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It’s been a busy few months for NFAW, on both internal and external fronts.
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We are delighted to welcome two new young Directors to the NFAW Board, Akrti Tyagi and Brianna Delahunty. Both are leaders with Girls Run, an emerging young women’s organisation, which is being auspiced by NFAW. Girls Run aims to create an intergenerational solidarity space for feminist advocacy, focusing on empowering young women and gender-diverse individuals in Australia. It connects different generations of feminists, facilitating knowledge sharing and mutual support. Work to advance a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and progress Girls Run to become a program within NFAW are underway. See below for more details.
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The Social Policy Committee (SPC) continues to be very active and further information on their work is below. At its meeting on 27 August 2025, the NFAW Board adopted the recommendations from a review of the SPC by Caroline Lambert, who also conducted a survey regarding the standing of SPC and NFAW. Reflecting on the remit of the Committee, the name of the SPC is changing to the NFAW Policy Committee. The leadership is also now changing. We offer massive thanks to Professor Helen Hodgson who led the SPC work over the past six years and is leaving the Board at the AGM on 12 November after nine years. Helen will continue to be active in the Policy Committee which is to be led by Helen Dalley- Fisher AM.
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In the review, reflecting the role NFAW could play at this time, respondents urged NFAW to be bold: think into the “next big thing” to progress gender equality, embrace campaigning, step into public debate, pursue the legitimacy that comes from intersectional feminist analysis, adapt working methods to support intergenerational work, and collaborate to co- create new ways of advancing gender equality among diverse players within Australia.
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Keeping this in mind, our November event this year will be a reception / cocktail function at Parliament House under the title “Feminist Answers” which will seek to find answers, rather than just discuss key issues relating to gender inequality. The event is timed for the beginning of the annual Budget process, when government is considering its priorities and key initiatives for the following year’s Budget. This first event (in hopefully a series) will focus on redesigning work for a feminist future. The event will include three presenters who will each deliver five-minute pitches on key topics such as;
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- implementing a four-day working week for gender equality,
- designing jobs so men share unpaid caring work equally, and
- introducing job sharing arrangements for parliamentarians.
Sponsored by the Office of the Minister for Women, it will be held on 26 November 5.30-
7.30pm. The NFAW Dinner will be held at the National Press Club, tentatively in 31 March –
further details to follow. As members would recall, we typically host a March event in
honour of one of our founders, Pamela Denoon.
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We are thrilled to have launched a new refreshed website (including our new branding and
logo) which will present a more contemporary view of the organisation and also offer
superior functionality such as more effective searching. If not done so already, pleas
check out www.nfaw.org Huge thanks to Director, Llewella Jago who led this work.
Following the adoption of the updated Constitution in 2024, an action was taken to review
and revise the Directors’ Handbook to ensure consistency with the new governance
arrangements. We have now updated the NFAW Directors Handbook quite extensively,
reflecting both the new Constitution update din 2024 and best practice for directors.
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Regarding other events, NFAW has been invited to apply to participate at Government
House Open Day on Saturday 1 November from 10am – 2pm. This will be the first Open
Day during Sam Mostyn AC’s term that will include Patronage organisations. Final selection
is pending but we wanted to give you an early heads-up to register your interest.
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As always, we welcome your support and any suggestions/feedback on these newsletters or
the work we do are most valued. I hope some of you will join our AGM on 12 November at
11.30am.
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Best wishes, enjoy the spring weather wherever you may be, Jane
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Jane Madden
Chair | National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW)
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From the Policy Committee
NFAW needs your help to defend the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (SDA). The SDA protects everyone from discrimination on the grounds of sex or gender in a range of areas, including employment, obtaining goods and services and education.
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Senator Pauline Hanson has tabled a Bill in the Senate called the ‘Sex Discrimination Amendment (Acknowledging Biological Reality) Bill 2024’. The Bill aims to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to delete the word ‘gender’ throughout the Act and to insert a new definition of ‘man’ (“man means a member of the male biological sex irrespective of age.”) and ‘woman’ (“woman means a member of the female biological sex irrespective of age.”). If passed, the Bill would remove all federal discrimination protections for trans and gender diverse people.
