BroadTalk

In the final episode for this series, we talk to the amazing Rosie Batty AO. Rosie became a household name in Australia for all the wrong reasons. After her beloved son, 11 year old Luke was brutally killed by his father at a cricket game in 2014, Rosie faced the media and in a spell binding delivery sent the nation a message we needed to hear: “Family violence happens to everyone. No matter how nice your house, how intelligent you are. It can happen to anyone and everyone.”Thrown into the spotlight, Rosie tirelessly dedicated herself to raising awareness of Australia's hidden epidemic of violence against women. In 2014 she established the Luke Batty Foundation to assist women and children. She then played a major role in establishing Victoria's Royal Commission into Family Violence, and had a leading hand in the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. In 2015 Rosie she was named Australian of the Year. At the time she said she was, “the person no one wants to be, the mother who has suffered the insufferable.”Rosie's tireless advocacy has taken her around the nation and to international forums, including the UN. In 2016 she was ranked 33 in a list of the World's Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine. In 2019 Rosie was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).But all this selfless advocacy and passionate effort comes at a cost. In this powerful discussion for our Changemaker series, Rosie opens up about what her life has been like since that fateful day her son was murdered. We discuss the highs and lows, including the painful collapse and eventual closure of the Luke Batty Foundation. But with failure comes wisdom, and in typical Rosie style she is beautifully generous and open in sharing what she has learned. BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Anne Summers AO is a journalist, writer and lifelong women's rights activist. To many she is the ‘godmother of Australian feminism' and founder of the nation's first refuge for women, Elsie. Anne shot to fame back in 1975 with her first book – now a treasured Australian classic - Damned Whores and God's Police, which tore open the deeply entrenched ideology of sexism in Australia. There have been many books since, including; The End of Equality (2003), The Misogyny Factor (2012), The Lost Mother (2009), Ducks on the Pond (1999), and her outstanding Autobiography Unfettered and Alive'(2018), which charts a fascinating pathway through second wave feminism.Dr Summers worked as Bureau Chief for the Australian Financial Review, before becoming political advisor to Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and later Paul Keating, where she became a key ‘femocrat' driving major policy reform that helped expand Australian women's lives and opportunities. She went on to Head the Office of the Status of Women in the Department of the Prime Minister and CabinetDr Summers gained international fame as Editor of Ms Magazine in the USA, after raising $20 million dollars on Wall Street to fund the project. Back in Australia she took on the role as Editor of Good Weekend, and later on the global stage she Chaired Greenpeace International.In July 2022 Anne released a major report, The Choice - Violence or Poverty: Domestic violence and its consequences in Australia today. BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Natasha Stott Despoja AO is a feminist trailblazer at every turn! Her tireless leadership spans decades: from the brutal politics of being Australia's youngest woman to enter Federal Parliament at the age of 26, to her 13 years as a South Australian Senator and role as youngest Leader of the Australian Democrats. That alone was unprecedented. But this unstoppable changemaker then built a stellar career post-politics that propelled her on to the global stage as a warrior for women's rights and gender equality. Natasha's impressive diplomacy as Australia's Ambassador for Women and Girls (2013-2016), and position on the World Bank Gender Advisory Council (2015-2017), won her many international admirers. In 2020 she was elected to the United Nations Committee to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). But it is her fearless leadership as the Founding Chair of Our Watch, and her advocacy of primary prevention to end horrific rates of violence against women, that has made Natasha one of the nation's most impressive current leaders. In a powerful address at the National Press Club in 2020 Natasha called out domestic violence as “one of the most heinous manifestations of gender inequality”. Natasha's story is part of our Changemaker series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of some stunning, audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers', which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?'. In this series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker.BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sally McManus is Secretary of the powerful Australian Council of Trade Unions, and a committed ‘movement builder'. She's also something of an enigma. Not only because she is the first woman to head the ACTU, or because this diminutive, former pizza delivery driver and cleaner (with a degree in philosophy!) has a passion for bird watching and is a Black belt in Kung-fu, but because Sally really doesn't care a jot what people think of her. In her first week as ACTU Secretary she was branded ‘a lunatic' by a Cabinet Minister and sideswiped as too ‘conflict' driven by big business. That was five years ago. Sally is still standing and thriving. What's more, she's still smiling. In this fascinating conversation about fairness, justice and gender equality in one of the most ‘blokey' sectors in Australia – trade unions, Sally sets the record straight. The union movement, she says, boasts some of the strongest feminists in the nation. She also shares some of the best Changemaker advice we've heard: when you find yourself in the middle of a storm, stand still. Listen in… and I'll let Sally explain why!Sally's story is part of our ‘Changemaker' series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of some stunning, audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers', which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?' In this series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker. BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Bronwyn King AO