Women on the Line

On this week’s episode, we share moments from the Public Sector Workers rally that took place on Wednesday 30th October outside Parliament House in Naarm/Melbourne. Workers across the state rallied together to demand that the Victorian State government sanction Israel and not public sector workers; that they break all military, diplomatic and industrial ties with Israel as well as cancel the Memorandum of Understanding with the IOF; and finally to end co-operation and investments with Israeli weapons companies such as Elbit Systems. In attendance on Wednesday were members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) who are also part of Teachers and School Staff for Palestine, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Victoria for Palestine, Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) for Palestine and Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) for Peace. Today’s episode will be in three parts. Firstly, we will hear from Justine, an educator and organising member of Teachers and School Staff for Palestine. Secondly, we’ll listen to a statement that was produced by members of CPSU for Palestine. And lastly we will hear a short conversation with an anonymous CPSU member.

On this week’s episode of Women on the Line, we speak with Manjusha and Anya about Temple of Desire, a Karma Dance production exploring themes of gender, feminism, rage, queerness and spirituality through the traditional dance form of Bharatnatyam, and featuring queer South Asian artists. Manjusha (she/her) is a South - Asian Australian woman who lives, works and creates on across unceded Wurundjerii land. Manjusha is the producer and stage manager of Temple of Desire working closely with Govind Pillai the Director, Choreographer and dancer to bring this production to life. Manjusha is a multidisciplinary artist and arts worker, who lives, works and creates on the intersection of Performing arts, Intangible Cultural Heritage practices and Events Management.Anya (she/ they) is a South Indian Tamil woman living on unceded Wurundjeri land and one of the dancers in Temple of Desire. Outside of dancing, Anya works in family violence policy reform, and spends any spare time obsessing over her dog Appu, who sadly is obsessed with Anya's partner instead.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear snippets from Scarlett Alliance’s ‘Debunking the Porn Panic’ webinar that was held on the 15th of August this year. The webinar was hosted by Jenna Love, sex worker and the Committee President of Scarlett Alliance, and featured guests Allan McKee, University Professor specialising in sexualized media ; Greta Degraves, sex worker and scarlett alliance’s policy officer; and Zahra Stardust, scholar working at the intersections of sexuality, technology, law and social justice. We hear from Greta Degraves and Zahra Stardust speak to us about moral panic, porn literacy, ending discrimination against sex workers, consent and sex education amongst young people.

On this episode of Women on the Line we are commemorating 1 year since the genocide in Palestine escalated. Today on the show, we hear poetry, music and speeches from a vigil that was held on Monday 7 October this year, mourning the lives lost under genocide. The vigil was held in Narrm and we will hear poetry readings from Dr Michaela Sahar, an Australian-Palestinian writer and educator; Noor, a Palestinian student from Gaza, music performance by Basil, Elarah and Phoebe; and then finally we hear from Julie Webb-Pullman, a war crimes investigator who has worked in Gaza.

On this week's episode of Women on the Line, we speak with Katie Sfetkidis, a multidisciplinary artist living and working on lands of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people, about her latest work - We the People x Yarra - a research project and community discussion about how community has historically driven social change.

In this episode, we continue our conversation about the implications of AUKUS (part I was broadcast in May) with Professor Marianne Hanson, who is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland and co-chair of The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

For more than four decades, the Sahrawi people have lived in exile, primarily in refugee camps in the harsh conditions of the Algerian desert. Despite these challenges, Sahrawi women have emerged as the backbone of their communities, driving both day-to-day survival and the broader struggle for self-determination.In this episode, we explore these stories of resistance with Gaby Alamin, a Sahrawi educator and member of the Australian-Western Saharan Association [awsa.org.au]. She was born and raised in the Sahrawi refugee camps in the Tindouf region in Algeria.

In today's episode, Professor Marianne Hanson, co-chair of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, joins us to discuss the increasing US-Australian military ties and the militarisation of Australian society and the education sector. This is a two-part interview; the second part will be broadcast in August.Later, we headed down to the University of Melbourne Gaza Solidarity encampment, which was led by students from the UniMelb for Palestine group. Gender studies student Liz joined us to discuss the military-research ties at the University of Melbourne. The group was the second group in Australia to join the international student intifada, calling on their universities to disclose, divest from weapons manufacturing, and boycott Israeli institutions.

This episode explores the impacts of repression, settler colonialism, and militarism in Kanaky (New Caledonia) ahead of Kanaky Invasion Day, September 24. The French colonised Kanaky in 1853.Since May 2024, the violent French occupation has intensified with increased military repression and significant deployment of French armed forces, raising concerns about the potential of genocide, the ongoing militarisation of the region and extrajudicial killings of Indigenous Kanak people as armed French civilian militias patrol the streets killing Kanak people at random.Sarah and Emma from the Free Kanaky Solidarity Naarm collective discuss the situation on the ground for Kanak people, in particular for Kanak women, in the face of what local feminists have warned could turn into a genocidal campaign. See below for an excerpt of a letter addressed to the world written by feminist organisations in Kanaky. "We, Kanak, Indigenous & allied women of Kanaky, appeal to your international feminist solidarity in response to the violent situation we are currently experiencing on our lands. This situation is the result of colonisation, starting from France’s taking possession of the land in 1853, followed by successive ‘civilising’ interventions by the army to ‘pacify’ the Kanak (then considered to be savages), and of an accelerated recolonisation via settler colonialism orchestrated by the French state. This situation has been reshaped along neoliberal lines since 2020 with the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu under Emmanuel Macron."Since 13 May 2024 we have been subjected to an extensive operation of colonial repression, including the massive deployment of French armed forces to a country already undergoing a process of militarisation.In particular, we are sounding the alarm over:- the risk of genocide identified through various markers- the need to reopen Nouméa's airports and commercial flights for the well-being of all."You can read the full letter here, published in May 2024.

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Katia Schwartz about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and its recent amendments excluding disabled people from accessing sex work services. We’re joined on the show by Katia who is a Deaf, professional erotic performer and career sex worker since 2008. She is also the National Programs Manager at Scarlett Alliance and on the Board of Touching Base. As a member of the disability, sex work and queer communities, Katia is a strong public advocate for inclusion, anti-discrimination and destigmatisation of marginalised groups. Please note that this episode mentions whorephobia and ableism. Transcript available here. Photo by Natasha Killeen.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners, please be advised that this program includes references to state violence and colonisation. If you need to talk to someone about the issues covered in the program you can contact: 13 YARN (13 92 76) which is a dedicated 24/7 national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Lifeline 13 11 17On this week’s episode we speak to Raelene Cooper, Mardudhunera Traditional Owner from the Mardudhunera coast line and in-land areas. Raelene is the former chair of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, and is one of the leaders of the Save Our Songlines campaign, which fights to protect Murujuga Country also known as the Burrup Peninsula in so-called Western Australia from destruction and desecration. The Murujuga petroglyphs are a sacred part of culture and Ngurra (Country) and the rock art is more than 40 000 years old, and contains important cultural and spiritual knowledge.In this conversation, Raelene speaks about the significance of Murujuga Country; the impact that over-development and seismic blasting are having on wildlife, Aboriginal culture and the climate; fighting both governments and industry, as well as her recent appearance at a public hearing for the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee inquiry into the Protecting the Spirit of Sea Country Bill.

