Australian Women and Their Rights

Last week I saw a post on social media from Sall Grover letting everyone know that the judgement in her court case would be handed down that coming Friday the 15th May 2026. It has been more than 9 months since the appeal hearing had happened and we were anxious for the outcome. It did not go well for Sall, and consequently every woman in Australia. You can find out more about Sall Grover, the court case, the judgement, and the full timeline at gigglecrowdfund.com

I first heard of Sall and the case way back in 2023. I went to Sydney from Adelaide for the initial case in April 2024. I met Sall and a great many incredible women and a few male supporters too, including the quite lovely Graham Linehan. Star struck? Me? yes, a little. I was in Sydney for five days and missed my daughters birthday, and while I feel some guilt and sadness over missing her birthday I felt it was more important to be present at the case in support of all women and girls. My daughter understands but likes to play on the guilt every now and then to tease me. She has my humour. I spent the day before my flight out making a large banner to hold outside of court and then had the bright idea to sew prominent women's rights campaigners all over it. The call went out on Twitter and I was inundated. It was wonderful.

Since then I have followed court cases from Sall, Kirralie Smith, Jasmine Sussex, Moira Deeming, and the Lesbian Action Group. All women saying no to men in women's spaces and fighting against laws and systems that deny women the right to say no.

When the judgement was handed down last week it was confirmed by the Federal Court of Australia that women in Australia have no right to expect single sex spaces and services, and if we recognise a man in that space we have to keep our mouths shut and Be Kind or we face being taken to court.

I can not and will not lie to protect someone else's feelings to the detriment of my own feelings, safety, and dignity. I can not and will not stay silent in the face of threats of criminal and judicial proceedings for telling the truth. I can not and will not tell my three daughters, or any woman or child in the country, to Be Kind in the face of men and boys in female only areas such as the school toilets. I won't do it.

And so, we face the next few years of fundraising and more lobbying of governments across the country. We knew this is what we would have to do, but I and many women are furious that since 2013 all governments and political parties, except one, have told us to put up and shut up. We have been called nazis, racists, evil, and liars by politicians and political parties. All of a sudden some of those same people are sniffing the political wind change and are pledging to protect women's rights. There is a lot of work to be done and a lot of apologies and amends that need to be made by politicians and parties before they will have my vote. I know a lot of women feel the same.