Shows / The AAWAA Women’s Advocate
The AAWAA Women’s Advocate
AAWAA is a national peak advocacy body and independent media outlet. The AAWAA Women's Advocate works for the protection and advancement of Australian women and girls in areas where we are vulnerable on the basis of our sex.
This podcast provides general information and opinion only and does not constitute legal advice. Listeners should seek independent, professional legal advice before acting on any matters discussed. The hosts and AAWAA accept no liability for decisions made based on this…
Episodes
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Be kind, Part II: From policed speech to compelled speech (The Unmoved Feminist)
In Part II of ‘Be kind’, Martine and Liv examine the pressure on women to move from softening how we speak to saying things we don’t believe. Through pronouns…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateSports inclusion guidelines: No published assessment seven years on
Emma and Nerissa examine the 2019 sports inclusion guidelines that clubs running female-only competition still rely on, and the questions put to the Minister…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateDifferent standards in sport and online: Protecting women and girls
Women’s protection should survive a portfolio change. At the National Press Club, Anika Wells argued that institutions must take responsibility for preventing…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateSurrogacy laws and parliamentary process: An interview with Hon Michelle Hofmann MLC
The Hon Michelle Hofmann MLC, member of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia, speaks to Amber from The Women's Advocate about Ms…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateFemale association depends on naming sex: The question now before the UN
In this episode, Emma and Lucy discuss AAWAA's submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on its draft General Comment on freedom of association. They cover…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWhy sex-neutral language fails family violence policy
In this episode, Emma and Lucy discuss two recent submissions on family violence, one to the Tasmanian Government, one to the federal Second Action Plan…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Be kind, part I: An instruction, not a virtue (The Unmoved Feminist)
In this episode of The Unmoved Feminist, Martine and Liv take apart the idea that 'be kind' is a harmless, universal instruction. Drawing on Robin Lakoff, Dale…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWomen, structural harm, and where a digital duty of care needs to begin
Emma and Lucy unpack a gap in the Digital Duty of Care Bill: harms from pornography and misogynist material are fixed directly into law for children, but for…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWhat a new FOI release reveals about the ALRC surrogacy laws review
Emma and Amber unpack a newly released Freedom of Information document showing how the Attorney-General's Department and the Australian Law Reform Commission…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWomen are not for use and children are not for transfer: The Melbourne Declaration to Abolish Surrogacy
As the Australian Law Reform Commission prepares to provide its report on surrogacy laws, Megan and Amber read the Melbourne Declaration to Abolish Surrogacy…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateThe convoluted ways of patriarchy: An interview with Reem Alsalem, UNSRVAWG
Amber speaks with Ms Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, about her mandate, CEDAW and sex in international law…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateThe exemption problem: How a practical default is becoming a developing expectation
Emma is joined by Suzi to examine how the exemption process under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 is coming to function as the default pathway for female-only…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateUN Special Rapporteur sets out concerns at national surrogacy conference
In this episode of The Women's Advocate, Emma and Meg discuss the keynote address delivered by Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateDr Megan Blake on reforming the Sex Discrimination Act: An interview
Dr Megan Blake is co-counsel for the Lesbian Action Group in its case against the Australian Human Rights Commission, and a member of Sall Grover's legal team…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Female alignment with male power: What feminist theory says
In this episode of The Unmoved Feminist, Martine and Liv tackle the uncomfortable question of why some women side with male power, police other women, and…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateRedirected to writing, then left wondering about the surrogacy review: Our time with the ALRC
The Australian Law Reform Commission told stakeholders its surrogacy review was nearly complete. Days earlier, it had quietly been given six more weeks — and…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWeaponising guilt: Tasmania’s Greens, forced teaming and conversion practices
Emma and Megan discuss the Tasmanian Greens’ draft conversion bill and AAWAA’s submission, using it as a springboard into the “guilt trade” and “forced…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateSurrogacy, exploitation and law reform: Why women’s rights are the foundational consideration
Emma and Megan look at what is really at stake when Parliament considers surrogacy law reform. Instead of starting with “access” and “barriers”, they focus on…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateOfficial words, worsening record: Australia's draft UN report
