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The effects of misogyny, authoritarianism and militarism, in Australia and internationally, demonstrate why we desperately need to advance gender equality as a national interest priority.
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Armed aggression, conflict and war - in Iran, Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond - demonstrate that the world is moving down a dark path of aggression. Armed conflict increasingly takes the greatest toll on civilian populations, as evidenced by the shocking bombing of a girls’ school in Iran by the US and Israel. As the Australian Government’s Women, Peace and Security Progress Report noted recently, 676 million women lived within 50 kms of a deadly conflict in 2024. We know that greater gender equality in a nation is the most significant factor in preventing armed conflict. All of the aggressors in the current armed conflicts perform poorly on gender equality and their leaders exemplify some of the worst of masculinist ideologies. It is vital for Australia to take a stronger and more explicit stance against this increased militarism internationally.
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Against this backdrop, NFAW’s Pamela Denoon Lecture this year is particularly relevant. Details are below.
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Australia likewise is grappling with gender inequality and perhaps less egregious but nevertheless serious forms of misogyny. The Government’s competitive cruelty towards Australian women and children stuck for years in Syrian detention camps is a stark illustration of the ugliness of governments using the most vulnerable for political ends. PM Albanese’s offhand swipe at Grace Tame as ‘difficult’ offers a glimpse of our leaders’ gendered disregard.
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The review of the Liberal Party’s electoral performance shows the limitations of command and control style and failure to collaborate, as well as the dangers of excluding, ignoring and overlooking women. And sure enough, one of the first policies out of the Liberal Party blocks following the change of leaders recently, relating to childcare vouchers, would do little to advance gender equality and deliver affordable childcare for Australian families. It would, however, do a great deal to reignite toxic class wars.
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Yet we know that when government concentrates on addressing the interlocking forces of inequality, we can see real progress. It was great to see the Workplace Gender Equality’s gender pay gap data recently showing the gap in large private sector organisations is continuing to narrow.
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As feminists, we need to continue to critique leadership styles that privilege aggressive, dictatorial or authoritarian leadership styles. We need to think boldly, and call leaders to account. And we need to build a feminist movement that works collaboratively to address inequality across our society. I’m looking forward to working with NFAW colleagues and feminists across the country, on this work.
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I would also like to thank our NFAW Treasurer, Veronica Williams, who has been juggling this role with a massive day job and will need to step down. Veronica has made a great contribution to NFAW, bringing incredible expertise, and we have been lucky to have her. I would like to wish Veronica all the best!
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Lastly, Helen Dalley Fisher and I were invited to Admiralty House by our Patron, Sam Mostyn the Governor General of Australia for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration. We hope you found a lovely way to celebrate the day also.
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Sally Moyle
Chair | National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW)
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Pamela Denoon Lecture 2026
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Join us for the 2026 Pamela Denoon Lecture
Feminist Answers in a Dangerous World: Gender, Peace and Security in a Precarious Geopolitics
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RSSS Building, Australian National University, Canberra
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Our panel will help us unpack these issues at this turning point in human history.
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- Caroline Millar has extensive international security expertise, including as the former Australian Ambassador to the European Union, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg. She previously served as the Deputy Secretary for National Security, in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet covering national security, defence, intelligence and international policy. She will start by outlining the current geo-strategic realities we are facing.
- Elise Stephenson is the Deputy Director at the Global Institute for Women’s leadership at the ANU. Her work demonstrates how gender inequality can infuse new frontiers, without explicit attention. She is finalising a book on Sex and Outer Space which discusses the way our current space exploration is replicating damaging patriarchal norms. Elise will discuss how important it is to focus explicitly on gender equality in all our international engagement.
- Bina D’Costa is a Professor at the Department of International Relations, Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. She has extensive expertise on humanitarian emergencies, human rights and gender justice. She will outline for us a vision for how we should be conducting our international engagement, leaving us with a positive aspiration.
- Asha Clementi is one of the principals of the Persephone Network, founder of Girls Run the World and 2022 ACT Young Women of the Year. She will facilitate the discussion and speak feminist aspirations for the gender peace and security agenda.
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We look forward to seeing you there, and would be grateful if you could share with your friends and colleagues!
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As Chair of the NFAW Policy Committee, I’m excited to share a few big updates about what we’ve been up to — it’s been a busy and energising start to the year.
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First, we’ve just made a substantial submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s inquiry into gender equality as a national and economic security imperative. You’ll see a summary later in this newsletter, but the headline is simple: gender equality is fundamental to Australia’s security and prosperity. Consequently, there is an urgent need to mainstream gender analysis across all areas of policy in Australia.
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We’ve also been hard at work on something new for NFAW: a draft policy platform that brings together the thinking of feminist and women’s organisations from across the country. Instead of producing a standalone NFAW platform, we’re building a feminist blueprint which will operate as a central hub where the many people working on gender equality in Australia can see what others are working on and where governments and media can find a wide range of strong policy ideas in one place.
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We’re also intending to use the feminist blueprint to strengthen our engagement with intersectional discrimination. We’ll be inviting ongoing comment and contributions from a wide range of women’s organisations, academics and advocates so the platform stays alive, relevant and reflective of the diversity of women’s experiences. These conversations will then support our work on deepening our connections across the movement.
