Women's rights

Female tennis players have heads too.

Study finds a sneaky double standard that is robbing qualified women of promotions and leadership roles.

Children, women and elderly people who couldn’t run away fast enough when Islamist extremists stormed their town were among an estimated 2,000 killed in a bloody massacre that went almost unreported last week. Hundreds of bodies are reportedly still lying in the bush in the wake of what Amnesty International is describing as “the deadliest […]

Hacked Sony emails reportedly reveal Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams received a smaller share of box office proceeds for American Hustle than their male counterparts.

A young Saudi woman has reportedly been arrested after she disguised herself as a man to sneak into a stadium to watch a football match in the city of Jeddah. While most aspects of daily life involve segregation of some kind, Football stadiums in the Saudi kingdom have very strict male only policies. The woman […]

Uber hasn’t proven to be a safer alternative to taxis that some female travelers had hoped for. Newsweek reports that a female passenger using the taxi app in London complained to Uber about a driver sexually harassing her. According to Newsweek, the company’s marketing manager followed up the incident with the woman, saying they were investigating […]

Mark Latham. Melbourne author and columnist Kasey Edwards has launched a Change.org petition calling on the Australian Financial Review (AFR) to cease publishing the “offensive and derogatory” columns of former Labor leader and columnist Mark Latham

Historically the Bond franchise has always implied that a woman's place is in the bedroom but the new 007 cast further reveals Bond might be getting a macho fantasy makeover?

Anyone with even a passing interest in the online feminist space will be familiar with the kinds of pond algae that swim in its waters. Many prominent feminist writers have spoken out about the kinds of sick-making abuse that has been hurled at them simply for speaking out.

Big German companies will be forced to have women in at least one third of their executive positions following a decision by the government to introduce a new law. The agreement will involve the Frauenquote – or women’s quotas – becoming law in December and companies will have to implement it by 2016. Some of Germany’s 108 […]

It was the lowest of crimes, committed against the most undeserving of victims.

A secret app that enables women to alert friends if they are being threatened by their partners is being launched this week in memory of Lisa Harnum, who was thrown to her death from her apartment balcony by her abusive fiancé.

A French study has found that if you want a man at your feet you should wear stilettos.

Men are most likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence – but they're also an integral part of the solution. Clair Weaver meets four inspiring men who have confronted the ugly reality of violence against women in their everyday lives.

Inspired by the Bechdel Test, a Swedish video-game trade group wants to determine if video games that don't promote gender equality deserve a "sexist" label similar to those for violence, adult language, and sexually explicit content.

Six of the eight finalists for the 2015 Australian of the Year Award are women – the highest number of female finalists in the category since the State and Territory award process was introduced in 2003. They include Deborra-lee Furness (NSW), Rosie Batty (VIC), Hetty Johnston AM (QLD), Professor Lyn Beazley AO (WA), Dr Gill […]

A tall, attractive very (very) drunk brunette approaches you on the street – what do you do?

An image of a woman breastfeeding her baby at her university graduation has gone viral, but should a photo like this provoke such a strong reaction when it’s considered a natural part of mothering?

You can be the Prime Minister's chief of staff, but if you're a woman, you still won't be immune to sexism.

A woman called 911 and pretended to order a pizza to alert the police that her abusive boyfriend was assaulting her.

Winners of The Australian Women's Weekly/Qantas Women of the Future competition met Prime Minister Tony Abbott at a reception at Parliament House in Canberra earlier today.

A coroner’s inquest into the death of Victorian schoolboy Luke Batty, who died when he was stabbed by his mentally ill father in the rural town Tyabb in February, is examining ways the 11-year-old’s death might have been prevented. Luke’s father Greg Anderson, who was wanted by police in relation to four separate arrest warrants […]

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has not only taken the number one spot on The Weekly's first ever Power List, but she is also the most popular woman online, Google results have found.

Pakistani teenager and education activist Malala Yousafzai; and Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi have been awarded the 2014 Noble Peace Prize.