Emma and Amber examine Australia's draft seventh periodic report under the ICCPR — the international treaty that binds Australia to protect civil and political…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateSilence from the top: Top officials say nothing as Australia's CSW record deepens
Emma and Luci cover AAWAA's follow-up communication to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, ahead of the 1 August deadline for submissions to CSW71. They…
The AAWAA Women’s Advocate'Woman': What Australia's midwifery regulator left undefined
When a regulatory document governing pregnancy, birth and postnatal care can't say clearly what 'woman' means, that's not a drafting oversight — it's a…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Patriarchy: The structure we are not supposed to name
In this episode of The Unmoved Feminist, Martine and Liv unpack a word used everywhere and explained almost nowhere: patriarchy. Drawing on Wollstonecraft…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateThe SDA timeline: CEDAW, the 2013 amendments, and the loss of women’s sex‑based protections and rights
Emma and Sue walk through forty years of Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act, from its CEDAW roots and the creation of our sex‑based protections and rights…
The AAWAA Women’s Advocate"A different time" is not an argument: Reckoning with the 2013 SDA amendments
Former prime minister Julia Gillard has finally broken her silence on the 2013 Sex Discrimination Act amendments, telling an audience at Manchester University…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWomen take their questions to the AHRC in Adelaide -- but are still waiting for answers
In this episode, Emma and Lucy discuss the AHRC's 'The Answer is Human Rights' seminar in Adelaide, where women affected by the Commission's decisions —…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Female‑only spaces and the politics of women’s safety
In this episode of The Unmoved Feminist, Liv and Martine ask why female‑only spaces still matter for women’s safety, dignity and participation in public life…
The AAWAA Women’s Advocate"Celebrated, not debated": The AHRC's answer on deficient exemption guidelines
At the AHRC's Sydney 'The Answer Is Human Rights' seminar, women asked one governance question: the Federal Court has found your exemption guidelines deficient…
The AAWAA Women’s Advocate"No plans" for women and girls: AHRC says women must seek exemptions to keep female-only protections
At the Perth stop of the Australian Human Rights Commission's national seminar series, AAWAA Director Amber Rossi asked President Hugh de Kretser a direct…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Counting women: Why sex‑based data still matters
In this episode of The Unmoved Feminist, Liv and Martine go back to basics on something that shapes what governments see and what they ignore…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. The feminist waves and why sex‑based feminism still matters
In this episode, Martine and Liv step back to map the bigger picture — tracing the feminist "waves" from Mary Wollstonecraft's demand for women's…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateManaging the mandate: How Australia handles the UN SRVAWG as a diplomatic inconvenience
Emma and Amber look at how the Australian Government has chosen to ‘manage the mandate’ of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateBeyond beds and referrals: Addressing the root causes of women's mental distress
When governments design mental health strategies, they focus on systems: beds, referral pathways, integration models. But what about the structural conditions…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTasmania's mental health reboot: Ensuring women aren't erased
Tasmania's Department of Health is developing its next mental health strategy, 'Rethink and Beyond'. AAWAA and our state member organisations – WAAT, QWAA…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateDid the AHRC seek costs against the Lesbian Action Group? A timeline
On 26 May 2026, at Senate Estimates, Senator Henderson asked the Australian Human Rights Commission whether it had sought costs against the Lesbian Action…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateOlder women fall between every plan: Male violence, policy, and the gap no one is closing
No country in the world has a dedicated national plan on violence against older women. Not one. In this episode, Emma and Megan unpack why, covering the way…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateWhen consent law looks for excuses, not proof
In this episode, Emma talks with Lucy about what NSWWAA saw inside DCJ’s stakeholder roundtable on the sexual consent reforms review. They walk through the…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateThe Court has spoken: Women are no longer pre-eminent in our own law
On 15 May 2026, the Full Federal Court handed down its decision in Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd v Tickle — and buried inside the legal reasoning is an…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateDismantling stereotypes — or reinforcing them? The CEDAW Committee's confused framework
Emma is joined by Suzi and Luci to unpack CEDAW’s Draft General Recommendation 41 on ‘gender stereotypes’ and why AAWAA decided to intervene. They walk through…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Prostitution and the sexual contract
In this episode, Martine and Liv look at prostitution through a second-wave, materialist feminist lens — and at why the shift to "sex work" language…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateSurrogacy is not 'fertility support': Our evidence to the NSW inquiry