On this episode, we listen to part of a speech by Dr Samah Sabawi, award-winning playwright, author and poet from Gaza city Palestine who lives and works in Naarm, speaking at a Free Palestine Rally on the 11 August 2024. We then hear from Kaushi, a feminist and activist based in Thailand and one of the founders of the group Chiang Mai for Palestine. Kaushi talks about organising for Palestine in Thailand, her ongoing activism in this space and the impact the group is hoping to have. This conversation first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on 6 August 2024.

On this episode of Women on the Line we’re looking at the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in prison as well as the current policies and systemic structures that focus on over-policing and criminalizing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and young girls. We first hear an excerpt from a press conference that followed the event ‘Truth Telling Yarns: Women in Prison that was held on the 26 June in Canberra. We hear speeches by Senator Lidia Thorpe and Debby Kilroy, the CEO of Sisters Inside. This excerpt was aired on 3CR’s Tuesday Breakfast 9 July. Then, we hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women inside Dame Phyllis Frost Prison. 3CR Broadcaster Shiralee Hood hosted this conversation as part of the Beyond the Bars series during NAIDOC week in early July.

In this episode of Women on the Line, we hear from Violet - a non-binary, queer activist from Myanmar currently based in Thailand. Violet tells us about their experience as a queer activist in Myanmar, the circumstances that forced them to relocate to Thailand, how the civil war has impacted the already marginalised queer community in Myanmar, and what they hope the future will look like for their community. You can follow Violet on Instagram @montheviolet

On this week’s episode, we speak to Nina from Flat Out and the Formerly Incarcerated Justice Advocates (FIGJAM) Collective as well as Monique Hurley from the Human Rights Law Centre. We speak about their report, Ending state-perpetrated sexual violence in prisons, a Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Justice Responses to Sexual Violence: Issues Paper published in May 2024. More specifically, Nina and Monique discuss the dehumanising, traumatising and humiliating practice of strip searching in prison and how it is being weaponized against women as a tool of coercive control.Listeners are advised that this conversation covers topics such as state violence and sexual violence so please take care when listening. If these subjects bring up anything difficult, listeners can contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. Additionally, you can reach out to your community and networks for support and care.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear from sex worker artists Rogelio Ruckus, Kayla Tange, and Daphne Nguyen speak to the erotic labour of art, family and futurity. This panel was held as part of ‘The Whore Gaze’– an exhibition curated by Elizabeth Dayton and Kim Ye at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. The exhibition showcased film, videos and a panel that celebrate the legacy of sex workers as visionaries reimagining representations of care, labor, and sovereignty. It was held on International Whore’s Day June 2nd last month.The featured song on today’s show was ‘All are syllables of a great tongue’ from Papaphillia’s album ‘Remembrance of things to come’.

On this episode of Women on the Line, we head to the Pride In Protest conference ‘Provocations’, which was held on Gadigal Land earlier this month. On International Whore’s Day, June 2nd, Asian migrant sex workers, Damien, Bee and NaMon spoke at the ‘Asian Migrants Sex Workers against the Border Force, racism and deportation!’ panel. Today we hear a portion of the conversation with Bee and NaMon speaking about the anti-immigration and anti-sex worker operation called ‘Project Inglenook’; the pros and cons of Decriminalization; and the harms of anti-trafficking laws on the migrant worker community in ‘so-called-australia’.Content warning: mild swearing, description of police raids and violence against sex workers.

Trish Hepworth, Deputy CEO for the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and Dr Sarah Mokrzycki, academic in children's literature and creative writing at Victoria University, speak to Frances about the Cumberland city council’s ban of same-sex parenting books in May this year, its reversal, and the importance of free access to information and diverse representation. This conversation first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on 21 May 2024.Rohen from Pride in Protest speaks to Phuong about the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras's decision to bar politicians from attending Mardi Gras if they oppose the Equality Bill, a bill that would expand rights of trans and gender diverse people in NSW. This conversation first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on 4 June 2024.

On this week’s episode, we speak to Sanne de Swart, Coordinator of the Nuclear Free Collective at Friends of the Earth Melbourne, and has been part of the anti-nuclear struggle since 2011 when she joined the ‘Walk Away from Uranium Mining’ event in solidarity with Aboriginal people to push for a ban on uranium mining in Western Australia. With the Coalition’s power plan having thrust nuclear energy into the public sphere, I spoke to Sanne about the realities of this proposal, the dangers of nuclear energy and radioactivity as well as the long history of First Nations activism and organising against the nuclear and uranium mining industries. This conversation first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on June 25 2024.//Resources:Don't Nuke the Climate websiteDon't Nuke the Climate Facebook PageDon't Nuke the Climate Instagram Page Friends of the Earth's statement on the climate announcement and Gippsland says NO to nuclear petition. Wendy Farmer from Voices of the Valley and Friend's of the Earth's Yes 2 Renewables. Australian Conservation Foundation has an email the Coalition action and just published two reports Power games: Assessing coal to nuclear proposals in Australia (30-page report)Why nuclear power will never be right for Australia (10 page report) Please follow Nuclear Free Collective Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and spread the word as far and wide as you can.

According to a 2021 report by the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing, women on temporary visas experiencing family and domestic violence have been recognised as a particularly marginalised and at-risk cohort. On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Peggy Kerdo, an experienced human rights lawyer practising mainly in immigration and refugee law, about working with clients on temporary partner visas, the barriers they face when trying to get help, what supports are available and how the government can do better to protect these women.

On this week’s episode, we speak to Emily Duyên Đặng about her photovoice gallery project, Overcoming this Grief: Stories from Vietnamese women surviving family violence in Australia. Through photos and text presented in Vietnamese and English, these women share their experiences of migration, family violence and finding safety. In this conversation, Emily talks about her research into family violence within the Vietnamese context here in so-called Australia, she shares stories from the women who participated in the photovoice gallery, and we touch on the systemic injustices that can place survivors in further harm.Please note that the following discussion will contain references to abuse/violence. If you are impacted by any of the themes covered in this program, you can reach out to:InTouch: a family violence service working with migrant and refugee women and their communities,1800 755 988 (9am – 5pm)Safe Steps: a 24/7 family violence crisis response phone line for women and children, 1800 015 188 (24/7)1800 RESPECT

On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Cher Tan, who is an essayist, critic and editor based in Narrm. She previously lived in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide and Singapore, where she was born and raised. Cher Tan recently published her first book titled ‘Peripathetic: Notes on (un)belonging’ through UNSW Press. She chats about (un)belonging, the internet and writing her first book. You can find both print and e-book editions online and at various bookstores.

This week we head to Istanbul to speak with Tan Safi, a member of the Media Team for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is an international grassroots solidarity movement which is aiming to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and deliver 5,500 tonnes of vital humanitarian aid by sea. Tan provides an update on what is happening now that the Flotilla has been unable to set sail on its scheduled departure date of April 26 due to having its flag or legal registration revoked by the state of Guinea-Bissau. We also hear excerpts of Freedom Flotilla Coaltion organiser Huwaida Arraf speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on April 27. To follow the Freedom Flotilla Coalition visit https://freedomflotilla.org/ or find them on socials:Twitter/XInstagramFacebookYoutube You can also make a donation to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition here. Women on the Line spoke with Tan on May 1.

