Ladies, We Need To Talk

Jessica Mauboy was just 16 when she burst onto our screens, barefoot in the red dirt of Alice Springs, belting out Whitney Houston at her Australian Idol audition. She may have finished runner-up, but it launched one of Australia's most enduring music careers including starring in The Sapphires and representing Australia at Eurovision in 2018.   Despite two decades in the spotlight, fame hasn't ch...

When we're dating someone new, the rush is electric. The pull towards sex can feel immediate, an almost magnetic urge to rip each other's clothes off. But as the years stretch on and the demands of life ramp up, sex becomes just one more activity on a chaotic checklist; competing with the demands of chores, kids and sleep. And when the urge does strike, it's intimacy vs. doom scrolling in bed, and...

Botox, vampire facials, bone smashing and now cadaver fat fillers: the beauty industry is expert in selling extreme (and painful) treatments in our endless pursuit of perfection and eternal youth. For years, Jess DeFino worked at the heart of this machine as an assistant editor for the Kardashian family. She saw firsthand how the goalposts of beauty are constantly shifting, making it out of reach,...

We live in a sexed-up world. From chiselled fictional teenagers in steamy high school dramas to Sabrina Carpenter’s innuendos, it feels like everyone’s doing it. But what happens when adulthood arrives and you're still a virgin?  Plenty of women haven’t had sex. Some are waiting for the right person, some are waiting for marriage, and some haven't had the opportunity.   Virginity has gone from bei...

Love bombing. Gaslighting. Coercive control. Narcissists can crash into your life on the charm offensive. They begin with intense affection, compliments and grand gestures. But behind that charm can be manipulation and intense criticism. In the worst cases, they control every aspect of their partner's life.  It’s disorienting to be with a narcissist, and often people with narcissistic traits have ...

For all her life, Chloe Hayden, star of Heartbreak High, has struggled to get doctors to take her health complaints seriously. And she’s not alone.   Autistic women have poorer physical and mental health than neurotypical people. From shorter life expectancy to higher rates of suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. In this episode Grace speaks to autistic women about being misund...

"It can be difficult…when your approach to socialising and relationships doesn't look like what other people might expect." There's a long-held stereotype that autistic people are not empathetic and aren't interested in relationships. The reality is that, like everyone, autistic women and girls want connection, they may just come to it in different ways. In this episode, Grace looks at how autism...

For decades autism was thought of as a "boy thing" and girls were overlooked by science. According to research, three boys are diagnosed with autism for every girl. While experts point to genetic differences, there are other reasons why girls often go undiagnosed, including their ability to mask their autistic traits, leading to what's referred to as the "female autism invisibility cloak". In this...

"It's only been in recent years that I've had a public platform and people have asked me specifically about being autistic." In the first episode of this special four-part series, Grace Tame speaks candidly with Yumi Stynes about her experiences as an autistic woman, from feeling on the outer and being labelled "weird" to experiencing the world in "high definition". In this exclusive interview, Gr...

"I was bullied for being quirky… I would have these very intense special interests." Join Australian of the Year Grace Tame for a special four-part take over of Ladies, We Need to Talk as she meets leading experts in autism research and connects with other neurodivergent women to get a better understanding of what life is like as an autistic person, beyond the stereotypes. Autism comes wrapped in...

The female orgasm deserves better PR. Straight women are climaxing way less than the men they are banging (by about 35%). We know this but what can we do about it? Medical research has focused on male bodies and male pleasure for too long and it's time we got a smart woman on the case. Enter renowned professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Lori Brotto, who is changing the game for women's sexu...

You've found your person, but you can't stand their politics. Awks! It's a phenomenon that's been on the rise in the last 30 years. Around the world, women are increasingly leaning left and men right. In 2022, 50% of Australians voted for a different political party than their partner.  Having different preferences to your partner is a given. But political views can get under our skin in ways that...

In December 2023, Antoinette Lattouf was asked to leave ABC Sydney. Since that day, her life has never been the same. A seasoned broadcaster, she was part way through a week-long stint hosting local radio. Behind the scenes however, a coordinated lobbying effort was underway to have Antoinette taken off air. The flashpoint was a Human Rights Watch post she shared on her personal socials. Soon afte...

