Lots of good news from Parliament House this week, including the “right to disconnect” Bill, the government’s new legislation to scrap “sexual reputation” as admissible evidence in sexual assault cases, plus Senator Raff Ciccone becoming the first father to bring his baby into the Senate. 

We end this ep with a wrap of the Grammys, which this year was all about women! Thank you for listening.

Stories included this week:

• ‘Sexual reputation’ would no longer be admissible as evidence in government’s proposed Bill
• Anthony Albanese calls for men to ‘take responsibility’ for Australia’s epidemic of violence against women
• Investors overwhelmingly backed all-male startup teams in 2023
• Want a better work-life balance? The new ‘right to disconnect’ legislation might help
• Jay-Z’s shout out to his wife: Why has Beyoncé never won Album of the Year at the Grammys?
• Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ reaches number one on iTunes, 36 years after its release
• ‘Rot in piss’: Phoebe Bridgers takes aim at former Recording Academy CEO over remarks about women
• The Grammys was all about women this year
• Kylie Minogue wins second Grammy in four-decade career

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: The epic fail on investing in female founders appeared first on Women's Agenda.

This week, Angela Priestley and Tarla Lambert look at the ABC’s first episode of its docuseries Nemesis, a three-part docuseries looking into the nine-year Coalition government in Australia. Plus, they discuss the neo Nazi group making an appearance in Sydney on Australia Day. 

Stories discussed this week include:

• E Jean Carroll suggests she will fund ‘something Trump hates’ after $83 million defamation ruling
• Right-wing personalities claim Taylor Swift is rigging 2024 presidential election
• Those working in the care sector remain largely ignored in Australia Day honours
• Dr Sabrin Farooqui receives OAM, as hundreds of Aussies are recognised for their service
• ‘Egregious invasion of privacy’: Taylor Swift’s name blocked on X after sexually explicit deepfakes go viral
• ‘Your body is always up for grabs’: Nine News photoshops Victorian MP Georgie Purcell’s body
• Adobe confirms edited image of Georgie Purcell would have required ‘human intervention’
• What we learnt from the first ep of Nemesis? That the Liberal Party is still as cooked as ever
• Neo-nazis in Artarmon? A stark reminder that none of us are immune from the politics of division

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: Why was the search term “Taylor Swift” blocked on X? appeared first on Women's Agenda.

In this week’s episode, Angela Priestley and Olivia Cleal discuss the Barbie snub at this year’s Oscar nominations, how climate change increases unplanned pregnancies, the stage three tax cuts and an inquiry into women’s pain in Victoria.

Stories discussed this week:

• ‘A better deal for working women’: Albanese unveils changes to Stage 3 tax cuts
• ‘Not everybody gets a prize’: Whoopi Goldberg defends Oscars after Barbie snub
• When did business meetings in saunas and ice baths become a thing
• New research finds women faced higher rates of unplanned pregnancies in 2022 Northern Rivers floods
• Men to take majority of tax cuts as women still fight for equal pay
• Oscars 2024: Barbie’s plot plays out in real life as Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie snubbed
• ‘It’s time we stopped treating women’s health like a niche issue’: Victoria launches inquiry into women’s pain

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: Barbie, climate change and business meetings in saunas appeared first on Women's Agenda.

In our first episode for 2024, we start with a couple of great wins, including Mar Galcerán becoming the first parliamentarian in Spain with Down syndrome, as well as Naomi Osaka’s open vulnerability about returning to tennis after childbirth.

It’s a record-breaking year for democracy around the world – but will we get proper representation of women leaders that we so desperately need? It doesn’t look like it. Plus – how on earth are Australia’s richest people making $1.5 million per hour? And how on earth do we stop it?

Stories from this week include:

• Mar Galcerán is Spain’s first parliamentarian with Down syndrome
• Naomi Osaka’s open vulnerability on tennis as a new mother is a win
• Men set to still dominate leadership this record-breaking election year but some firsts ahead for women
• Australia’s three richest people have made $1.5 million per hour since 2020. How on earth do we stop this?

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: New year, new women leaders? appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Urquhart said she set out to claim the record in some of the harshest and coldest conditions on earth to not only push the limits of her own body but also to inspire other women and girls. 