On this week’s episode we speak with human rights activist Khadija Gbla. Khadija was born in Sierra Leone and spent their youth in Gambia before coming to Australia. We talk about their experiences living at the intersections of disability, neurodivergence, queerness and Blackness, their activism in these spaces, and their hopes for young people like themselves. A note that this conversation covers difficult topics including racism, ableism, childhood abuse, Indigenous deaths in custody, and police brutality against Black and Indigenous people. If these subjects bring up anything difficult for you, you can contact 1800 RESPECT or Lifeline on 13 11 14. Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander listeners can also call 13 YARN.

On this episode of Women on the Line we continue our conversation with Yeoreum and Udie from Scarlet ChaCha– a sex worker-led organisation in South Korea. On 2 January 2023, the Mayor of Paju announced that he would demolish Paju’s red light district ‘Yongjugol’ within a year. In November last year the demolition commenced, and Scarlet ChaCha has been actively showing up in person for sex workers in Paju’s Yongjugol – protesting on the streets, creating signage to raise political awareness and supporting sex workers. Today we hear the final episode of a two-part series about what’s happening in Paju’s red light district and about the work Scarlet ChaCha is doing in South Korea. You can listen to the first episode of this series here. Our interview with Scarlet ChaCha members was translated by Yeonhoo. You can support Scarlet ChaCha by donating to their mutual aid request @choyeonhoo via paypal. All funds will go directly to sex workers who are impacted by the demolition. Please note there is discussion of state violence in this episode.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear from Yeoreum and Udie from Scarlet ChaCha – a sex worker-led organisation in South Korea. On 2 January 2023, the Mayor of Paju announced that he would demolish Paju’s red light district ‘Yongjugol’ within a year. In November last year the demolition commenced, and Scarlet ChaCha has been actively showing up in person for sex workers in Paju’s Yongjugol – protesting on the streets, creating signage to raise political awareness and supporting sex workers. Today we hear the first episode of a two-part series about what’s happening in Paju’s red light district and about the work Scarlet ChaCha is doing in South Korea.Our interview with Scarlet ChaCha members was translated by Yeonhoo. You can support Scarlet ChaCha by donating to their mutual aid request @choyeonhoo via paypal. All funds will go directly to sex workers who are impacted by the demolition. Please note there is discussion of state violence in this episode.

This week on the program we speak with Danielle from Save Public Housing Collective about the Victorian State Government plan to 'retire and transform' 44 public housing towers in narrm Melbourne.While the state government is selling the scheme as an opportunity for improvement and renewal, those against the plan describe a poorly thought through strategy with zero consultation of residents, few answers on where displaced tenants will go and underlying questions around the privatisation of public housing and the motivations of accessing high value inner city real estate.Danielle speaks with us about community resistance to the plan, and the push to create viable public housing.You can find Save Public Housing Collective on twitter, Instagram, facebook or their website, and donate to their campaign fundraiser here.The song which closes this episode is "Inside My Kitchen" by Tiddas.

On this week’s episode we hear from Dacia Abela, lawyer and program manager at Naarm-based Community Legal Centre WEstjustice, about economic abuse in the context of family violence. Dacia takes us through what this looks like on a practical level, the intersections of culture and gender, how CLCs are working to help victim-survivors and raise awareness, and what can be done better to support victim-survivors across the country. This conversation covers sensitive topics dealing with family violence and violence against women. If these subjects bring up anything difficult, listeners can contact 1800 RESPECT or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

On this week’s episode we bring you an excerpt from the Teachers for Palestine Forum called ‘Why There’s No ‘Neutrality’ on Genocide’ that took place in Naarm earlier this year on January 22nd 2024. We play a speech delivered by Samah Sabawi, who is a Palestinian award-winning author, playwright and poet. This forum was organised by Teachers and School Staff for Palestine.Later in the show, we play an excerpt from a discussion with three people working in the education space on the importance of teaching about Palestine. Natalie is a doctoral candidate in education, teacher, and one of the organising members of Teachers and School Staff for Palestine; Dana is a Palestinian secondary school maths teacher; and Claire is a secondary school humanities teacher. This interview first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on 16 January 2024.

On this episode of Women on the Line we pay tribute to Cecilia Gentili. She was a mother and sister to many transwomen, migrant women, sex workers and the wider LGBTIQA+ community in New York City and globally. On 6 February 2024, she passed away leaving a burning legacy of love and sisterhood amongst the trans and queer community. We hear snippets from her funeral service held at St Patrick's Cathedral on the 15 February in NYC.

This week on the program we take a deep dive into Victoria’s parole system.First we hear an interview by 3CR Broadcaster Priya Kunjan with Karen Fletcher, Executive Officer of Flat Out about the impact of compounding and increasing barriers to parole on incarcerated people in Victoria.Then we hear Marisa from 3CR’s Doin Time show speaking with Sarah Schwartz, manager of the Wirraway Police and Prison Accountability Practice at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and lecturer at Melbourne Law School about the upcoming coronial inquest into the November 2021 death in custody of Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman Heather Calgaret.The recent statement issued by Heather’s family and VALS ahead of the inquest can be found here.

On this week’s episode we talk about birth trauma, why so many women and birthing people in so-called Australia are experiencing it, and how it can be avoided. We revisit a conversation with Naarm-based birth educator Vanessa Shribman from August 2023, a few months after New South Wales began its inquiry into birth trauma, which received over 4000 submissions. The inquiry found that 1 in 3 women experiences birth trauma with some of the main reasons being high rates of medical interventions causing alternative risk, lack of consent from birthing people before initiating medical procedures, midwives being overworked and burning out, and a lack of continuity of care.Vanessa’s work aims to empower women with the knowledge they need to know their rights, trust their bodies, and advocate for themselves in a medical system that is failing them. This conversation first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on 22 August 2023.

Larrakia, Kungarakan, Gurindji and French writer and performer Laniyuk joins us to discuss the campaign to return Lee Point to Larrakia Care, as well as the history of the Australian and US defence forces' militarised occupation of Larrakia Country. Interspersed through this conversation, you’ll also hear from several Larrakia women - Jamilah Mills, Arbei Talbot, Hayley Mcadam, Aunty Aly Mills, and Arbei Adjrun - who have lent their voices and stories to the fight, using audiovisual storytelling as a medium to convey the significance of Larrakia people’s relationship with Country as a foundation for community and cultural strength, and to ensure Larrakia futures.Sign the petition to return Lee Point to Larrakia people's care here, and watch some of the storytelling by Larrakia people about their connections to Country and what makes Lee Point so significant here on Laniyuk’s Instagram page.

On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Ryan and Sangwon from Bae Collective 배 컬렉티브. This collective aims to connect and build a community of Korean queer and trans folks who are living, working or studying in Naarm (Melbourne, so-called Australia). We chat about the dreams of Bae Collective and also this lunar new year of the Wood Dragon which officially kicked off on the 10 February this year.  The feature song on our episode was 'I'll remember me for you, I'll remember for me, I'll remember for you' by Yaeji.

This week on the program we hear from two of the speakers at the narrm Melbourne Invasion Day rally held on January 26.First we hear from Gunditjmara, Girai Wurrung and Djab Wurrung woman Sissy Austin.Then we hear the first part of a speech by Gunggari woman Dr Raelene Nixon, speaking about the death of her son Steven Lee Nixon-McKellar in police custody in Toowoomba in October 2021.#Justice4StevieLee

On this week’s episode we hear from Jaya Keaney, author of Making Gaybies: Queer Reproduction and Multiracial Feeling, published with Duke University Press. Jaya is a lecturer in Gender Studies at the University of Melbourne, where she researches and teaches in the areas of feminist science studies, queer studies, and queer of colour theory.  We speak to Jaya about her book, the complexities and intersections of race and queerness when creating queer families, how queer couples have to 'make do' when creating families, and the future of queer family making in so-called Australia.