A Spanish businesswomen has said that she would not hire a woman between the ages of 25 and 45 incase they fell pregnant.

A Brisbane woman brutally murdered and dismembered by her partner, a chef who then cooked parts of her body, was a transgender cabaret dancer who earned as much as $500-a-night as a "high-class" prostitute.

Women are turning their back on a political career and other leadership roles out of fear they won't be treated fairly.

Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld stage a mock demonstration at Paris Fashion Week, supposedly in the name of feminism.

Three out of four Australian employers haven't taken steps to ensure they pay women and men fairly, new research shows.

The Duchess of Cambridge represents "a step forward for women and reflects modern women", a survey has found.

The film industry has been accused of perpetuating gender discrimination in a new UN backed study. The landmark research, revealed by women’s activist and actress Geena Davis, found that female characters have fewer than one-third of all speaking roles in film and are largely absent from powerful positions on screen. The study, from the Annenberg […]

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, has been voted Australia's most powerful woman in the first ever Women's Weekly power list.

Tom Meagher, the husband of Jill Meagher, has written an emotional tribute to his wife, two years after she was murdered in Melbourne.

A national survey has revealed that some Australians believe women who are raped bear some responsibility if they're intoxicated.

Fiction or not? 'Fifty Shades of Grey' readers are more likely to have abusive partners, eating disorders, multiple sexual partners and binge drink.

Iran's Maryam Mirzakhani is trailblazing her way through the male-dominated industry of mathematics, becoming the first woman to win the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

A national report reveals men now agree women do it tougher in the corporate world.

The areola of a female breast has long been considered taboo but ladies, did you know it’s not a crime to walk around the streets of New York City topless? Well one Australian model did and she took full advantage of the law when she swanned around the streets of NYC sans shirt to be […]

The Australian Breastfeeding Association is calling for urgent government action to increase the number of lactation consultants, and boost the number of women breastfeeding nationally.

Vanessa Williams has opened up about how she was sexually molested by an older girl when she was 10-years-old.

“#girls #pushy”. That’s how Jill Abramson’s daughter captioned an Instagram photo of her mother the day she was fired from the New York Times.

Journalist Jessica Leahy opens up about her own sexual assault and uncovers that what lurks beneath Australia's seemingly perfect identity is an insidious attitude toward women.

Go behind the scenes of The Weekly's July shoot featuring Turia Pitt, Lisa Wilkinson, Jennifer Hawkins and Penny Wong.

Beth Whaanga – the woman who posted candid images of her post-cancer surgery body online earlier this year – has encouraged others to do the same through The Under the Red Dress Project.

Currently there is no real interest charged for HECS‑HELP loans. Rather, student debts are indexed each year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (inflation) and maintain their real value. But in a dramatic break from the 25-year history of HECS, the Abbott Government will peg the interest rate for student debt to the […]

Only now is the full horror emerging of how a gyneacologist with a God-syndrome destroyed lives. Clair Weaver meets the patient who dared to stand up to him.

Rosie Batty, the woman whose 11-year-old son was murdered earlier this year by his father at a Victorian cricket ground, is now receiving hate mail because of her stand against domestic violence.

Sarah Jessica Parker has said that women depicted in popular culture today are "cruel" and "not supportive" to one another and that "it's not good for us."

In eight short weeks a charming stranger made Kay Schubach leave her partner lose her job and fall pregnant sucking her into a violent relationship she almost died trying to escape.

Pregnancy is now the number one reason behind workplace discrimination complaints, overtaking disability and family responsibilities for the first time. Of 235 complaints received by the FWO in 2012-13 pregnant women who felt they had been discriminated against at work accounted for 28 per cent, up dramatically from eight per cent in 2010-11. Historically discrimination […]

An Australian woman who was left infertile after undergoing ovarian cancer treatment is pregnant with twins after a world first ovarian tissue graft. Vali, 27, requested her ovarian tissue be frozen to preserve her fertility when cancer treatment forced her ovaries to lose function and eventually be removed. The cancer treatment left her menopausal at […]

How would you cope if you were forced to leave your home, job and country with nothing more than the clothes on your back? Claire Seaward meets some Syrian refugees who have had to do just that.