“By pushing my own physical boundaries in this world-record attempt I want to show young girls and women what’s possible when you harness the power of the body and mind,” said Urquhart. 

In order to prepare for the polar marathon, Urquhart trained for nine months, with her training involved running on a treadmill in a refrigerated shipping container that mimicked the conditions she would face. The container– basically a freezer– could be set to a temperature as low as -40C.

However Urquhart said nothing compared to actually being in the Antarctica and experiencing the extreme conditions first-hand. 

She set out on her adventure on December 15, running up to 60km each day to complete a total of 1312.26km in 26 days. Her momentous run was completed on a 10km loop at Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and driest desert on earth.

“The wind was howling and really strong, to the point where you don’t have the brain power- you almost just shrivel up”, she told SBS, noting that the physical pain left within the first week as her body adapted to the conditions. 

The feat surpassed Pat Farmer’s previous record of a 1200m in the arctic as part of his Pole-to-Pole expedition. While Urquhart’s record still needs to be officially signed off from Guinness World Records, it looks to have beaten the standing record. 

“It’s a bit surreal to be honest,” Urquhart told AAP on Friday after completing the ultramarathon.

“I feel like I need to pinch myself and then I’ll wake up tomorrow and need to run it again.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HOKA Australia (@hoka_au)

Urquhart and her team, Run Antarctica, will be returning to Melbourne on Tuesday, having raised around $75,000 already to support young girls and women in sport. Her goal is to “raise $1.5 million for charities supporting young girls and women in sport by delivering education training programs that strengthen and empower the body and mind”. 

Ahead of her attempt, Urquhart told Sunrise that her dedication to the cause would see help motivate her through the challenges of the record-breaking run. 

“We’re aiming to educate and empower girls in sport because 50 per cent of girls drop out of sport during their teenage years,” she said. 

“They find it can be stressful and one of the key reasons is a lack of confidence in their skills and abilities, so we’re looking to raise awareness and funds to support them through our charity partners.”

The push to get more women involved in ultra-running

Around the world, there’s been a push to get more women involved in extreme endurance sports, such as ultra-running. 

This comes as the Covid pandemic resulted in a 10 per cent drop in female participation across running events of all distances, according to 2023 data from Runner’s World. 

One recent campaign in the UK, the Ultra 50:50 from ultramarathon organisers Threshold Sports, is aiming to achieve 50 per cent female participation in its events in 2024. 

Through its own data collection, Threshold Sports has found that female participation in 5k races in the UK has fallen from 66 per cent in 2019 to 52 per cent in 2023.  The disparity is especially prevalent in ultras, where women make up fewer than a third of participants. Female participation in UK ultras dropped from a depressingly low 32 per cent in 2022 to just 30 per cent in 2023. 

To identify the challenges women face when preparing for and taking part in ultramarathons, Threshold Sports and their partners surveyed over 500 female ultrarunners. The results pointed to five key factors including female representation and perceptions, training and preparation, access and support at events, safety and harassment, as well as menstrual health and menopause. 

The number one barrier to female participation was cited as “safety” by one in three female ultra runners, due to harassment concerns and fear of running alone at night or in remote areas.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Threshold Trail Series (@thresholdtrailseries)

The campaign isn’t simply pushing for women to get involved in its own running events, but is hoping to inspire women to toe the start line in all types of races. 

To do this, Threshold Sports has adopted the SheRACES guidelines– a set of guidelines that race directors can follow to ensure races are supportive of female participants. The guidelines range from things like ensuring there are adequate female toilet facilities to  providing sanitary products to having equal prize money in competitions. 

The group is hoping that by showcasing their own changes, it will provide a blueprint for other event organisers to share in their mission of supporting women and achieving gender parity. 

In the build-up to Threshold Sports’ 2024 events season, they’ve also recruited a team of female ultra-runners, or “Challengers” to inspire other women to take up the sport. 

One of the Challengers, Romey said: “Becoming a mum is incredible, but it is all-consuming. Signing up to an event I would have completed before parenthood helps me feel like myself again. Plus, I hope to make my daughter proud of her mum one day.”

The post Australia’s Donna Urquhart runs record-breaking 1300km ultramarathon in Antarctica appeared first on Women's Agenda.

