Women on the Line

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 abortio...

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 y...

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...

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...

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...

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 ar...

 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 Amphithea...

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...

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...

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 currentl...

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. 

On this week's episode, we're joined by Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker and Samantha Floreani to tackle some big questions about digital rights, predatory tech companies and regulation. Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker is a Nyungar technologist and digital rights activist who serves on the board of Electronic Frontiers Australia. Their work explores the intersection of activism, science-fiction, and technology in...

This week’s episode covers the Yuendumu community-led campaign Karrinjarla Muwajarri - no police guns in remote Aboriginal communities. The campaign emerged in the wake of the 2022 Northern Territory budget announcement re-affirming a government commitment to resourcing police instead of vital community services, and after the acquittal of an NT police officer over the 2019 death of Warlpiri teena...

In April, France saw the far-right party leader receive a large portion of the vote in the presidential election albeit with the lowest voter turnout since 1969. This week we discuss French politics ahead of the second round of legislative elections which chooses representatives to parliament on June 19.To discuss these issues within a broader context of global capitalism we’re joined by Dr Rachel...

Thanks for tuning in to Women on the Line's 2022 live Radiothon special! Iris, Ayan and Priya counted down the top 10 most-downloaded episodes of Women on the Line over the past year, and played you some highlights from these shows. We also caught up with Emma and Scheherazade via phone, and got a very special call from former WOTL producer Hope. Keep those donations coming for 3CR's 2022 Radiotho...

We all agree everyone deserves access to good quality education.  Unfortunately – not everyone is given the same opportunities. In Australia, the legacy of racist policies has meant that Aboriginal students continue to face structural barriers that impact their education. I reached out to Aunty Gail Kunwarra Dawson to find out what makes a real difference to the lives of Aboriginal students. Aunty...

One aspect of Australia's draconian border regime that has grown in recent decades is the education sector, which has entrapped many International students in a system of privatised exploitation and precarity. We hear from Carol from the Support Network for International Students (SNIS) about the network and the concept of education trafficking. Later in the program, we turn to student resistance...

This week Áine Kelly-Costello chats to us about disability and migration and how the two intersect. Áine discusses the podcast Disability Crosses Borders and shares their own migration experience. Áine also looks at the Acceptable Standard of Health, a visa requirement they've described as "lengthy, expensive, stressful and degrading."Support #EndASHNow  

This week's show covers updates in the struggle for self-determination of West Papuans, including limitations of the Special Autonomy Law which was renewed in 2021, the Indonesian government’s push to break up the provinces of West Papua and Papua to create 5 smaller administrative regions, and issues related to freedom of expression, assembly and communication. We hear from Esther Haluk, a member...

In the lead up to the federal election, we’ve seen a host of minor far-right political parties spin, propagate, and actively spread disinformation, seemingly for political gain. All the while, the so-called 'freedom' rallies continue to protest outside political institutions. What is it motivating people to show up to these rallies or join these conspiracy-laden movements more broadly? To delve mo...

When you think of wellness influencers, what comes to mind? Sun? Yoga? Neo-Nazis!!? Today we hear from academic Tresa LeClerc, whose essay 'Consumption, Wellness, and the Far-Right' explores what makes the wellness industry a target of white nationalist ideas. Later in the program, we'll listen to an interview Diaspora Blues did with Dr Ruth DeSouza about her life-saving podcast ‘Birthing and Just...

 The Victorian Government is proposing to significantly expand the capacity of the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre or DPFC, a women's prison on the western edge of Narrm, Melbourne. Drawing on the voices of women with lived experience of prison and evidence based practice, the Homes Not Prisons campaign is calling on the State Government to use the money allocated for expanding the prison to build publi...

Australia is in the midst of a housing crisis, and yet the primary focus of politicians is on private home ownership rather than protecting the most vulnerable. Chloé Cooper, a member of Save Public Housing Collective with lived experience of homelessness, joins us to share her analysis of the state of homelessness support services in Victoria, and how we might achieve meaningful change on housing...

This week we hear from transgender Tamil woman Amity Mara on the Borderless Affirmations Mutual Aid group, which supports trans migrants (interview by Priya Kunjan, 3CR Thursday Breakfast). Later in the program, we hear from an April rally in solidarity with Palestine in Melbourne, as Israel once again attacks Al Aqsa mosque in Ramadan.

This week we focus on the struggle of Uyghur people in occupied East Turkestan. The Chinese state has been intensifying genocide of Uyghurs in the last decade. We hear from Uyghur community member Fazilet, and audio from a recent Uyghur and Muslim lead Stand for Uyghurs rally in Melbourne with Idil Ali (MC),  and speeches by Mai and Fazilet.