TW: sexual assault and harassment, gendered violence, misogyny, racism, queerphobia, transphobia, ableism Here’s a round up of feminist news in 2015. A lot of it was awful – violence against women continuing unchallenged, male privilege going unchecked and feminist initiatives that continue to exclude women of colour, queer women, women with disabilities and trans…
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A look back at the sexism of 2015 Feminist writer and commentator Van Badham looks back on the year that was in sexist and misogynistic behaviour in science, the entertainment industry, sport, the list goes on and on. However, the article also gives some hope when you remember those who stood up for women’s…
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Former speaker Anna Burke quits politics The Labor MP has represented the Victorian seat of Chisholm for 17 years, has been an advocate for the humane treatment of asylum seekers and was speaker during part of the tumultuous minority Gillard/Rudd government. Burke justified her decision to quit politics saying, ‘I’m leaving because you have to…
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Myer CEO says young workers want flexibility, not penalty rates In a speech at the Australian Financial Review Workforce and Productivity Summit, chief executive of Myer, Richard Umbers, claimed that millennial workers ‘don’t really differentiate between a Saturday and a Sunday’. Umbers also believes that young people aren’t as fearful of losing entitlements such as…
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Girl’s speech against the running of her high school goes viral The captain of an exclusive North Shore girl’s school was speaking out against the corporatisation of schools, saying that it fails the students when the school puts maintaining its reputation above all else. As the ultimate testament to her argument – the school even…
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The Turnbull Government has made it clear that ‘all options are on the table’ when it comes to tax reform. With a constant re-assurance that fairness is the most important element, is this really achievable? There has been recent media hype surrounding the proposal by South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill, regarding his proposal to…
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Photographer Annie Leibovitz releases Pirelli 2016 calendar …and it features simple portraits of prominent women such as Amy Schumer, Serena Williams, Yoko Ono and Patti Smith. They have apparently been at this for years, but it has taken Amy Schumer and a coffee cup for mainstream media to pick up on it. Is this calendar…
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When politicians make fools of themselves on social media, it’s fair to say that it’s an almost pleasurable experience to survey the ensuing wrath from the comfort of our smartphones. It’s almost enough to make you feel sorry for our Aussie pollies. We are able to look back in a kind of awe at the…
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Clinton vows to stop using the phrase ‘illegal immigrant’ Hillary Clinton has promised to stop using the term ‘illegal immigrant’ after being criticised for it in a Facebook Q&A . Journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas explained that the term was offensive, and that he was asking all candidates to pledge that they would…
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victim blaming entrenched in violence towards women, report finds Well, it’s White Ribbon day, marked by marches and social media campaigns designed to bring the problem out into the open. But is acknowledging the problem in the public sphere enough to change what happens behind closed doors? A report released today hints at the extent…
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Government appoints women to the ABC board The Turnbull government has appointed two new women to the ABC board. The two businesswomen, Dr Kirsten Ferguson and Donny Walford, bring the total of women on the board to four, who sit alongside five men. They will assist in making the decision on a successor to current…
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Breast Cancer Patient Warns of Private Health Insurance Brisbane woman Michelle Hennessy contracted breast cancer after having top-level private health insurance with extras for 20 years, and was still forced to pay over $20,000 for her treatment. She is now warning unsuspecting Australians to check the fine print of their plans for coverage levels….
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Jessica Mauboy backed out of singing national anthem due to panic attack Australian singer Jessica Mauboy has broken her silence on why she backed out of singing the national anthem at the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday at the last minute. She revealed that she had panic attack moments before the performance as a result of…
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Following the Sony hack and an essay written by Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper recently announced that he would be sharing his salary information with his female co-stars to help ensure pay equality. The Sony hack revealed massive pay disparities between male and female leads in Hollywood. These disparities led many actors and actresses to speak…
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