On this week’s episode we look into the prison industrial complex in so-called Australia and how private companies profit from the prison system. In particular, we focus on the high cost of phone calls and how this is impacting families and communities. Across the country, calls are free via payphones but in Victoria’s prisons they cost $7 and are limited to 12 minutes.We speak to Sarah Schwartz, Principal Managing Lawyer of the Wirraway Practice at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, and Monique Hurley, Managing Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, about the layers of privatisation and profit in the prison system, the exploitation of incarcerated people, and the importance of investing in the community.

On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Lena Chen, a Chinese-American artist and scholar currently pursuing PhD in performance studies at UC Berkeley and her creative practice and academic work looks at Asian womanhood in the diaspora. Today we chat about her draft paper, ‘Performing Power: Asian American Resistance through BDSM’ and the online game ‘Only Bans’ she created to address surveillance of sex workers online.Content warning that we do speak about Asian fetishization and racism. Featured song on this episode is 'Finally' by M.I.A.

This week on the program we head to Far North Queensland to hear about a grassroots First Nations response supporting remote communities impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.We speak with Butchulla and Woppaburra woman Samala Thakialee Cronin in Gimuy Cairns about the work she and others undertook in collaboration with Meanjin Brisbane based, female-led, Blak small business Dreamtime Aroha in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.Community worked together to to fly much needed supplies from Cairns north to Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation in Cooktown with the help of Daintree Air Services to provide support for remote communities on the Cape impacted by flooding, including people evacuated from Wujal Wujal.Women on the Line spoke with Samala on December 28th. For the most up to date information on how to support the community response check out the Dreamtime Aroha facebook page or Instagram.

On this week’s episode, we continue with our coverage of the ongoing genocide in Palestine.Firstly, we hear from Sofia Sabbagh, Palestinian-Irish artist, who speaks to us about the recent action at ABC HQ in Naarm/Melbourne where 40 creators produced portraits of Palestinian journalists who had been murdered by the Israeli Occupation Forces. These portraits were pasted to the ABC building and then torn down in what the collective called ‘Double Erasure’.Later in the show, we hear from Lana Laham, Palestinian-Mauritian activist with the Sit-Intifada. Lana recently spoke about shared struggle, resistance and liberation at the Free Palestine rally in Naarm/Melbourne on Sunday 17th December. You can join the Sit-Intifada everyday on the steps of Parliament from 7am-9pm. Follow them on Instagram - @thesitintifada. To keep up to date with upcoming actions and events calling for a Free Palestine, make sure you follow Free Palestine Melbourne and APAN.

For this week’s episode, we hear from Yassmin Abdel-Magied on the war in Sudan and later in the show, we hear from Francesca Albanese on the ongoing genocide in Palestine.Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-born author, broadcaster and award-winning social advocate. She runs the website eyesonsudan.net, amplifying the voices of resistance movements on the ground in Sudan. In this conversation, Yassmin provides context to this latest conflict in Sudan and explains the role of neo-imperialism in this war. This interview originally aired on Tuesday Breakfast on the 14th and 21st of November 2023.Francesca Albanese is a highly respected human rights lawyer, researcher and author. She has worked for over twenty years as a human rights expert for the United Nations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees. In 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Francesca Albanese as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. This speech was recorded at the Blak Solidarity gathering for Palestine held at Dardi Munwurro in Naarm/Melbourne on November 18th 2023.

On this week's episode we bring you a conversation I had with Nisha Thapliyal, an academic at the University of Newcastle who is researching social justice activism in the contemporary Indian diaspora, and Saba Zaidi Abdi, a Muslim journalist, creative director and actor from India who has lived in Australia for over 30 years, on the Hindu nationalist government in India and the escalating violence against Muslims in India. This conversation first aired on 3CR Tuesday Breakfast on 8 August 2023.

On this episode of Women on the Line we are diving into current issues in Disability Justice. As we head into holiday season and peak covid period, we listen to Iris Lee’s (3CR Broadcaster) interview with Farida about their experience with long-covid and the failure of the Australian healthcare system. We then hear Priya Kunjan’s 3CR Thursday Breakfast interview with Independent queer researcher Dr Shoshana Rosenberg about disability and trans solidarity with Palestine in the face of Israel's ongoing violent occupation. You can listen to the full interviews in the links above. This last interview covers some distressing content about genocide and state violence. If you need to speak to someone you can call  Lifeline on 13 11 14, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners can call 13 YARN, and queer listeners can call QLife on 1800 184 527.The featured song on this episode is Wattani by all-girl Palestinian hip hop collective Ettijah. Podcast feature image by Sky Cubacub.

This week on the program we bring you part of an online teach-in from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network called “How to talk about Gaza right now.”The teach-in took place on Friday December 1st following the end of the brief cease fire in Gaza and features Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, Dr Lana Tatour and writer Samah Sabawi with Associate Professor Jumana Bayeh facilitating the conversation.You can watch the full recording of the online teach-in here.

Ruby Hamad on the historic dehumanisation of Arabs and Muslims in the west, how that has impacted Israel's ongoing occupation and genocide in Palestine, and gaslighting as a tool for upholding Western power structures. Ruby Hamad is a Syrian-Lebanese author and academic with a journalism background. She is in the second half of a PhD in media studies at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Her best-selling debut book WHITE TEARS/BROWN SCARS traces the role that White Womanhood and feminism have played in the development of Western power structures. The non-fiction book was inspired by her viral 2018 essay 'How White Women Use Strategic Tears to Silence Women of Colour'.

For this week’s episode, we speak with Rosa Campbell who is an historian and writer. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge and is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Edinburgh. She works on the global history of feminism. She writes often for a public audience recently at Overland, Meanjin, The White Review and Public Books. She leads public history projects with cultural institutions. In this episode, Rosa uses the digital map she has created for Overland to take us through the history of women’s sport and fitness culture in Sydney and around the world; the role of sport in women’s liberation movements; and how the historical struggle for cis women in sport is linked to the current struggle for trans women in sport.

On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Fijian Australian-born artist Yasbelle Kerkow (iTaukei Fijian vasu Batiki, Lomaiviti), who is one of the lead artists for Kal Angam-Kal: Stories from West Papua. Kal Angam Kal illuminates the little-known history of exiled West Papuan Elders residing in Narrm through the unique lens of the community's youth. Yasbelle has collaborated with West Papuan artist, Cyndi Makabory (Biak and Waropen), to bring this project to life.The exhibition features new film works in which six young community members conduct interviews with their chosen Elders. Kal Angam-Kal is the first film exhibition to tell the stories of the West Papuan community by the community in Narrm. The show will be debuting at Footscray Community Arts on the 1st November and will run until the 28th January 2024. Follow Kal Angam-Kal on instagram and visit footscrayarts.com for more information.