is a force of nature. A radiation oncologist in the lung cancer unit at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, turned anti-tobacco advocate, whose singular presence and powerful way with words has diverted $16 Trillion dollars of investment funds away from tobacco companies. It all started with a chance remark over a coffee, and since then Bronwyn has trotted the globe holding over 2,000 coffee meetings to convince leading financiers and big business to back off tobacco investments. Her methodology is unorthodox and her approach highly intuitive. It has to be. When she set out on this incredible journey of change, Bronwyn knew nothing about big business or how investment finance works. She was a simply a doctor, a mum, a swimmer, and a woman with a sudden will to change the world!Now she runs one of the most successful health advocacy groups in the world, Tobacco Free Portfolios. She has spoken at the United Nations, and rallied support from some of the globe's most influential medical minds, as well as a Princess, a President and a philanthropists or two! So how does she do it? And does Bronwyn King have an off switch? Listen on!Bronwyn's story is part of our Changemaker series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of some stunning, audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers', which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?'. In this series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker. BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mary Crooks AO is a feminist advocate and changemaker who exemplifies what some might call ‘old school' feminism. She is a champion of grassroots democracy and collective power building. As Executive director of the Victorian Women's Trust since 1996, Mary is perhaps best described as the founding mother of the ‘Kitchen Table Conversations', a model of community-based collaboration and solution shaping that she developed two decades ago. Hugely successful, the model has been used broadly across community and government projects, and most recently to build powerful, well informed support bases for independent political candidates. In 1998 she developed the Purple Sage Project, a huge exercise in participatory democracy that involved over 6000 citizens.A collective purist at heart, Mary is a listener and a connector. Her early career as an economist and sharp thinker saw her catapulted to the pointy end of policy-making in her home state of Victoria, where she worked as an advisor and speech writer to the legendary Labor Premier John Cain. One of those indefatigable women changemakers who never runs out of puff, Mary has devoted her life to improving the lives and rights of women. A legend in feminist circles, Mary is also no slouch when it comes to standing up to the ‘the man', or the woman for that matter! She has famously pushed back against public criticism and those moments of ‘white-hot anger'. This conversation with Mary is the third in our Changemaker series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers', which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?'. In the series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker.BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mehreen Faruqi has more identity titles than most! She's a Muslim, a migrant, a mother, a feminist, an engineer, an academic and a Greens Senator. She also has a number of ‘firsts' to her name. Most notably, the first Muslim woman to sit in an Australian parliament (NSW 2013) and later the first Muslim elected to the Australian Senate (2018). She is a passionate advocate for the environment, climate justice and women's rights, and a staunch anti-racism campaigner. In fact, there is little about contemporary Australia that Mehreen doesn't have a stake in, and a view about. Her book Too Migrant, Too Muslim, Too Loud is a sweeping romp through her life and the issues that keep her awake at night. A wonderful conversationalist, Mehreen is one of those rare women who didn't ‘become' a changemaker, she just seems born that way. She is an inveterate ‘fixer' who cannot walk past a problem of inequity without trying to solve it. Her choice to leave Pakistan to seek a better life in Australia for her young family didn't initially go to plan when she encountered unexpected and at times shocking levels of racism. That and her observations of Aussie complacency around the issues that she cared deeply about, such as the environment, women and the treatment of migrants are what politicised her. Her career path has been tough and the backlash has at times been painful. But in true changemaker style, Mehreen's life mantra is “Feel the fear and do it anyway”. Mehreen's story is the second in our ‘Changemaker' series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of some stunning, audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers', which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?'. In the series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker. BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first of our new BroadTalk series on Australian Women Changemakers, Virginia talks to Chanel Contos, whose pioneering work started a movement around holistic consent and sexuality education.In 2021, aged just 22, Chanel Contos, kicked off a nationwide media storm when she exposed the alarming level of sexual assault and an undeniable prevalence of rape culture in elite private schools across Sydney, New South Wales. It all began with a simple question on social media: “have you or anyone close to you ever experienced sexual assault from someone who went to an all-boys school?”. Within hours thousands of testimonials from school girls poured in and soon tens of thousands of Australians signed her online petition demanding consent education reform in Australian schools. With lightning speed she set up the ‘Teach Us Consent' campaign and soon had a seat at the table with the Prime Minister and key policymakers. By early 2022 she'd pulled it off! Education Ministers around Australia unanimously committed to mandating holistic and age appropriate consent education in every school, across every age group. For Chanel it was a jubilant win, but like many radical social reforms, there is always a price to pay. And as we hear in this raw and intimate discussion, Chanel is still paying it.Chanel's story is the first in our ‘Changemaker' series, in which we highlight the extraordinary efforts of some stunning, audacious and gutsy Australian women. As guest curator of a new exhibition, ‘Australian Women Changemakers', which opened at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in June 2022, BroadTalk host Virginia Haussegger has spent hundreds of hours pouring over feminist activism and advocacy, chasing that holy grail of insight about ‘what makes a changemaker?'