She's the genetically-blessed Australian supermodel who bestows confidence-building advice to female fans on how to empower themselves.

Shocking statistics have emerged about the rate of women affected by domestic violence across the world. According to the World Health Organisation, more than one third of all women are victims of domestic violence with Asia being the worst affected. In high income countries including Australia the figure is almost one in four. By gathering […]

Serena Williams has sparked outrage for making critical comments about a 16-year-old rape victim saying she “shouldn’t have put herself in that position”, but the head of Australia’s rape crisis authority says unfortunately “victim-blaming” views are shared by a large section of the population. Speaking with Rolling Stone magazine, 31-year-old tennis star Serena questioned the […]

Women enterting their 30s and beyond need to carve out balance between me time, family time, caring for kids, relationships and career. Kelly Baker discovers why yoga is the perfect way to do just that.

In the past few weeks some pretty ordinary things have happened to me. The kind of stuff that makes your heart stop and your breath stick like black tar deep in your chest somewhere. I’m sure you know what I mean. For the truth is bad stuff happens to everyone — or so I’m told. […]

As part of its 80th Birthday celebrations, Australia’s biggest-selling magazine, The Australian Women’s Weekly has launched a nationwide search to uncover the best stories in the land — and the first-stop on its story-hunting tour is Dubbo. If you are a woman based in the Dubbo region and you have a story you think is […]

The debate over women balancing work and family consumes headlines as women struggle to strike perfect harmony between their home and office life but the Australian actress says that balance is a myth

As if it wasn’t enough to have to compete with young corporate-ladder-climbers, as much as they think legitimate ageism is rife in the workplace, a study has revealed that females think just looking over 40 can kill a woman’s career. The survey found most women believed if they didn’t reach the boardroom by the time […]

A fuming performance by the Prime Minister attacking Tony Abbott for his ‘sexism’ and ‘misogyny’ not only shocked the Opposition Leader, but has the whole world talking. Julia Gillard’s explosive tirade made international headlines, caused feminists to cheer, and has also been a source of embarrassment for the PM following the Speaker’s resignation — a […]

Women have come a long way since the 1990s, making advances in the workplace, pay gaps, and women’s rights, but while the fight for a female-friendly chocolate bar was not on feminist’s agendas, apparently it’s a high priority for confectionery giant Cadbury. In a bid to win back female chocoholics, Cadbury has launched its first […]

Each year The Weekly pays tribute to our most impressive women, as nominated by our readers. At the top of their field, these powerful and admired Australian women share their words of wisdom, fascinating insights and secrets for success in the October issue of the magazine. Here three of our Women of Influence tell us […]

The debate over who will lead the Australian team in the Olympic opening ceremony in London this Friday is heating up as athletes and flag bearing hopefuls demand a female be given the honour. The last time our Olympians followed a woman into the opening ceremony stadium was in 1992 when four-time Olympian diver Jenny […]

Australian female athletes are being given second-class treatment on their long-haul journey to the London Olympics. The Australian women’s basketball team, the Opals, have confirmed that they had different travel arrangements to the men’s teams. While the Boomers made the long-haul flight trip in business class, the Opals were bailed up in premium economy — […]

The old saying “nice guys finish last” may still ring true when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder, but new research has found nice guys still finish ahead of women. A US study has found that men with disagreeable personalities out-earn men with agreeable personalities by about 18 percent where disagreeable women, on the […]

Australian women are renowned for breaking down barriers. Here, Sue Williams talks to trailblazing women in myriad fields of endeavour about their setbacks and successes. First aboriginal film star — Rose Kunoth-Monks “It was life-changing,” says Rose, now 70. “It never changed me from being an Aboriginal person and it never changed me at the […]

Ways we can beat the gender pay gap.