This week on the program we bring you the voices of speakers from two Free Palestine rallies held in Narrm, Melbourne.We hear speeches from the rally at the State Library on Sunday 15th October, including rally MCs Noura and Hajar, Palestinian playwright, poet and author Samah Sabawi and Mai Saif, member of Free Palestine Melbourne and the Palestinian Community Association of Victoria.We also hear from Jordy Silverstein, member of Loud Jew Collective, who spoke at the earlier Free Palestine snap action on October 10th.Free Palestine MelbourneAustralia Palestine Advocacy NetworkAPAN tool to contact your local representatives

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear snippets from Shiralee Hood and Leah House who recently presented on the panel ‘Sovereignty in the time of the Voice’ held in Narrm on the 28 September. Alongside Shiralee and Leah, the panel also included Robbie Thorpe and Keiran Stewart-Assheton. Shiralee and Leah touch on themes of Aboriginal Sovereignty, the upcoming referendum, Black Deaths in Custody and the historical fights for land rights and Aboriginal sovereignty from the 60’s til now. You can watch the full panel discussion via Renegade Activists Youtube Channel. The referendum for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is happening on 14 October 2023. The audio was recorded as part of Renegade Activists and 3CR by Mercedes Zanker, presenter of 3CR's Uprise Radio.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear about current issues faced by migrant and refugee women in both the workplace and more broadly in society in ‘so-called-Australia’. Phương Tran from 3CR Tues Breakfast chats with Dr Ellen Cho, Lecturer at Monash University, about her co-authored report detailing the experiences of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds in Victorian local councils. We then hear Kannagi Bhatt from 3CR Tuesday Breakfast chat with Rati and Lavanya from the Refugee Women Action for Visa Equality. Rati and Lavanya marched alongside a group of women from refugee backgrounds from Narrm/Melbourne to Parliament House in Canberra to advocate for permanent visas and freedom for refugees on the 25th of September. The song featured on this episode is 'K I'm Mortal' by KIMMORTAL. Note that this song has a language warning of the F word.

On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Iranian-born, Narrm based, visual artist and fine art photographer, Ramak Bamzar, about her show Pro Femina. Pro Femina is currently being exhibited as part of the Ballarat International Photo Biennale at the Art Gallery of Ballarat until 22 October this year. Her show features new works which comment on women involved in the Iranian uprisings of 2022, as well as selected works of her photograph series Moustachioed Women and Rhinoplastic Girls. We discuss themes such as Iranian culture and aesthetics, beauty in brutality and brutality in beauty and Iranian women’s resistance and fight for freedom. Ramak Bamzar (born. 1980) is an Iranian-born visual artist and fine art photographer based in Narrm (Melbourne), Australia. Her work explores how cultural and religious norms can shape women's beliefs, values, and behaviours and influence their sense of self-worth and agency.In her works, Bamzar also investigates the influence of the male gaze on women's beauty and fashion and its consequences on women's self-esteem and self-image. Women who do not conform to these restrictive beauty standards may feel pressured to conform, leading to feelings of inadequacy, shame, and low self-esteem. Bamzar completed a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art– Photography in Tehran and her Master of Fine Arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 2022.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear from Alejandra Munoz, project officer at Dutch peace organisation PAX. She is currently leading the Don't Bank on the Bomb research, a joint project by PAX and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Alejandra spoke about PAX/ICAN's latest report, 'Moving Away from Mass Destruction', and the role that financial institutions play in the anti-nuclear weapons movement. We then hear from Emma, a primary school teacher based in Narrm/Melbourne, about the increased militarisation of the school curriculum and the involvement of nuclear weapons companies in these programs.

This week on Women on the Line, Dr. Shih Joo (Siru) Tan and Professor Marie Segrave discuss their study into migrant and refugee women's experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace. And later in the show, we play a poem by freelance writer Karen Wyld for this year's Red Room Poetry.

On this episode of Women on the Line we are looking at ‘Reproductive Justice among migrants and refugees in so-called-Australia. Earlier in May, the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health held a webinar looking at advancing gender equality in reproductive justice. We hear highlights from two presentations. Syahir (they/them) who is an abortion care doctor and advocate living and working in Garmilla/Darwin NT presents on abortion care among migrant and refugees in Garmilla/Darwin. We then hear from Giang Tran, Research Advocacy and Policy officer from the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health present on International Student experiences in intimate partner violence, sexual violence and accessing reproductive care services in ‘so-called-australia’.

This week on Women on the Line, we hear a presentation by Nilüfer Koç, from the Kurdish National Congress, who spoke at the Ecosocialism 2023 conference. Her talk Women, Life and Freedom discussed the history of the Kurdish Women’s Freedom Movement and the new challenges facing the revolution.

This week we speak with Noura Mansour, who is the Community Organising and Advocacy Lead at the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN). In this discussion, Noura speaks to us about Palestinian resistance and sumud in its many forms; the responsibility of the media when reporting on the Israeli occupation of Palestine; and actions that the wider community can take to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Nerita Waight looks at Victoria’s broken bail laws, and Mariam Issa shares her journey from trauma to empowerment.Nerita Waight is the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.Mariam is a storyteller, life coach and author.

This week on Women on the Line we are covering the recent abrupt cancellation of The Asian American Literature Festival in Washington DC on Turtle Island. We spoke with Liminal Founder and Editor, Leah Jing McIntosh as well as writer Hasib Hourani, who are currently over on Turtle Island and who were expected to attend the festival alongside 8 Asian-Australian and Aotearoa-based writers. You can learn more about the campaign to hold the Smithsonian accountable to the Asian-American literature community by following the Asian American Literature Collective on instagram. Checkout their community action toolkit here.

This week on the program we speak with Tasneem Roc and Chue, campaign managers for the Myanmar Campaign Network, a national coalition of aid organisations, unions, human rights groups, faith based groups and Myanmar diaspora organisations under the auspices of Union Aid Abroad APHEDA.Tasneem and Chue speak about what has been happening in Myanmar, the situation for political prisoners, and the ongoing Civil Disobedience Movement, as well as the MCN’s call for targeted sanctions from Australia to cut off the flow of money to the military junta.Further information about the situation for political prisoners in Myanmar can be found at this report from the Assitance Assocation for Political Prisoners.The song A Yay Kyi Pi (Thway thitsar) used in this episode can be found here.

This week we discuss self-disclosure, a behaviour that on the surface sounds harmless but when done excessively can be overwhelming for the listener and pretty awkward for the sharer. Clinical psychologist and Professor Kim Felmingham helps us understand this common albeit embarrassing habit.And later in the program, Kristin O'Connell and Priya Kunjan discuss Australia's rising cost of living and its impact on people living in poverty. Kristin O'Connell is the research and policy expert at the Antipoverty Centre and Priya Kunjan is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Priya also presents Thursday Breakfast and Women on the Line.

On this week’s episode, we chat with Daisy: a Narrm based family violence lawyer and queer parent of a newborn who has recently had to navigate the medical maternity system. Daisy joins us on the show to share with us her observations on the lack of continuity of care for birthing people; the learning and unlearning that was required to avoid a traumatic birthing experience; and the similarities she noticed between the maternity system and her field of work.

This week on the show, Marjorie Anderson, the National Manager at 13YARN, discusses cultural safety, and later in the program, we hear an interview that Women on the Line programmer Emma Hart did with Tuffy Morwitzer from the Goongerah Environment Centre.

On this episode of Women on the Line we are covering International Whore’s Day, which was on Friday 2 June. This year’s theme was ‘Access to Justice’. Scarlett Alliance, held a webinar featuring national and international speakers addressing issues faced by migrant workers and calling for improved immigration policies in ‘so-called-Australia’ and globally. We hear how anti-trafficking laws and media portrayals further harm migrant sex workers, especially asian migrant sex workers. Speakers include: Mish Pony (CEO of Scarlett Alliance), Bee – a bilingual peer educator at Vixen, Mon from Scarlett Alliance's Asian Migrant Sex Workers’ Advisory Group, and Anna Pickering from the Tamaki Makaurau New Zealand Prostitutes Collective.

