Women’s History

‘Giving voice to menopause’ Rosalind shares her story

Rosalind, a woman in her mid 80s, wrote to the Victorian Women's Trust recently. She had just finished reading our 2019 publication About Bloody Time: the Menstrual Revolution We Have to Have and said that she finally felt bold enough to share her own story, and the attitudes towards menstruation she had observed over the decades. In particular, Rosalind wanted to break down the silence and stigma surrounding menopause. The timing of Rosalind's letter was uncanny, as the documentary film, Giving Voice to Menopause (produced by She Listens) was about to...

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Hermina Burns’ Feminist Poetry Reading List

Hermina Burns is a co-host of our 2020 poetry podcast Between the Leaves , and an accomplished poet in her own right. Hermina is the author of four poetry collections, Bite of a Bluebottle and Against Separation Creek (2019), and the just published Crossing a Line and Dodging the Relative. Hermina sees her roles of poet and feminist as intimately intertwined. Here, she shares a collection of poems that invite a reflection on feminism and the many issues women and gender diverse people face.  

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Watch: Empowering Women Talk

Catch up on 'Empowering Women', a Zoom panel talk including authors Susie Allanson and Lizzie O’Shea, Hugh de Kretser (CEO, Human Rights Law Centre) and moderator Santilla Chingaipe.

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Ellen van Neerven’s Feminist Poetry Reading List

Congratulations to Mununjali Yugambeh author Ellen van Neerven on winning Book of the Year, Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry and Multicultural NSW Award at NSW Premier's Literary Awards for their second poetry collection, Throat! Here Ellen shares the key books and poets that significantly shaped the way they think about poetry and feminism. A must read.

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“Real love is justice, and I owe it to the matriarchs who came before me”

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts is a proud Bundjalung woman, storyteller and activist. At a young age, she made a lifetime commitment to addressing the over-representation of Aboriginal children in custody and Out of Home Care. In this article, Vanessa muses on what International Women's Day means for her and the matriarchs who inspire her everyday.

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