. In the series we explore the courage, motivations and importantly the cost of being a changemaker. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Professor Chris Wallace calls it a ‘genderquake', a moment in time in which the “tectonic plates of Australian politics shifted.” In this final episode of our BroadTalk Election22 series we rip into what happened to turn the Australian federal election into a watershed moment for women and why! How did a massive swathe of previously unknown, politically inexperienced, women snatch key conservative Liberal seats off the government, leaving a cabal of dumbfounded male politicians, including the former Australian Treasurer, in their wake! What's more, why did the men in charge not see this coming, when the rest of the country clearly did? And, what will the Australian parliament look like under this historic shift created by and for women? Here at BroadTalk, we're still catching our breath after one of the most exciting and energising election results in Australian history. But, is this seismic feminist shift just the beginning? Professor Chris Wallace is a former press gallery journalist, turned political historian, writer and Professor of prolific output at the 50/50 By 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra. She wrote the first biography of Germaine Greer, ‘Untamed Shrew' and has authored several books since. Her latest, “How to Win an Election” is the secret go-to bible for election campaign directors and aspiring Prime Ministers!Annie O'Rourke knows her way around the maze of political power corridors better than most. She is a strategic communications specialist, CEO and founder of 89 DegreesEast. Annie's advice and expertise is prized among Australia's leading CEO's, public servants and political leaders. She was a senior advisor to Prime Minister Rudd and was Anthony Albanese's first policy adviser when he first joined the Shadow Ministry way back in 2001. Catherine Fox is a leading commentator on women and the workforce, an award-winning journalist, and author of several books, including ‘Stop Fixing Women' and co-author of ‘Woman Kind'. At Fairfax media she established the Financial Review 100 Women of Influence Awards. Catherine was a member of the Australian Defence Force Gender Equality Advisory Board; she sits on the Australians Investing In Women board, and is co-founder of the Sydney Women's Giving Circle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The prevailing mood across the Australian electorate is dark right now. At the end of what feels like a long and bitter federal election campaign, this week Virginia is joined by award winning journalist, Jess Hill, acclaimed author Nikki Gemmell, and one of Australia's most powerful businesswomen, Carol Schwartz AO, as we ask what the style and nature of this hyper masculine campaign says about our nation. With broad long sight we take the pulse of Australia and ask what next? What do women want under a new government? Will it be a fresh start? And why is the election outcome so pivotal to Australia's international standing?Nikki Gemmell is a beloved Australian writer, whose sharp and beautifully sensitive eye has navigated the cultural and social landscape of our nation for the past couple of decades. Author of 17 books, her international acclaim includes French nomination as one of the 50 most important writers in the world. For BroadTalkers Nikki's weekly column in The Australian Magazine is a must read: balm for the soul!Jess Hill is a multi-award winning journalist, perhaps best known for her powerful, investigative work on gendered violence. Her Stella Prize winning book, ‘See What You Made Me Do', was developed into a compelling documentary series for SBS. Jess has also worked at the ABC and previously as a middle east correspondent at the Global Mail.Carol Schwartz AO is one of Australia's most dynamic business and community leaders with a diverse career across property, the arts, finance, investment, entrepreneurship, government and health. She holds numerous board positions, including a seat on the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Trawalla Group and is Chair of EQT Holdings. A passionate advocate for gender equality and women in leadership, Carol spearheaded the Women's Leadership Institute Australia, and has catalysed a range of initiatives to grow the critical mass of women in politics, business and the media, including the very successful program Pathway to Politics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With Virginia away, Jill Marsh takes the hot seat for a big broad chat with Helen Dalley-Fisher and Sally Moyle. The BroadTalkers tackle the leaked draft judgement in the US that threatens to fundamentally shift the dial back on abortion rights, the spectacle of soft-shouting blokes at the leaders' debates, and climate change.Helen Dalley-Fisher is the Convenor of the Equality Rights Alliance based in Canberra. ERA is Australia's largest network of organisations advocating for women's equality and leadership. Before ERA, Helen trained in law and worked in the community legal sector, where she specialised disability discrimination.Sally Moyle is an Honorary Associate Professor at the ANU's Gender Institute and Vice president of the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW). Sally has an extensive background in international development policy and practice. She was previously Chief Executive Officer at CARE Australia, prior to which she was the Principal Gender Specialist and Assistant Secretary with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Sally has also held senior government roles in the Office for Women, in Indigenous Affairs, Disability and AusAid; and as a lawyer Sally worked in the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Law Reform Commission.Jill Marsh is passionate about supporting collecting and research institutions and connecting people with them. She has worked at cultural institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom including the National Gallery in London, British Museum, Queensland Museum, and the World Science Festival in Brisbane.BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's week four of Australia's Federal election campaign and we've made it past the half way mark. Give yourself a big pat on the back for your perseverance, and enjoy this week's outstanding panel casting a razor-sharp gender lens over the week that was.Joining Virginia Haussegger AM this week to discuss the election meme war, the big issues for women and whether they are being addressed, and what happens if the Teal Independents fail, are:Dr Jenna Price is an Australian journalist and academic. She is a visiting fellow at the Australian National University and columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times columnist. Jenna is one of the founders of the online feminist movement, Destroy The Joint. Dr Chris Wallace is a writer, historian, former press gallery journalist and Associate Professor at the 50/50 By 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra. She wrote the first biography of Germaine Greer, ‘Untamed Shrew' and has authored several books since. Her latest, “How to Win an Election” is the secret bible of current election campaign directors. Or, if it isn't, it jolly well should be! Helen Dalley-Fisher is the Convenor of the Equality Rights Alliance based in Canberra. ERA is Australia's largest network of organisations advocating for women's equality and leadership. Before ERA, Helen trained in law and worked in the community legal sector, where she specialised disability discrimination.BroadTalk is presented by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does Elon Musk's potential takeover of Twitter mean for women's opportunities to engage in public debate? What's the best way to deal with online trolls and abuse? And what does John Howard calling the Teal independents 'anti-Liberal groupies' say about the state of the Liberal party?Joining Virginia Haussegger to cast a razor-sharp gender lens over week three of an Australian Federal election campaign that already feels like it's lasted a lifetime is a stellar panel of outstanding commentators.Yasmin Poole is an award-winning speaker, writer and youth advocate, and a newly minted Rhodes Scholar. She is Plan International's National Ambassador, and a Non-Executive Board Director of OzHarvest, and YWCA, a national feminist organisation that has supported women and girls for 140 years. She has appeared on television programs such as Q+A, The Drum and The Project. In 2019, Yasmin was the youngest member of the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence and Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian Australians.Jane Caro AM is a Walkley Award winning author and columnist who is standing as a candidate for Reason Australia for the Senate in the upcoming election.Georgie Dent is a journalist, editor, author, and prominent advocate for women's empowerment, gender equality and mental health. She is the Executive Director of The Parenthood and the author of Breaking Badly.BroadTalk is presented by Virginia Haussegger AM and is a production of BroadTalk Media. It is produced by Martyn Pearce.Say hello to us on Instagram! You can find us as broadtalkers.Email us at hello@broadtalk.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's week two of Australia's Federal Election campaign - a week of hard hats and hi-vis, of infrastructure and economy announcements, and a culture war attack on the rights of trans women. Joining Virginia Haussegger to wonder when we're going to get some substance to go along with the spin and dog whistle politics are an incredible panel of experts.Catherine Fox is a leading commentator on women and the workforce, an award-winning journalist, and author of several books, including ‘Stop Fixing Women' and co-author of ‘Woman Kind'. At Fairfax media she helped establish the Financial Review 100 Women of Influence Awards. Catherine was a member of the Australian Defence Force Gender Equality Advisory Board; she sits on the Australians Investing In Women board, and is co-founder of the Sydney Women's Giving Circle.Sally Moyle is an Honorary Associate Professor at the ANU's Gender Institute and Vice president of the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW). Sally has an extensive background in international development policy and practice. She was previously Chief Executive Officer at CARE Australia, prior to which she was the Principal Gender Specialist and Assistant Secretary with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Sally has also held senior government roles in the Office for Women, in Indigenous Affairs, Disability and AusAid; and as a lawyer Sally worked in the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Law Reform Commission.Emily Dwyer is a trans woman and co-founder of Edge Effect (www.edgeeffect.org), a specialist diverse SOGIESC humanitarian and development organisation. Emily's humanitarian and development career began in 2004 in Afghanistan. Before then Emily was a radio journalist in Australia and in Southeast Asia for 10 years. BroadTalk is presented by Virginia Haussegger AM. It is produced by Martyn Pearce for BroadTalk Media.Get in the picture with BroadTalk! We're now on Instagram - find us at Broadtalkers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back, BroadTalkers! And in this special series we cast a razor-sharp gender lens over the politics, policy, and pork-barrelling of Australia's Federal Election 2022. Joining Virginia Haussegger to discuss the first week of campaigning are Jane Caro and Georgie Dent.This week the BroadTalk team ask whether a Federal integrity commission is a vote-changer, discuss the way that greater access to childcare could turbo-charge job creation, ask when our political leaders are going to have a debate about equity, and wonder where the voice of women was in week one of the campaign.Jane Caro AM is a Walkley Award winning author and columnist who is standing as a candidate for Reason Australia for the Senate at the forthcoming election.Georgie Dent is a journalist, editor, author, and prominent advocate for women's empowerment, gender equality and mental health. She is the Executive Director of The Parenthood, and the author of Breaking Badly.BroadTalk is presented by Virginia Haussegger AM and is a production of BroadTalk Media. It is produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back! And for our special series that starts this Friday, 15 April, we'll be casting a gender lens over the policies, commitments, and promises of Australia's Federal Election 2022. Join Virginia and a brilliant cast every Friday during the election campaign. