With rental vacancy rates in Australia sitting at just 1.3%, it’s become increasingly common to see queues for rental open-for-inspections spilling out onto the street as competition for private rentals grows tighter. So how do landlords decide who gets the privilege of a…
An MS-2 step in the right direction
This month, we welcomed important news from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) which will improve access to abortion for women and pregnant people across Australia. The TGA has removed a number of restrictions on health professionals who prescribe and dispense…
Barbie: the power and the plastic
It’s difficult not to notice the magenta pink re-brand that happened on a worldwide scale this month. The Barbie movie has arrived, and by bringing Barbie into the real world the film plays with the hallmark of the Barbie brand…
Not all birthing parents are treated the same
Everyone deserves dignity in the perinatal period. When pregnant, giving birth, and transitioning to parenting a new child, everyone deserves the support and healthcare they need. But intersecting structural factors mean that not all births – and birthing parents –…
Ensuring solid ground for Australia’s care workforce
Australian industries rely very heavily on migrant workers, and the Australian health and community support sectors are no exception. Anybody who has walked into a health service, an aged care facility, or a child-care centre lately will see that migrant…
Justice for international students
Australia is a popular destination for international students, with over 600,000 individuals studying in tertiary settings in 2022, and roughly half of them women. Recent research indicates that international students have high rates of sexual and intimate partner violence committed…
COVID-19 recovery: We’re still in different boats
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rallying cry ‘we’re all in the same boat’ was countered with an emphatic ‘no, we’re in the same storm but in different boats.’ Although the COVID-19 storm appears to have passed,…
Linking reproductive justice and gender equality
This month, the Australian Capital Territory has made medical and surgical abortions up to 16 weeks gestation free for all its residents, regardless of visa status. This is a huge step forward for reproductive justice in Australia. It makes the…
Beyond economics: valuing our migrant workforce
Workplace safety is a major health and wellbeing issue. Recent research by the Migrant Worker’s Centre in Melbourne has found that around 50 per cent of migrant workers report feeling unsafe at work, due to discrimination, bullying and verbal abuse.…
Validating women’s pain
Endometriosis affects around 190 million women and people assigned female at birth worldwide. In Australia, more than 11 per cent of women, girls and people assigned female at birth suffer from this chronic condition. Symptoms include pain, cramping, bloating, bladder…