vulnerability, and demand from wealthier individuals…
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Australian Feminists Unite for Shadow Report to the United Nations Human Rights Council
Our coalition of independent feminist organisations has submitted its shadow report to the United Nations Human Rights Council as part of Australia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR). In doing so we warn that recent laws and policies are undermining women’s sex-based rights, breaching obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination…
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Analysis of the UN Report by Reem Alsalem titled Sex-Based Violence Against Women and Girls: New Frontiers and Emerging Issues (A/HRC/59/47)
Purpose of the Report The report examines new and evolving forms of sex-based violence against women and girls that remain underrecognized. It reaffirms the biological reality of sex as central to understanding female oppression and urges States to protect women’s sex-based rights, especially amid rising gender identity ideologies. Key Issues Identified International Legal Context Key…
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Input to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on Sex-Based Violence Against Women and Girls: New Frontiers and Emerging Issues
About Us Women Speak Tasmania (WST) is a women-led and women-centered grassroots advocacy organization. We campaign for the sex-based rights of women in Tasmania and collaborate with other advocacy groups across Australia to advance these rights. Australia National Policy Australian women are experiencing a new form of sex-based discrimination: the erosion of hard-earned rights in…
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Analysis of the UN Report by Reem Alsalem titled Sex-Based Violence Against Women and Girls in Sports: Causes and Consequences (A/79/325)
Overall Focus of the Report In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, explores the various forms, causes and consequences of violence against women and girls in sports. Key Points on Men in Women’s Sports 1. Fairness and Safety Reem reported “the least powerful…