This week on the program we speak with Professor Kyllie Cripps (@CrippsKyllie), Director of Monash Indigenous Studies Centre and Palawa woman, about new research she has published on systemic racism embedded in the deaths of 151 Aboriginal women.Kyllie’s research examines police failures in relation to their role as first responders to situations of intimate partner violence against Indigenous women.Her article Indigenous women and intimate partner homicide in Australia: confronting the impunity of policing failures is published in Current Issues in Criminal Justice. Our episode today has a content warning for intimate partner violence against Indigenous women and racism. If you need support in relation to today's episode, you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 141800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732If you are an Aboriginal person in Victoria who is experiencing or has experienced family violence you can call Djirra on 1800 105 303

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Calev, an illustration and comic artist. They chat with us about their art practice as well as their recent art poster titled No Cops at Pride featured as part of the Gender Garden Exhibition. We then hear snippets from the Pride Street Party 3CR broadcast with PX Whanua and Tongan Cheek,which was held on Sunday 12 February this year.

On this week’s episode, we speak with Vina, Mayy, Farhana and Fazilat from An.Other Collective, a creative community that navigates the intersection of faith, identity and culture.  An.Other Collective is a group of Muslim women creatives who are forming social connections and collaborating with each other to push back against the image and idea of a creative and design industry that is exclusive, white and dominated by cis men. In this interview, we talk about the beauty of connecting with people with shared experiences; the radical nature of rest and unproductivity under capitalism; and the tensions and complexities of cultural identity. Instagram: @an.othercollective Image supplied by An.Other Collective

This week on the program we immerse ourselves in the world of queer culture shaping, sex-positive zine Wicked Women, which ran from 1988-1996. The occasion is the Queer Gaze exhibition at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda in Narrm.The exhibition showcases images from the Wicked Women Collection at AQUA, the Australian Queer Archives, and this is the first public showing of some of the images for many years.We speak with Lisa Salmon, one of the founders of Wicked Women, as well as hearing the voices of people who came along to opening of the Queer Gaze exhibition on April 28.Queer Gaze: A Wicked Storytelling Event will be held on June 17.

This week, we speak with Sanmati Verma, a Managing Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre and a Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialist in immigration law. Sanmati is also currently an advisor to the United Workers Union, a board member of the Migrant Worker Centre and Deputy Chair of the national Visa Cancellation Working Group.  In this episode, Sanmati talks to us about the exploitation of migrant workers and the lack of protection currently offered to visa holders and undocumented workers, especially when trying to take action against wage theft or unfair treatment. We also discuss the report, 'Breaking the silence: A proposal for whistleblower protections to enable migrant workers to address exploitation', put together by the Migrant Justice Institute in collaboration with the Human Rights Law Centre.

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Melody, a member from Fired Up Stilettos based in Aotearoa. Fired Up Stilettos is a group of strippers fighting for improved Industry standards and independent contractor protections, nationwide.  Earlier this year Melody, alongside 18 other strippers were fired from Calender Girls Strip Club in Wellington after petitioning management for better labour rights. Sign their petition and support their campaign by visiting www.firedupstilettos.com.  Melody Montague is an arts and culture writer and former stripper from Te-Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), Aotearoa (New Zealand). She is one of nineteen strippers fired from Calendar Girls Wellington after petitioning management for better labour rights, and a founding member of the Fired Up Stilettos, who are fighting for improved working conditions for strippers and sex workers across Aotearoa.

This week on the program we hear an interview with Munanjahli, Yugambeh and South Sea Islander woman Dr Chelsea Watego (@drcwatego) about the silence surrounding the ongoing Senate Inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women.Dr Watego is Professor of Indigenous Health and Executive Director of the Carumba Institute at Queensland University of Technology and speaks with 3CR Broadcaster Grace Tan.Further information about what is happening to the Senate inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women can be found at this article on The Conversation by Amy McQuire, Chelsea Watego, David Singh and Elizabeth Strakosch.Amy McQuire's work on "presencing" can be found on her substack.Later in the show we feature speeches from Narrm Melbourne’s Trans Day of Visibility rally held on March 31st.We hear Fa'afafine and trans advocate Amao Leota Lu speaking about the need to protect trans women of colour and the trans community at large, and Sally Goldner (@salgoldsaidso) speaking on the fight against Nazis and trans rights.

On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Meri Leeworthy, cofounder of Radical Directory, a project aimed at creating a public online space for left grassroots activists. We discuss the ways in which big tech companies control and manipulate us through social media; the relationship between the Internet and capitalism; and the power of imagining online spaces for community created by and for grassroots activists. Featured song : Only U - Jemi GaleImage supplied by Meri Leeworthy

Recently I read a Twitter thread by Jinghua Qian in response to a Crikey article on conversion therapy in China. This thread got me thinking about how to talk and write about complex stories. What do we owe our readers and the people we write about?Today Jinghua joins me to build a case for ethical reporting. We also learn about their time in Shanghai writing for Sixth Tone and what they make of Australia’s reporting on China.

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Domina Jia, a sex worker and artist based in Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawai’i. We chat about their zine Be Easy Stay Safe vol.2 which features around 20 contributors from all facets of the sex worker industry including strippers/dancers, cam-models, sugar babies, dominatrixes and more. Find their work on instagram at @jinjavitus_  Featured song is ‘This Dyke’ by Kimmortal. Photos courtesy of Domina Jia.

This week on the program we speak with Kroft about L'université d'été euroméditerranéenne des homosexualités (UEEH), a gathering organised in France by and for LGBTIQ+ people.  For decades, the UEEH gathering has been run by and for LGBTIQ+ people and collectives to promote the development and sharing of tools to fight discrimination and for mutual empowerment. With a non-hierarchical and feminist approach to self-organising, the UEEH aims to be a welcoming and secure space where people can share experiences and create meaningful connections that are necessary on a personal and activist level. Looking beyond France ensures that the event prioritises global activism strategies and solidarity.

This week on Women on the Line, Juliette McAleer fights to be seen as a whole person, and Nikita Rotumah uses boxing to keep kids fit and safe.

This week on the program we speak with Umi Asaka and Tommy or Tomoki Fukui about the planned release of 1.3 million tonnes of water contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the ocean. The plant is owned by TEPCO, that’s the Tokyo Electric Power Company, and if it goes ahead the release of this water would continue for a period of 30 years. Umi and Tommy unpack the issues around the radioactive wastewater at Fukushima Daiichi - how the water came to be there and the dangers of releasing it; nuclear Imperialism across the Pacific; structural methods of silencing those who speak out against radioactive contamination caused by the disaster at Fukushima; and the powerful resistance taking place to stop the release of the wastewater, demand accountability for the disaster and fight further radioactive contamination.Shortly after we spoke for the program the plan to dump the contaminated water was put on hold for the time being - but it’s important to keep the pressure on until the plan is shelved for good. Voice your opposition to the release of the contaminated water by adding your name to the statement here and watch out for the day of action on April 13.