This week on the podcast, we discuss men talking about domestic violence, Annastacia Palaszczuk retiring from politics, and later, Pamela Anderson making headlines again for her “pro-ageing” movement. Plus, Angela Priestley sits down with human rights lawyer Prabha Nandagopal from Elevate Consulting Partners to talk more on the positive duty changes that came into effect this week.

But first – why was Taylor Swift was announced Time Person of the Year?

Stories discussed in this week’s podcast:

• A man has told the truth about how women are affected by violence. Finally.
• ‘It’s harder to hit a moving target’: The remarkable evolution of Taylor Swift laid bare in Time’s Person of the Year Interview
• Annastacia Palaszczuk took a decimated party to victory to become the longest-serving female premier
• Pamela Anderson’s bare-faced “rebellion” is a small step for our right as women to age on our own terms
• Please stop asking me when I’m going to retire
• Party season comes just as employers required to proactively eliminate sexual harassment
• What is ‘positive duty’ and how will it work?

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: Palaszczuk, Pamela and Positive Duty appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Speaking of which, earlier this week Tarla sat down with Australian philanthropist and businesswoman Carol Schwartz about VC funding for female entrepreneurs and female-founded businesses. We find out more about her trailblazing efforts to champion female entrepreneurship, part of Women’s Agenda’s Global Entrepreneurs Week series.

Plus – are TikTok videos the new resumes and cover letters? 

Stories included this week:

• ‘Matilda’ named 2023 Word of the Year recognising our trailblazing national team
• ‘All in this together’: All ages and backgrounds push for climate action today
• Leadership? Not with a ‘part time promotion cliff’ still holding women back
• Four-day school weeks: a ‘future facing’ approach or just another challenge for women?
• Goodbye cover letters and CVs, hello TikTok resumes?
• Women’s Agenda’s Global Entrepreneurs Week series

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: The part-time promotion cliff is real appeared first on Women's Agenda.

It’s clear after the 2023 Startup Muster report’s first version of the top eight mentors in the sector that we must find a better action plan to have more diversity and inclusion in Australia’s startups.

This week, we also take a look at a staggering report that shows three in five employers in Australia are failing to take sexual harassment and discrimination complaints seriously.

But we also have a few wins to recognise, including the Matildas’ pay boost, a positive update on US reproductive rights and a woman on live TV in Australia leading the way in normalising conversations of menopause and perimenopause. 

Stories included this week:

• Matildas to receive pay boost and equal treatment under new CBA
• How US voters turned out to support abortion rights
• The all-male mentor list is a symptom of a sick startup ecosystem
• Three in five employers fail to take sexual harassment and discrimination complaints seriously
• ‘I don’t think hormones respect national television’: Guest host praised for normalising perimenopause symptoms on live TV
• Senator Larissa Waters to motion inquiry into the impact of menopause and perimenopause on women
• Reserve Bank issues first cash rate rise under Michele Bullock

The Crux is produced by Agenda Media, the 100% women founded and owned media business, publishing the daily news publication Women’s Agenda.

The post Podcast: No women mentors? We don’t buy it. appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Later, Tarla Lambert sits down with Amanda Rishworth, the Minister for Families and Social Services, to learn more about the new Carer Inclusive Workplace Initiative. The Albanese government announced the new framework at the end of October during Carers Week, saying it will be a win for all unpaid carers in Australia, but also a win for employers.

WARNING: This podcast episode contains discussions and references to family and domestic violence, which may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. If you or someone you know is in need of support or resources related to these topics, please consider reaching out to a local helpline or support organisation.

Stories included this week:

• A hand up, not a hand out: CARE Australia’s Lendwithcare platform, a sustainable approach to charitable support
• Larissa Waters, Bridget Archer and Alicia Payne call for renews focus on men’s violence
• Male violence kills five women in ten days as police discover a woman’s body in Perth
• A ‘good guy’ who snapped? We must do better and unite on ending gender-based violence in Australia
• Lilie James’ grandmother pays tribute to the 21-year-old who was ‘full of life’ and ‘so kind’
• Headlines offering ‘reasons’ why a man murders a woman are a distraction

The post Podcast: Epidemic of violence against women appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Caines says she first looked into this fertility treatment after interviewing a woman who shared a heartbreaking experience of being unable to have her own biological child.