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On 12 September 2025 the Senate took the unusual step of voting against allowing the Bill to be read a first time, on the grounds that the Bill was divisive and harmful to the human rights of trans and gender diverse people. Since then, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party have raised the issue of the Bill twice more in the Senate and are pushing to have the Bill accepted in the Senate’s legislative agenda.
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The human right to freedom from discrimination is set out in Articles 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantee equal protection before the law and prohibit discrimination. Senator Hanson’s Bill undermines the principle that protection from discrimination is a universal human right which should be available to everyone.
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The rhetoric being used to support the Bill is particularly concerning, as it suggests that protecting trans and gender diverse people from discrimination somehow comes at the expense of the rights of women. This is incorrect – the inclusion of gender as a protected ground in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) reinforces that the Act is not limited to protection against sex discrimination but also covers discrimination on the ground of gender norms (for example, discrimination based on assumptions about whether women make good leaders), which is important to everyone.
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We are asking NFAW members to help defend the SDA by emailing your State or Territory’s Senators and Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Minister for Women) to let them know that you do not support the Bill. Feel free to adapt the wording above. You can find your local senators (and their email addresses) here:
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Feminist Answers: 26 November, 5.30-7.30pm
Dame Enid Lyons Alcove
Australian Parliament House, Canberra
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This year, instead of an annual Press Club dinner, NFAW is holding an event in
Parliament House in Canberra, sponsored by the Minster for Women.
The cocktail function will be the first of a potential series under the title Feminist
Answers. We will pose questions for ourselves and find feminist solutions. It is timed
for the beginning of the annual Budget process, when government is setting priorities
and developing key initiatives for the following year’s Budget. We want to encourage
the government to think about gender equality as it plans the Budget.
This first event will focus on redesigning work for a feminist future.
We are looking forward to conversation, laughter, and big-picture thinking as we
share our thoughts for a productive feminist future.
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Pamela Denoon Event: March 2026
National Press Club, National Circuit Barton, ACT
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We are proposing to hold our annual dinner event at the National Press Club in
Canberra at the end of March 2026.
We hope to see you at both events!
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New NFAW project: Girls Run
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Girls Run is a merging of two young women’s organisations that will create an intergenerational solidarity space supported by dynamic programming and engaging advocacy that seeks to shift conditions for young women and gender diverse folks in Australia.
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There are currently few pathways for young women and gender diverse people to channel their energy, their care, their fire and their rage into meaningful collective action at the national level. Girls Run will model intergenerational and intersectional action, with a focus on young feminist leadership, co-ownership, substantive participation, and accountability.
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We are excited that two principals of Girls Run, Akrti Tyagi and Brianna Delahunty, have joined the Board of NFAW and will bring fresh ideas to our board.
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Australian Women’s Archives Program
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The 2025 season of Winter Tales events at the National Library was a great success with over 60 people attending each event. Speakers were Lt Genl Michelle McGuinness CSC, Cyber Security Coordinator, Anna Maria Arabia, Academy of Science CEO, and art historian Emerita Professor Helen Ennis. Funds raised support the development of the Australian Women's Register.
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Recently commissioned analytics reporting shows the Register attracts some 8600 users
each month. The most visited pages include entries for Liz Cambage, Ita Buttrose, Germaine
Greer, Margaret Court, Helen Reddy and Clover Moore; prominent ACT women including
property developer Sotiria Liangis; politicians Alicia Payne and Elizabeth Lee; and less well-
known women including lawyer Koula Kossiavelos, social worker Norma Parker and
Willoughby Council member Sylvia Chao. Organisations ranking highly include the Royal
Australian Army Nursing Corps, the Wonthaggi Women’s Auxiliary, the Lyceum Club, Elsie
Women’s Refuge and the Australian Women’s Army Service. Having data on the most visited
pages is extremely useful as it points to entries which are priorities for updating: for
example, Jillian Segal's appointment as Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia.
New entries added to the Register recently include photographer Ruth Maddison and YWCA
pioneer Katherine Tapley Short.
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Margy Burn
Chair, AWAP 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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