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And yes — it’s nearly Gender Lens on the Budget season again. We’re lining up authors and editors, and this year we’re especially keen to bring in people who are new to budget analysis. We’ll provide training and support for any women or gender-diverse people who want to learn.
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If you’d like to be involved or want to know more about NFAW’s role in the federal budget process, please get in touch with Helen at helendalleyfisher@gmail.com
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Gender Equality as a National and Economic Security Imperative
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Australia is navigating a moment shaped by international conflict, rising extremism, democratic backsliding, escalating climate impacts, and significant pushback against the human rights of women and girls. Against this backdrop, NFAW’s submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade argues that gender equality is essential to national security, but points out that recognition of this fact is worryingly absent in the development of domestic policy.
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The submission argues that inequality is both a root cause and an amplifier of crises. It highlights how gender inequality weakens social cohesion, undermines individual and community resilience, and creates openings for extremist recruitment — with misogyny now recognised as a consistent ideological driver across violent movements. It also shows how climate change magnifies gendered risks, from increased disaster related violence to reduced economic recovery for women and gender diverse people.
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Key findings in the submission include:
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- Gender equality strengthens national security by improving social cohesion, trust, and collective resilience.
- Gender inequality is a security risk, reducing access to resources, decision making, safety, and mobility — all of which are essential during crises.
- Economic security depends on gender equality, with decades of research linking equality to stronger growth, productivity, and wellbeing.
- Climate change in particular is profoundly gendered, yet Australian policy largely ignores this, leaving major gaps in preparedness and response.
While Australia champions gender equality internationally, we have not embedded the same understanding in domestic policy. To address this absence, NFAW recommends a National Security Strategy that embeds gender equality throughout, intersectional gender analysis across climate and disaster planning, stronger human rights infrastructure, investment in gender data, and support for gender responsive policymaking at all levels of government.
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The submission makes clear that in an era of compounding global threats, Australia cannot afford gender blind security planning. Building a safer, more resilient nation requires placing gender equality — and the human rights of women and girls — at the centre of our national security agenda.
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Australian Women’s Register
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The small team of volunteer archivists, librarians and historians has been steadily enriching the Register. Recent new entries have included Aileen Ekblom the first woman to be elected Mayor of Whyalla, SA in 1975; inventor Myra Taylor-Farrell; entomologist Marina Tyndale-Biscoe; photographer Juno Gemes and trade unionist Anna Stewart, who led the successful campaign for maternity leave for the Federated Furnishing Trades Society, the first such campaign by a blue-collar union.
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We have also added entries for newly elected Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly Chiaka Barry, Fiona Carrick, Deborah Morris, and Caitlin Tough, to update the Numbers Too Big To Ignore online exhibition. After Australia Day we updated entries for women who received Honours, such as Annastacia Palaszczuk, appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) ‘for eminent service to the people and Parliament of Queensland, particularly as Premier, to educational equity, to multiculturalism, and to public health.’ We regularly update entries with dates of death: sadly, well-known ACT women Dawn Waterhouse and Ellnor Grassby were among this number.
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Ellnor and Dawn’s entries were among the top items searched so far in 2026; as was the entry for Virginia Bell, the former High Court judge appointed to lead the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
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In the first two months of 2026 there were 39, 351 active users and 41,000 sessions, with most users (60%) drawn from Australia. We continue to receive feedback submitted via the Got something to tell us about this entry? tile which appears on every Register page. Respondents alert us to new research resources which should be added to entries, suggest worthy candidates for new entries, point out errors and ask for information about how to get access to resources and people listed in the entry.
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Margy Burn AM
Chair
Australian Women’s Register Management Committee
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Making a Bequest and Supporting the Work of NFAW
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"Empower Australian Women: Leave a Lasting Legacy with NFAW
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Your dedication to gender equality has played a crucial role in shaping a brighter future for Australian women. Today, we invite you to consider leaving a gift in your will to the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) to extend your impact beyond your lifetime.
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Why Consider a Gift in Your Will?
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A gift, regardless of size, is a powerful statement of your values and a commitment to lasting change. It ensures your dedication to gender equality resonates for generations to come.
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Empowering Women Across Society
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NFAW is dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of Australian women in all aspects of society. Your gift supports vital research, advocacy, education, and programs breaking down barriers to women's equality, fostering transformational change.
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Catalyst for Policy Change and Social Justice
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Your contribution supports NFAW's role as a catalyst for policy change, advocating for legislative and social reforms that advance women's rights. Your legacy invests in a future where women's voices are heard, respected, and acted upon.
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How Your Gift Makes a Difference
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Support groundbreaking research on gender issues, shaping policies that address pay disparity and violence against women.
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Leaving a gift to NFAW is a straightforward process. Consult a legal advisor to ensure your wishes are accurately reflected. Informing us allows us to thank you and keep you updated on the impact of your future gift.
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Your Legacy is Their Future
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By leaving a gift to NFAW, you're shaping the future for Australian women, ensuring your commitment to gender equality inspires change long after your lifetime. We're here to answer any questions about leaving a gift and how your legacy contributes to a more equitable future for all women.
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Thank you for considering this powerful way to support gender equality and women's rights. Together, we create a lasting legacy of change.
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