“She wasn’t with a partner, she was getting a sperm donor using her eggs and nothing was working, and she got to the age of 44 and her doctor told her that: ‘I’m sorry but your eggs have expired and you won’t be able to have your own biological child’,” Caines tells Tarla Lambert on our podcast series, ‘Fertility Unfiltered’, in partnership with Genea Fertility.

“And that just broke my heart just to think that this lady who wanted a baby so bad just couldn’t have a baby,” said Caines.

The woman explained what the concept of egg freezing was to Caines, who had never heard of it before but began to think seriously about it.

“I knew that children and a relationship wasn’t on the horizon for quite some time because I was so career-focused. So, I contacted a fertility provider, Genea, who were wonderful and talked me through the steps,” she says.

“Unfortunately egg quality does decline with age but the fortunate thing is your frozen eggs don’t. So, basically freezing my eggs at 28 years old – I have 28 year old eggs there now that are waiting for me to use them if I ever need to go through that.”

For those who are in a similar situation to Caines– not ready to have a family yet but wanting to keep their options open– egg freezing is something to think about. 

Genea fertility specialist Dr Danielle Robson says the best age to freeze eggs is before 35-years-old.

“The reason for that is that women over 35 years achieve poorer pregnancy outcomes from frozen eggs relating to oocyte quality deterioration with advanced maternal age,” says Dr Robson, adding the caveat that this doesn’t mean anyone over 35 years old can never freeze their eggs.

“It just means that your chance of success is slightly lower just as we know with natural ageing, we have decreases in the quantity and quality of our eggs.”

“So there’s no exact cutoffs or thresholds, it’s just about having informed conversations with women about when is the best time,” she says.

When it came to the actual process of egg freezing, Dr Robson says it’s “very similar to running an IVF cycle for a couple with infertility.”

There’s an initial consultation with a gynaecologist and then a treatment plan is developed, which includes receiving hormone injections to grow follicles on your ovaries. Following that, medication is given to stop ovulation, and then the patient undergoes egg collection.

For Caines, she didn’t tell many people about her egg freezing process while she was taking the injections but wishes she’d been more open about it.

“I sort of kick myself for keeping it such a secret and not really leaning on – even my work colleagues to say, ‘hey I’m going through this thing at the moment – I need a bit of time – bit of timeout or my emotions all over the place’,” she says. 

“I feel so empowered now that I went through that experience, and I’m really happy to share my story with as many women as I can because I just want people to be educated on how great this experience and this opportunity is.” 

To learn about more reproductive health topics from health experts, check out the rest of the podcast series, “Fertility Unfiltered”, as new episodes are released each week. We’re creating a safe space for conversations around fertility, ranging from the possibility of parenthood, seeking guidance on reproductive health and even the science behind conception. 

The post Career-focused or not ready to start a family? Egg freezing can give you options appeared first on Women's Agenda.

While this gave her some prior knowledge and vocabulary of the debilitating disease, It still took a number of years before Ajimal’s own symptoms of excessive bleeding and pain were diagnosed as the same thing. 

“I think there was probably a lack of information about how young endometriosis can impact on girls and young women, Ajimal tells Women’s Agenda’s on the It Takes Boobs podcast, a conversations initiative in partnership with Stella Insurance.

“So my mother probably didn’t equate my symptoms with hers because, in her information set that she received or had access to at the time, endometriosis was something that only impacted mature women or perhaps women of childbearing age.”

Endometriosis can affect a person at their first menstrual period and is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. The severe inflammatory condition can cause frequent intense pelvic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety and infertility.

In Australia, endometriosis affects at least 1 in 9 women. And according to several studies, women who suffer from the condition wait an average of seven years before they are officially diagnosed. 

From 11-years-old, Ajimal was already having heavy and painful periods and didn’t feel able to talk much to anyone about her experience. 

Along with being Chief Operating Officer at Cancer Council Queensland, Ajimal is now the Queensland Ambassador for Endometriosis Australia and says working “to normalise discussion around what it means to have a period” has been one of the greatest drivers in her joining the organisation.

Many women and girls are still treated as though their debilitating pain is normal, but Ajimal  believes that encouraging open conversations around the subject can make it easier for those with endometriosis to get support. 

“I think we have to listen to women, and I think we have to start believing them,” she says. 