Mid-life is hard enough, but what happens when you add a baby to the mix? The average maternal age has been creeping up over the past twenty years, with more women than ever becoming first time mums in their 40s, delaying motherhood to build careers, travel, find the right partner, secure housing, or navigate infertility. Having a baby later in life can be exhausting. Sleep is elusive, many women...

Is monogamy a tired social contract — or a deeply meaningful way to build a life with someone you love? Is opening up your relationship an act of honesty and freedom, or just another complicated commitment in an already overbooked life? Roll up, Ladies, as monogamy and Ethical non-monogamy go head-to-head. Arguing in favour of fidelity is comedian and Deadloch actor, Nikki Britton. Meanwhile, sex...

The uterus is central to womanhood: it's the baby house, and allows for menstruation. So, what's it like to have it removed? Each year around 30,000 Australian women have a hysterectomy — to relieve pain, to treat cancer, or as part of gender affirming care. The path to surgery isn't always straightforward or quick. It can involve years of heartache, confusion and BS from specialists. But for most...

Ever been called too clingy? Or felt overwhelmed by your partner's needs? Blame your attachment style! Attachment theory is a cornerstone of modern psychology; chances are you've read about it in Attached or spent hours spiralling on TikTok as you tried to identify your attachment style and what it means for your relationship. The theory breaks our attachment styles into three main categories: anx...

The Beckhams know about it. Hilary Duff's been through it. Harry and Meghan could write a handbook. Family estrangement is brutal, but when there's a rift, can it be repaired? Beyond the celebrity headlines, the "no contact" movement has been gaining traction online as children cut themselves off from their parents, parents find themselves out in the cold and rigid boundaries strain what's left of...

Comedian Felicity Ward started having the best sex of her life after the worst time in her life. After years of fertility struggles, Felicity finally fell pregnant at 38. But being a mum to a newborn wasn't the Instagram highlight reel she'd imagined. Felicity wrestled with perinatal depression, zero sleep and a loss of identity…and then she became a single mum. At 40, Felicity was dating again bu...

Life as a perennially single woman can be lonely. Coupled-up friends often too busy to catch up, family constantly asking "So, have you met anyone yet?" What's a gal to do? The truth is, we live in a world that celebrates coupledom. And while there are women who love the single life, for others being called to the front to catch the bouquet at every friend's wedding is painful. Yumi Stynes meets t...

Narelda Jacobs and Karina Natt announced their pregnancy online. Then came the trolls. The pair were over the moon about starting their rainbow family but were pulled back down to earth by the haters who said that they had "no right" to have children as a gay couple. Their response was to write and release a satirical book for adults called 'If Queers weren't meant to have kids.' The book is a cel...

We all want to sex to be hot, intimate and above all else, enjoyable. But sometimes when we're getting it on, things can go south and disaster ensues. These naked encounters are excruciating in the moment but hilarious when shared with friends. Comedian Lizzy Hoo and Yumi Stynes join forces to walk through the sexual hall of shame and come out the other side laughing. Expect rogue fluids, a limp e...

In the exercise race, women are falling behind. Two out of five women aren’t moving enough and it’s bad for our health.  Between being time squeezed, feeling crappy about our bodies and guilt about taking a break from caring duties, women have less room for exercise than blokes. But ladies, it’s time to put on our sports bras and get sweaty!  In this episode, you’ll hear how to get your fitness mo...

What if, instead of being the best time of your life, new motherhood was miserable? Perinatal depression and anxiety affects one in five women in Australia. But the shame of it is carried in silence. Yumi Stynes speaks to women about their darkest days as new mums; sleep deprived, fearful and feeling alone. She hears how these women came through their suffering and got the help they needed. Featur...

What happens when your husband suddenly becomes someone you don’t recognise? One cold day in 2020, Belle Burden’s partner of 20 years told her he was leaving her. There were was no warning, no chance to talk.  Before her relationship collapsed, Belle’s life looked enviable. Heiress to a wealthy New York family empire, she had the kids, the job, the holiday house and a committed marriage. But overn...