Today's show explores Palestinian movement building and solidarity between Palestinians and First Nations people in so-called Australia via edited excerpts from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network’s inaugural Palestine Solidarity Conference. The conference was held on Kulin Nations land in Melbourne from the 27th to the 29th of January.The first two segments are from the conference's opening plenary session, “Organising for Palestine on stolen land: Solidarity and Intersectionality,” chaired by APAN Vice President Nasser Mashni. These excerpts include comments from Senator Lidia Thorpe, Kim Bullimore, Micaela Sahhar, and Randa Abdel-Fattah. The third segment is from the closing plenary, "75 years of Nakba - What's next for the movement?" chaired by Lina Koleilat. This excerpt features comments from Noura Mansour, Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak, and others.

This week we mark Invasion Day, to do so we’ll go straight into speeches from Narrm’s Invasion Day Rally where we’ll hear from Gurnai/Kurnai and Gunditjmara woman Meriki Onus and Noongar woman Roxy Moore. Listen back to 3CR's Invasion Day 2023 broadcast.Afterwards, we’ll hear an interview with Bunuba, Walmajarri and Cornish/Scottish presenter Natalie Davey from community radio station Wangki Radio in Fitzroy Crossing, who joined Women on the Line presenter Emma Hart to speak about the impact of the recent flooding in the Kimberley.To support community lead recovery you can visit The Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre donation page:https://mwrc.com.au/pages/donations

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Heidi, Connie and Andra from Fortune – a print and space-making project, assembled by and for queer Asian publics. Tended to in Philadelphia. We chat about queer Asian publishing practices, our predictions for the upcoming lunar new year of the Water Rabbit/Cat and their upcoming lunar new year party.Find more about Fortune via their website or instagram.

As the year approaches a close we visit the ongoing protests for freedom in Iran. In honour of the protests under the slogan of Jin, Jiyan, Azadi which is Kurdish for woman, life, freedom, we visit the realm of Kurdish poetry, central to Kurdish culture, life and resistance.  We're joined by Kurdish/Celtic writer and dancer Leila Lois who shares some poetry and insights in honour of the protests in Iran that stem from the Kurdish struggle. In November she wrote an article for the Overland Journal on Kurdish women’s resistance in body and poetry.

Narrm Melbourne based label HER 他 is a music platform and event series founded and headed by DJ and musician Cloudy Ku which recently celebrated its three year anniversary. HER 他 is focussed around building and showcasing an incredible community of diverse artists, reaching deep into local scenes as well as to communities of musicians and listeners across Asia and Europe.  We speak with Cloudy about the journey of the label and hear her selections from the artists below. Female Wizard - Malachite @female_wizardXuri - Wompoo Dove @xuri_peMaggie Tra - Ladyship @mtraBetty Apple - Lucifer Morningstar @lovebettyapple HER 他 @hermusicequalityH3R.LIVE

Content warning: This episode touches on some distressing topics, including experiences of sexual assault. Support is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), the national counselling line for sexual assault, family and domestic violence. This episode features a discussion with anti-poverty advocates Aeryn Brown, Melissa Fisher and Mel, all of whom have experienced navigating Australia's circuitous social security system. Aeryn, Melissa and Mel speak about the realities of living below the poverty line and the importance of centring lived expertise in reforming the delivery of social security.  Aeryn's writing and interview features on poverty and social security:17 August 2019, 'Newstart and life on $40 a day: 'It's not living, it's surviving''7 June 2022, 'Cost of living: how to beat Australia's soaring inflation and cut your everyday expenses'14 October 2022, 'Break the Poverty Machine: the voices of Australia's poor (part 2)' Melissa's writing on poverty and social security:29 December 2021, 'The Covid supplement lifted me out of poverty. Then it was cut and my life went back to the way it was'18 March 2022, 'Centrelink's paltry increase doesn't cover inflation and condemns us further into debt'13 April 2022, 'I can't eat childcare or lower taxes. Australians in poverty have been thrown to the wolves by both parties' The image for this episode was made by Melissa, and you can find more of her art and support her creative practice here.

Today’s show explores the importance of centring the agency and right to choose of people with disability. First up, you’ll hear part of a conversation about disability discrimination and self-advocacy between Lisa Brumtis and Heather Smith, from the 2022 International Women’s Day episode of Raising Our Voices on 3CR, a program produced and presented by people with disabilities. Later on, you’ll hear an interview with Catherine McAlpine, CEO of Inclusion Australia, talking about decision making and the Disability Royal Commission. The discussion of disability discrimination during this show may be distressing for some listeners. If you need to speak to someone about this, you can call lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are at risk of domestic, family or sexual violence, please call 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732. For counselling support, or for referral to a counsellor or advocate near you, you can call the Disability Royal Commission counselling and referral service on 1800 421 468. You can also contact the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline to report concerns on 1800 880 052.

In this episode, we're joined by two of the co-directors of Youth Verdict, a youth-led climate activist group that just defeated Clive Palmer’s planned Waratah Coal mine, to talk about their victory and the importance of centring First Nations cultural rights and human rights in climate justice work. Murrawah Johnson is a Wirdi woman, co-director and First Nations program lead at Youth Verdict. Monique Jeffs is a white settler based in Meanjin, and is one of Youth Verdict’s original founders. You can keep up to date with Youth Verdict’s work on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Note: The podcast features an extended version of our on-air conversation with Murrawah and Monique, with an extra 10 minutes of discussion about the importance of First Nations-led climate action!

On this episode of Women on the Line we cover Trans Awareness Week, which was held from the 13 - 20 November. We head to Narrm’s first Trans Pride March, to hear from speakers Anastacia Le Rose and Mama Merrin and her son Jay. We then head to Trans Day of Remembrance to hear from Key Change Trans and Gender Diverse Choir as well as Witt Gorrie. The speakers touch on topics affecting the transgender community such as high rates of incarceration of Aboriginal trans women and trans women of colour, transphobia, safer school spaces, mental health and community-building.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners, please be advised that this program includes references to Indigenous people who have passed away. This show also covers themes that may be distressing to some listeners, including racial violence and domestic and family violence.  Support is available 24/7 at:Lifeline on 13 11 141800RESPECT (1800 737 732)13 YARN (13 92 76) - a dedicated national crisis line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people On this episode, we’re joined by Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman and PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, as well as a freelance writer and journalist. Amy speaks about her research and writing on media representations of the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Australia. Through her work, she re-frames Indigenous women as not missing but disappeared, turning the focus back onto the settler colonial state and criminal punishment system to look at the myriad ways that Indigenous women are failed, and by whom, when it comes to experiences of violence.You can read Amy's writing on her substack Presence. Please consider a paid subscription if you are able.

On this episode, we cover the National Day of Action to Close Don Dale and Abolish Youth Prisons, which was held on the 22 October 2022. We hear from Sara Schwartz, who works at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, speak at the Fund communities, not prisons & police rally organsed by Homes no Prisons on Wurunderji and Boon Wurruong Country. Then head to Larrakia Country to hear from Josie Crawshaw at the Close Don Dale rally.

Today we discuss the intersections of dwelling justice, incarceration, private land and the coloniality of housing.We hear an excerpt of Yuin woman and architectural design activist Linda Kennedy speaking at the Dwelling Justice Forum held in August 2022. You can listen to her full speech and others here.We then turn to a conversation about the Bendigo St documentary which chronicles a campaign to occupy a street of government-owned empty houses that were planned for demolition for the failed east-west link highway in Naarm/Melbourne. We sit down with documentary maker Jasmine Barzani, a Kurdish self-described troublemaker based in Naarm. She’s an anti-fascist, prison abolitionist, no borders activist, and she is completing her honour’s project at Melbourne University. She’s a visiting fellow at the Institute of Postcolonial Studies and on the steering group of the Homes not Prisons campaign.Bendigo St is crowd-funding to make a feature-length documentary, you can support the project on the documentary Australia website.