In this bonus episode, we share some of the audio of our appearance before the NSW Legislative Council’s inquiry into fertility support and assisted…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocatePower, proportionality, and the Lesbian Action Group: When the AHRC stands in its own shoes
Last week the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission addressed the National Press Club. We were there — and we asked him why Parliament should…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateGuardianship, not paternalism: A different way to think about surrogacy and the state
Before the NSW Legislative Council even asked its first question, we made a deliberate choice: to shift the entire frame of the hearing. In this short episode…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateAgency ends when the surrogacy contract begins: Lived experience, power and law‑making
Emma and Megan unpack their recent evidence to the NSW Legislative Council inquiry on ‘fertility support’ and surrogacy. Drawing on AAWAA’s anchoring…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateHer super, his payday: closing the male violence loophole
When a woman dies, her superannuation doesn't automatically go to her estate — it goes to whoever her super fund trustee decides, within rules that can force…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateViolence against older women: What Australia won’t count
Emma and Luci unpack AAWAA’s new submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, focusing on how violence against older women is…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateTUF. Women as a sex class in a world of 'identity'
In this first episode of The Unmoved Feminist, Martine and Liv dig into one of the most consequential shifts of the past two decades: the gradual displacement…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateRepeat episode. Forced alignment: Defending our feminist tradition
Repeat episode for the Easter holiday. Emma and Liv push back against the mischaracterisation of women's rights organisations advocating for sex-based…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateLocal Action: Accuracy over approval, Dr Megan Blake
Emma and Sue spotlight Local action with Dr Megan Blake, barrister for the Lesbian Action Group and president of the new YAEL Women’s Defence Guild. They…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateThe unintended consequences of Victoria's conversion ban
Emma and Amber discuss Victoria's Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act, which is currently under review by the Victorian Law Reform…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateEquality Australia, tax perks and a Governor‑General beyond scrutiny
Equality Australia has been ruled an advocacy body, knocked back for standard charity tax status, and then rescued with a bespoke DGR deal, vice‑regal…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateConstructive reduction: How NCC 2025 cuts female‑only toilets
In this episode Emma and Suzi unpack the NCC 2025 preview’s new ‘all‑gender’ toilet option and what it really means for women’s access to safe, adequate…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateCEDAW and the Netherlands: Why “sex work” isn’t women’s rights
Emma and Amber examine the CEDAW Committee’s advance observations on the Netherlands, asking what it means when a UN women’s rights body talks about “sex…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateDismissed, delayed, doubted: The age pension audit and what it doesn't say
Emma and Suzi examine the Auditor-General's comprehensive performance audit of age pension administration in light of evidence AAWAA submitted to the…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateThree commissioners, one conversation: Women's advocates brief the Australian Human Rights Commission
Emma is joined by Megan to unpack a significant development for women's advocacy in Australia: a formal meeting between AAWAA, Feminist Legal Clinic, the…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateUnderground again: How governance failures erase lesbian rights
Emma and Luci examine violence and discrimination affecting lesbian and bisexual women in Australia. They unpack how governance failures themselves constitute…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateMale violence against mothers: Making it visible
Emma and Lucy unpack violence against mothers – a form of sex-based harm that remains dangerously invisible in international policy. They examine three…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateCriminalising advocacy: Why Australia's hate groups bill threatens political freedom
Emma and Megan unpack the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 – a framework that criminalises organisational membership based on a vague…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateChristmas wrap 2025: AAWAA's year of consolidation and strategic advocacy
AAWAA's Christmas Wrap for 2025: Emma hosts Martine, Luci, and Suzi as they look back on a transformative year for AAWAA. They discuss coordinated national…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateCan the ALRC recommend surrogacy prohibition? What the law actually says
On 18 December, feminist organisations attended an ALRC roundtable on surrogacy law reform – and witnessed an independent review apparently structurally…
The AAWAA Women’s AdvocateProhibition or regulation? The ALRC's surrogacy review and feminist resistance
Emma and Amber discuss the Australian Law Reform Commission's review of surrogacy laws, examining why the roundtable with feminist organisations is scheduled…