Reflecting on the lack of support that her own mother likely had while navigating endometriosis, Ajimal says that “a generation back and two generations ago, those conversations would have been really difficult both from a basis of, not just social stigma, but from incorrect facts around fertility, around femininity, around what it means to be a healthy and productive woman.”

Pointing out that at least “half the population of the world has periods”, Ajimal emphasises that there can’t be only one definition of a “normal” period. 

“Women are not homogenous groups– just because we are women doesn’t mean we have the same experiences.”

And understanding that women’s experiences vary is especially important when it comes to conversations surrounding fertility. 

When Ajimal was first diagnosed with endometriosis, she was told she’d “better have those kids quickly”.

“I was 21 and at the beginning of my legal career. I wasn’t in a relationship. That advice at that age– and it’s been given to kids at younger ages– is just not appropriate,” she says.

“Looking forward, the key is to start discussions young and to be able to use the right vocabulary for the right experience. I think the more women and girls are able to talk openly, without fear and in safe environments about their experiences, and be heard and reflected in [the] research, is critical.”

Far too often, women’s stories of resilience and leadership go untold. And we know that so often, it’s women at the forefront of the brave push for progress. With this new Women’s Agenda podcast series, ‘It Takes Boobs’, supported by Stella Insurance, we’re challenging the typical sexist trope of it “taking balls” to get big things done.

The post COO of Cancer Council Queensland Balveen Ajimal on navigating endometriosis appeared first on Women's Agenda.

“My advocacy started with my own healing,” Donohue tells Women’s Agenda’s on the It Takes Boobs podcast, a conversations initiative in partnership with Stella Insurance.

A proud Aboriginal woman from the Dunghutti nation, Donohue was born and raised in Kempsey, NSW. She’s an author, educator and advocate for topics specifically surrounding anti-violence, anti- racism and Aboriginal women and has created a platform to share lived experiences, as well as a safe place for many Aboriginal women.  

Currently, Donohue is the CEO of Mudgin-Gal Aboriginal Women’s Centre, sits on the City of Sydney’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory panel and DVNSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee. 

When it comes to domestic violence situations, Donohue is clear on where her line is drawn, and this, she says, is key. 

“I’ve shown that by supporting my son’s ex-partner,” she says. “I supported her. He’s my son, but I’m not going to move the line of where I stand.”

“My line is drawn and it’s drawn deeply and firmly and I will not move it for anyone. Not even my own child. And I think that’s the issue in this space– until it happens to you or you know somebody involved in domestic violence, everyone will say ‘I’ve got zero tolerance to violence’, until they have to deal with it and then that line moves.”

“And we can’t do that. We have to end staunchly and it has to start with us.”

Donohue adamantly believes everyone has the capacity to draw the line against domestic violence and have zero tolerance for it. She also says it’s men who really need to take the lead on this issue, as they are the main perpetrators of violence against women.

“Domestic violence– you know, it’s everyone’s business but men have to really take the lead role in reducing or eliminating violence because the majority of perpetrators are men. It has to come from the top down,” says Donohue.

While men are the main perpetrators, it’s Aboriginal women who fare the worst when it comes to violence. They’re 34 times more likely to become victims of violence than white women.

Having worked in the anti-violence space for over 20 years now, Donohue says the answer to stomping out this violence is through prevention– part of which includes recognition that Australia was built on violence and deception against Aboriginal women during colonisation . 

“We start by telling the truth about the beginning of Australia- that it’s a racist system,” she says.

“Doesn’t matter how rich you are or what god you worship, it happens in every single town and city in Australia– in the world– but in Australia, Aboriginal women, who are less than 2 per cent of the population, sit in the highest percentage of all things violence.”

“It’s systems, it’s organisations in place that are violent and racist towards Aboriginal women because they don’t treat Aboriginal women equal in this country.”

Far too often, women’s stories of resilience and leadership go untold. And we know that so often, it’s women at the forefront of the brave push for progress. With this new Women’s Agenda podcast series, ‘It Takes Boobs’, supported by Stella Insurance, we’re challenging the typical sexist trope of it “taking balls” to get big things done.

The post Ashlee Donohue’s advocacy against domestic violence started with her own healing appeared first on Women's Agenda.