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's it like when the professional inquisitor becomes the subject of inquisition? Well, you're about to find out! In this special episode of BroadTalk we flip the microphone around and put host Virginia Haussegger in the ‘hot seat'. Recorded in front of a live audience at the National Portrait Gallery, as part of the EY Women in Leadership Series, Virginia was the subject of an ‘In Conversation' led by EY Partner, Permenthri Pillay. The recipient of numerous awards for both journalism and women's advocacy, including an Order of Australia (AM) and named the 2019 ACT Australian of the Year, Virginia discusses the big news stories that have been turning points in her career. Following a decade reporting around the globe for Channel 9, the 7 Network and the ABC, Virginia went on to anchor ABC TV News in Canberra for 15 years. In 2016 she left television and founded the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, at the University of Canberra, with a vision to improve the representation of women in public leadership and key decision-making roles around the nation. Here she discusses the current status of women's empowerment, gender equity, what is needed to close the global gender gap, and finally, but not least – what is the role of men!BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce. You can join the conversation on our BroadTalk Facebook page or @TalkBroad See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Elizabeth Ames is a one of those super, savvy young Australian women who left our shores in her 20's with big dreams and an insatiable hunger for a career challenge. And she found it! Now in her mid 30's, it seems most Australian politicians, diplomats, or business people of note passing through the UK, will seek out Elizabeth Ames. Which is no surprise given her expertise in trade and investment policy, diplomacy, and UK-Australia relations.A sharp public affairs and policy strategist, Elizabeth has served as Executive Director of the Aust-UK Chamber of Commerce; she is Chair of the Menzies Australia Institute at Kings College London; and a Director of the Britain-Australia Society. Most recently this energetic go-getter took on the role of Chief Operating Officer at the London based organisation Atalanta – which is where Elizabeth caught our eye. Atalanta is doing fascinating work around the world to amplify the voices and political representation of women.In this big, broad chat on BroadTalk, Liz shares some bold insights on female imposter syndrome; the art of networking; how she ditched a career in diplomacy, moved countries again, and built a whole new career from scratch. Finally, we also hear what it's like as an Australian citizen to be locked out of your own country.BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. Join the ongoing conversation on our BroadTalk facebook page and on Twitter @TalkBroad, or catch Virginia @Virginia_Hauss See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Virginia chats with an exceptional icon of Australian feminism - Wendy McCarthy AO.Wendy is perhaps most fated for her mentorship of hundreds, if not thousands, of women executives, business leaders, political aspirants and MP's. She has sat on dozens of corporate and not-for-profit boards with national and global leadership roles in health, heritage, arts, aid and development, family planning and abortion rights, media, and even Australia's beloved Circus Oz.Wendy was Deputy Chair of the ABC for eight years, and Chancellor of the University of Canberra for 10. She was also Chair of Plan International Australia and Deputy Chair of Plan Global, as well as Deputy Chair of the Advisory Committee at the WHO Kobe Centre, Japan.But this indefatigable woman, who is about to turn 80 years old, shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. And with half a century of feminist activism under her belt, she has never stopped fighting the good fight. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Julia Banks was a successful corporate lawyer with a couple of decades of leadership under her belt. Not one to shy away from an argument, or a challenge, she felt the tug of politics around 5 years ago.In 2016 she decided it was time to try and toss out the Labor member for the Melbourne seat of Chisholm who'd held the seat for 17 years, Anna Burke… and win the federal seat for the Liberal party. And she did! The seat became known as the one seat in the one-seat majority, and the only seat won from Labor in the 2016 election.But her enthusiasm for morphing from lawyer to legislator soon turned sour. In fact worse. Julia found parliament and her party's power plays stank. What she later called out as ‘gender bias, bullying and intimidation' has since become a regular headline describing the current Australian government…. But back in 2018, when Julia quit the Liberal party and became an Independent, she was the first woman to so boldly turn on her own party. The move was described in the media as “a blistering farewell” amid chaos and political thuggery. What followed was a relentless attack on Julia Banks sanity … from death threats to numerous attempts to discredit her. Not only did she survive and fight back … she has now dedicated herself to tackling face-on the scourge of sexism inherent in Australian politics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do you do when you see gender injustice …and then can't make yourself ‘unsee' it? Well, if you are a leading feminist lawyer such as Jocelynne Scutt you dedicate your life to fighting it.Jocelynne Scutt AO first grabbed media attention in her 30's when she became one of Australia's most prominent female barristers in the 1980's.In addition to her relentless push for legal reforms to end discrimination against women, she also wrote countless books on feminist themes: including the ‘splendours' of a free and autonomous life as a ‘Singular Women'; and the taboo subject of fertility pressures in her ground-breaking book, ‘The Baby Machine'. Throughout her long career Jocelyne has continued to write with great conviction and authority about women, power and sexual politics, and most recently about laws around women's bodies and cosmetic surgery.She served as Sex Discrimination Commissioner in Tasmania, then later as a judge on the high court in Fiji. Jocelynne now lives in Cambridge in the UK, where she is a Member of the English Bar, an elected Counsellor on the Cambridgeshire County Council, and a member of the British Labour Party. In her 70's and just as energetic as ever, Jocelynne is still teaching law, these days at Buckingham University. BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. Join the conversation on the BroadTalk facebook page and on twitter @TalkBroad. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do those ageing Women's Libbers make of the March4Justice movement? And how does Australia's current explosion of feminist activity connect to our past?Writer and activist, Biff Ward is one of the original, so called ‘Brazen Hussies', those fiery feminist activists of the 1960's and ‘70's who defied the status quo, demanding gender equality and profound social change. She featured in the recent documentary film, Brazen Hussies, that celebrates the social activism and grass-roots nature of the Women's Liberation movement. In March this year, Biff was one of the speakers on stage at the Canberra rally outside parliament house. In a beautifully moving speech, she brought women to tears as spoke of her joy, at the age of 78, in finally seeing women rally in huge numbers to protest against harassment, violence and inequality. A long time campaigner for a woman's right to be heard, Biff told the crowd she never thought she'd live to witness such a collective show of women's strength.Biff's book, Father-Daughter Rape, published in 1984 was ground-breaking, and one of the first books to publicly tackle the taboo subject of incest and rape within families. Her memoir, In My Mother's Hands, about her mother's traumatic battle with depression, was long-listed for the 2015 Stella Prize.We sat down together in Biff's kitchen to talk about the recent rally and the power of breaking long held and secret silences. BroadTalk is hosted by journalist Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. Join the BroadTalk Roundtable group on facebook, or connect with us on twitter @Virignia_Hauss and @TalkBroad #BroadTalk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The March 4 Justice has changed the narrative around gendered violence in Australia, but will it lead to practical and policy change? Virginia Haussegger talks to the woman who started it all with a single tweet - Janine Hendry. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How does a young woman who is subjected to brutal sexual slavery in Sierra Leone, escape a civil war, land in Australia and rebuild her life? And why does motherhood send her back to the land that terrorised her, as she tries to empower some of the most disempowered women & girls on earth.Aminata Conteh-Biger is no ordinary woman. In March 2021 she spoke at the March4Justice rally in Canberra, where she posed a powerful question to the Australian Prime Minister and all members of parliament, when she asked, “If you have so much trouble believing the stories of (sexual abuse and rape from) white women, what hope is there for black women?” Aminata's own story is a powerful tale of female resilience. It's also a story about choice. Her choice to rise above the horrific experiences she endured in order to live a life focused on love, family, forgiveness and supporting other women, is nothing short of inspirational. Her own story has been captured in film in the excellent SBS documentary, ‘Daughters of Sierra Leone'; detailed in her moving book ‘Rising Heart'; and powerfully celebrated in the hit play and now film, ‘The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe'.Please note the following podcast includes reference to disturbing experiences. If this should raise concerns for you, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800Respect on 1800 737 732.BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is Australia on the brink of a powerful, new women's movement? Could this be the change we've been waiting for? And what happens after so much venting of such raw anger?This week has seen a public show of force unlike anything we've witnessed in decades, with over 100,000 people chanting ‘Enough is Enough!', in over 40 locations around Australia.The hastily organised ‘March 4 Justice' was fuelled by recent high-profile allegations of rape and sexual abuse in parliament. But it quickly snowballed into a public outcry, as thousands of women and girls began sharing their own stories of abuse and harassment.But where to now? What has the march achieved and what do we do with all this energy, rage and passion for change?Helen Dalley-Fisher heads the Equality Rights Alliance, and is a seasoned feminist activist. Called upon by the campaign's organisers to help steer the politics around some of the March 4 Justice policy ‘demands', Helen sat down with BroadTalk just two days after the March to take a deep breath and reflect on … what the hell just happened!Like BroadTalk? Don't forget to hit subscribe on your preferred pod platform and join us on our Facebook group - the BroadTalk Roundtable. Want to help us out? Share the word and share the pod with your friends and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do two 17-year-old school girls, with a passion for a global social enterprise, turn their dream into reality and a thriving business? And why focus on period poverty and menstruation products?The 2021 Young Australian of the Year, Isobel Marshall, and her ‘bestie', Eloise Hall, are using the power of their Australian privilege to do something super practical, and push back against a pervasive gender inequity.In 2017 these extraordinarily enterprising women founded Taboo, a bold new player in the menstrual hygiene market. But it's no ordinary company. Not only do they pour 100 per cent of their sales profit into global community programs that empower girls through sanitary care and education, but none of their own staff take a wage. As for sustainability, well, they've thought that through too! In fact, for newbies in the world of business and funds raising, they're surprisingly sassy.Now aged 21, Isobel is studying medicine and Eloise is full throttle into business and international