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Anna Weekes, an organiser from the Fossil Fuel Free Arts Northern Territory Campaign. The Fossil Fuel Free Arts NT crew have been campaigning for the Darwin Arts Festival to break up their long-term partnership with fossil fuel corporation Santos. We discuss their recent wins, artwashing, as well the impact of Santos in the Northern Territory.

Earlier this year the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, the 1973 ruling which protected abortion rights on a national level, unleashing a wave of repressive measures against abortion rights in conservative US states and increasing public focus on this area.This episode is the second part of a brief look at abortion rights. For part one, we looked beyond the USA to the situation for abortion rights in Poland, speaking with a member of Szpila Collective, an anarcha-feminist anti-repression collective based in Warsaw, working to support activists or other people who face repressions because of their political activity.This week on the program we continue that conversation closer to home, looking at abortion rights in so-called Australia. We speak with Dr Erica Millar, senior research fellow at La Trobe University, who provides a brief history of local abortion rights, an explanation of differences in state based abortion legislation, and perspectives on the impact of cultural perceptions of abortion on our current legal framework.If you're based in a rural area, the telehealth abortion and reproductive healthcare websites Erica mentions are Clinic 66 and Marie Stopes.

In this week’s episode of Women on the Line, we’re joined by Anne-lise Ah-fat, who has been involved in coordinating and editing a recently-released collection of poems by community members on the inside called ‘None Of Us Are Free Until All Of Us Are Free’. This is the second edition of poems from the inside published by Incendium Radical Library and Press, and has been in the making for over a year. The collection features creative writing from a range of contributors including Stacey Stokes, who kindly gave us permission to include her thoughts on writing as part of this episode and asked that Anne-lise read them out.Sales for ‘None Of Us Are Free Until All Of Us Are Free’ have been going towards supporting the Inside Out newsletter, a quarterly newsletter by and for LGBTIQ+ folks, sistergirls and brotherboys incarcerated in prisons or detention centres. You can help cover the costs of producing Inside Out and find out more by heading to Inside Out Solidarity Network on Facebook or visiting their website. Some other excellent initiatives providing support and resources to incarcerated community members:Sisters Inside's Free Her campaignBeyond Bricks and Bars: Trans Gender Diverse Decarceration ProjectIncarcerated Trans & Gender Diverse Community Fund

Earlier this year the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, the 1973 ruling which protected abortion rights across the US, unleashing a wave of repressive measures against abortion rights in conservative American states and increasing public and political focus on this area.This week on the program, we look beyond the USA to the situation for abortion rights in Poland.We speak with Alex from Szpila Collective, an anarcha-feminist anti-repression collective based in Warsaw, working to support activists or other people who face repression because of their political activity in Poland.To support the work of Szpila Collective by making a donation you can also reach them at:Szpila FacebookSzpila Twitterszpila (at) riseup (dot) netListeners should be aware that this episode contains discusison of domestic violence. If this conversation brings anything up for you, you can contact national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling service 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Content warning: this is a sensitive area of discussion and may be distressing for some listeners. Listeners can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800RESPECT 24/7. Listeners in the music industry or arts can also call Support Act’s wellbeing helpline 24/7 on 1800 959 500. Today’s show focuses on sexual harassment in the workplace, exploring the need for cultural change both within industries and as a society and looking at some of the legal mechanisms silencing people who have experienced these harms. First, we hear from Anne Jacobs, the National Welfare Manager at Australia’s music industry charity Support Act. Anne speaks about the ‘Raising Their Voices’ report, which presents the findings of an independent review into sexual harm, sexual harassment and systemic discrimination in the Australian contemporary music industry. After this, Emma Golledge, Director of the University of New South Wales’ Kingsford Legal Centre, unpacks some of the barriers to accountability and transparency faced by people who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace with a focus on non-disclosure agreements.

In this episode, we discuss the political importance of archiving the feminist struggle in Algeria. Launched in 2019, Archives des luttes des femmes en Algérie is a collective that provides digital and open access to documents from and by Algerian feminist activists, collectives, and associations since the North African country gained independence in 1962.Joining us to discuss the importance of archives for activism in Algeria, is researcher and activist Saadia Gacem, who, along with Awel Haouati and Lydia Saïdi, forms part of this collective. Saadia is a PhD candidate in the anthropology of law researching the repressive family code in Algeria.This interview was conducted in French, and it is voiced over in English by Aminata Diallo.The audio of the song heard at the end of the episode is from Femmes en Mouvement, a documentary filmed and produced in 1989 by Merzak Allouache. Available on YouTube (in French)To find out more please see:Blog: https://archivefemdz.hypotheses.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archivesfemmmesdz/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archivesfemmesdz/

On this week’s episode of Women on the Line we chat with Odissi dancers Divya Nair, Shreya Rath, Vaishnavi Srinivasan and Pranavi Annadurai from the Sohamasmi Centre for Performing Arts, all senior dance disciples of Odissi dancer and teacher Smt. Monica Singh Sangwan. Upcoming solo and duet performances are happening Saturday 17 and 24 September at Dancehouse and 1 October at Fairfield Amphitheatre, accompanied by a live Odissi music ensemble featuring Vaishnavi Srinivasan (Vocals), Senthuran Jogaratanam (Percussion/Mardala), Shri Murali Kumar / Anita Das (Violin) and Lakshmanan Madhu (Saraswati Veena), trained by Shri Achyuta Maharana from Puri, India. Tickets are available now at sohamasmi.org.

This week you’ll hear from a group of diverse young women challenging structures and systems and really shaking things up.We start the show with Dana Alshaer, a proud Palestinian who’ll educate us on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, also known as BDS. She also explains why some people are reluctant to support this movement.And later in the show, we’ll be joined by Danya, Razaz and Ladan, a trio whose teacher training bill passed in the Youth Parliament!

In today's show, we are joined by Marnie Vinall and Dr Kasey Symons to unpack some important issues around gender dynamics in sports reporting and commentary, and to reflect on the growth of the AFLW with a focus on the AFLW fandom. Marnie is a sports reporter at The Age based in Naarm/Melbourne. Kasey is an academic and writer also based in Naarm, and is a Research Fellow in the Sport Innovation Research Group at Swinburne University as well as a co-founder of the women in sport collective Siren Sport. The photograph above was shot by multimedia creative and member of Siren Sport Megan Brewer.

On this week’s episode of Women on the Line we chat with Zena Cumpston, a Barkandji woman who has curated the exhibition ‘Emu Sky’ currently being shown at Melbourne University. The exhibition brings together numerous Aboriginal artists and knowledge keepers to explore Aboriginal perspectives related to science, innovation, plant use, land management and agricultural practices. Emu Sky is currently being exhibited, with free entry, at the Old Quad building at Melbourne University from now until Sunday 21 August 2022. Visit the Emu Sky website for more information.

Journalist and activist Nicola Joseph discusses the differences between tokenism and media justice, and in the second half of the show researcher Shelly Makleff discusses Abortion care in Australia. We also look at what the end of Roe V Wade means for women and birthing people.To learn more about Shelly's study click here.