studies. With some fascinating insights, our discussion on BroadTalk dives into the myriad gender issues that have grabbed media headlines in early 2021, particularly around the hyper sexualisation of school girls, and the growing movement to end rape culture and deep-rooted sexism within the Australian parliament.In this series of BroadTalk, journalist Virginia Haussegger tackles both policy and the personal issues around gender equality, as she asks are we there yet? And if not, why not.BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce. You can find more BroadTalk discussion on our Facebook group, the BroadTalk RoundTable. Or on Twitter @Virginia_Hauss #BroadTalk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever arrived at work, taken a good look around and felt your heart sink?Perhaps in one of those moments you've realised your personal values, just don't fit the corporate lingo or company goals.Financial advisor Licia Heath was on a yacht, on Sydney Harbour, sipping champagne with clients when that penny dropped. But it wasn't just her job that was the problem, it was government policy and the lack of women in politics shaping that policy, that began to eat away at her.With only 31 per cent of federal MP's female, Australia ranks a poor 50th in the world for women in parliament. In 120 years, Australia has had just one female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. But while the impact of women's absence from political leadership has become a common theme in media and public discussion, the actual representation of women has been slow to shift. Licia decided someone had to garner the passion and energy in all our talk, and turn it into action. And that someone was her!Not only did she step up for one of the toughest by-elections in the nation, but when she failed to win, Licia turned her efforts to teaching other women how they too could and should have a go. She is now CEO of the not-for-profit group Women For Election Australia, and has trained hundreds of women how to rattle and shake their inner political clout!In this 2021 series of BroadTalk, journalist Virginia Haussegger tackles the policy and the personal issues around gender equality, as she asks are there yet? And if not, why not.BroadTalk is produced by Martyn Pearce. You can find more BroadTalk discussion on our Facebook group, the BroadTalk RoundTable. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How can ambitious young women forge forward in a world not shaped for them? Or by them? When gender inequality snaps at their heels, no matter where they look … at work, at play, and in those bastions of male power – politics and parliament. What can the future look like, when the ‘now' is riddled with news about sexual harassment and patriarchy?Ashleigh Streeter-Jones is a 26-year-old, global award-winning feminist advocate, named by Forbes as one of Asia's '30 Under 30' “youthful visionaries”. Her early introduction to entrenched poverty and inequality left Ash mired in a severe, ‘reverse culture shock' during her teens. But the jolt fired a determination to drive change, and set her off on a path of youth leadership. Audacious and energetic, she has already inspired many young girls to get politically active.In this new 2021 series of BroadTalk, journalist Virginia Haussegger tackles both the policy and the personal issues around gender equality, as she asks ‘are we there yet? And if not, why not?'In this raw and delicate discussion about what it's like to push back against the rolling tide of inequality, Ash explains how at times young women feel simply overwhelmed. And how maintaining her energy, whilst also honouring her passion, has come at a considerable cost.BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is it about Julia Gillard? As Australia's first female Prime Minister she was both loved and loathed. Once the nation's most taunted political figure, she also captured more hearts and shaped more female ambition than possibly any other woman in Australian history.So, what has her rollercoaster ride taught us about how turbulent the world really is for women?In this special episode of BroadTalk, Virginia Haussegger sits down to a big, bold, broad ranging discussion with Julia as they unpack myth from reality around gender equality and women's progress. In a reflective mood, Julia muses over age and feminism and the power of hindsight.Ever the optimist, this former Prime Minister remains sanguine about a post-COVID world for women. She believes we are having a much more lively conversation now about gender and politics than we did when she was Prime Minister (2010 – 2013), and that 2020 has provided a valuable space to take stock, despite the unprecedented disruption, loss and painful demands.As for where this exceptionally energetic and prolific leader might head next? Well, Julia seems to think she's got her obituary all sorted! She doesn't have what she calls “further ambitions for self”… but as she tells Virginia, you'd be wrong to think she's ready to slap on the sunscreen and lie by the pool! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does it take to be a leader in the face of enormous flux, where disruptive change is not an endpoint, but the new daily norm? And what drives leadership ambition in some women and not others? Well, if you're Trish Bergin, a talented economist and seasoned leader in both the public and private sectors, it's all about strategic power. Not a quest to own it, but to understand how best to use it in order to shift attitudes, behaviours and ultimately reshape public policy.Trish is co-Director of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, at the Faculty of Business, Government and Law, University of Canberra. As a passionate gender equality and diversity advocate Trish faced perhaps her toughest assignment ever back in 2018, when as Head of the Office for Women, at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, she was required to defend the Australian government's failure to meet its gender equity obligations under CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. With her heart pulling in one direction and her head in another, Trish endured a six-hour public UN Committee interrogation in Geneva.In this 6th episode of BroadTalk, with its focus on ‘new leadership' and an emerging feminised style of leadership that is proving more effective in times of crisis, such as the current global pandemic, we unpack leadership traits and styles. And in a surprisingly personal account Trish also shares her own backstory of hardship, poverty and the lessons learned from adversity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jane Halton AO PSM has a CV that makes heads spin. A formidable, trailblazing woman in the Australian public service, she's a giant in health policy leadership and right now the global ‘go-to' girl on government responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.There is little Jane doesn't know about leadership: what works, what doesn't and why women need to strategically navigate those corridors of power normally reserved for men. As former head of the Commonwealth Department of Health and the first woman to head up the Department of Finance, Jane has never shied from a challenge.She is Chair of the Gate's Foundation initiative, CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and one of the few women on the Australian government's National COVID Coordination Commission. She sits on a number of boards, including ANZ and has held international roles in health governance at the WHO and OECD.In BroadTalk Jane speaks openly about what helped shape her ambition and what it's like to be an ‘outsider'. She shares insights to what makes a good leader great; whether leadership traits are gendered; why women around the globe are leading better than many men right now, and the key skills needed to drive ‘new leadership' in the 2020's.BroadTalk is hosted by journalist Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the fourth episode of BroadTalk, journalist Virginia Haussegger challenges former Chief of the Australian Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, to verbal combat over women, leadership, the power of male command and “that video”.David Morrison became a global sensation when his furious video speech calling out sexism among his troops went viral on YouTube, with over two million views. It led to a major shake-up of Defence Force culture.Now in demand around the world to speak on leadership, he's even shared a stage with Hollywood's Angelina Jolie, where he called on all militaries to increase the participation of women in their ranks.Named Australian of the Year by the Prime Minister in 2016, David used his platform to speak tirelessly about gender equality and violence against women. In this robust BroadTalk episode David discusses the gendered nature of leadership, male empathy, the value of diversity, and the absence of women's stories from the national narrative.BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the third episode of BroadTalk, journalist Virginia Haussegger chats with the woman who set tongues wagging when as Australia's Minister for Sport she dared strut in a figure-hugging leather dress and sky-high Gucci heels.Despite being dubbed the “sexiest politician” in parliament, Kate Ellis managed to rise above the media madness and forged an outstanding political career over fifteen years. She was the youngest person to become a Federal Minister and went on to hold portfolios in Employment, Early Education and Childcare, Youth, and the Status of Women.In a disarmingly frank discussion Kate reflects on the extraordinary challenges faced by women in politics; the pressure of relentless media trivialisation; the public's misconception about what leadership looks like … and the need for greater truth and collegiality among women with ambition.BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second episode of BroadTalk, Virginia Haussegger chats with a trailblazing Kiwi political warrior, Dame Annette King, about her extraordinary life in politics and managing the leadership spotlight. Dame Annette is New Zealand's longest-serving female MP and now NZ High Commissioner to Australia.A long-time mentor to New Zealand's PM Jacinda Ardern, Annette is renowned for being “incredibly committed”, “totally focused” and yet a whole lot of fun. Her ‘cold stare' (or what Julia Gillard calls the female “resting bitch face”) is legendary, yet those Kiwis Annette served adore her.Over three decades in parliament as Minister of various portfolios including Police, Justice, Health, Transport and Deputy Leader of the NZ Labor Party, Annette saw it all. In fact, there is little she didn't endure, from the heavy drinking of colleagues, sexism and scandal, to accusations she was a closet lesbian, as well as media fascination with her transgender husband. But the funny thing is how much Annette laughs when looking back and marvels at how her life has “just tumbled along!”BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the very first episode of BroadTalk, Virginia Haussegger chats to Australia's Foreign Minister, Senator Marise Payne about her journey to the top job, her personal motivations, and her passion for feminisim.As Foreign Minister, Senator Marise Payne is currently Australia's most powerful woman. Her call on where and how Australia pivots, blinks or charges forward on the international stage has a profound impact beyond policy. Her decisions have the power to change people's lives.But women are still a novelty at this level of leadership and their every action is intensely scrutinised. How they fare or fail fascinates not just feminist theorists, but women and girls everywhere. Senator Payne is also Minister for Women and therefore she has an even bigger stake in ensuring women's success. So, what does she think about her own style of leadership and how has she straddled the hurdles along the way? In this very candid discussion Minister Payne opens up about her journey, motivations and even her passion for feminism. Yes, unlike her predecessor and most of her conservative party colleagues, Marise Payne does call herself a feminist! Virginia asks her why! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

BroadTalk is a podcast about women, power, and the wayward world. Presented by Virginia Haussegger, the series casts a razor-sharp gender lens over politics and policy and explores big ideas and imperfect lives.Following Series 1 in 2020 which focused on ‘new leadership' – a ‘feminised' style of leadership that emerged during the global coronavirus pandemic; Series 2 in 2021 gets personal as Virginia tackles the impact of gender equality in individual lives as she asks 'are we there yet? And if not why not? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.