National Council of Women of Australia

10/04/2026

Climate disasters disproportionately affect women and girls. Whether it's floods, drought, fire, disease, deforestation or storms or another crisis, the affects ripple further than the primary disaster. In this 2023 CNN Special Report, "How the climate crisis fuels gender inequality", the report articulates how "the climate crisis may be a collective problem, but its impacts do not fall equally. Women and girls often bear the heaviest burdens".

"Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, finding existing injustices and amplifying them. Women and girls already grapple with gender inequality, but when extreme weather devastates a community, the UN found that inequalities worsen: Intimate partner violence spikes, girls are pulled from school, daughters are married early, and women and girls forced from their homes face a higher risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking."

Please take a moment to read the article and tell us how we can advocate for and champion the voices of vulnerable communities.

The climate crisis may be a collective problem, but its impacts do not fall equally. Women and girls often bear the heaviest burdens.

08/03/2026

For more details on these facts: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/edn-20260306-1

In 2024, the gender employment gap in the EU among adults living in households with children was less pronounced for highly educated women compared with those with lower levels of education. 💼🧒

🔹 For women, the employment rate decreased as the number of children increased.

🔹For men, the presence of children was associated with a higher employment rate.

Learn more ➡️ https://link.europa.eu/DkKW33

08/03/2026

Knowing the stats creates opportunities for all.

This we’re shining a light on the women redefining Australia’s workforce. The Census helps track how women’s participation in different industries is changing, supporting better planning for services, workplaces and future opportunities.

07/03/2026

International Women’s Day is a moment to recognise progress and the work still ahead.

For more than 130 years, the National Councils of Women across Australia have represented the voices of women and advocated for change that improves the lives of women and girls across our communities.

Today we share our International Women’s Day 2026 statement from NCWA President Fiona Dorman.

Media Release: National Council of Women Australia International Women’s Day 2026 – Balance the Scales The National Council of Women of Australia (NCWA) stands firmly with the United Nations’ 2026 theme, “Balance the Scales.” For 130 years, National Councils of Women across Australia have ...

04/03/2026

NCWA President Fiona Dorman speaking with young men about leadership, respect and the standards we set every day. These conversations matter.

18/02/2026

In November 2024, at our Triennial Conference, the National Council of Women of Australia recognised the urgent need for gender responsive standards in Al development, particularly in relation to technologies capable of creating deepfakes. The resolution called for safeguards to ensure these systems do not perpetuate harm, exploitation or violence against women.

The news is a positive step forward.
From yesterday in New South Wales, the alteration, production and distribution of sexually explicit intimate images and audio material without consent is a criminal offence.

Tech facilitated abuse is escalating. Generative Al has made it easier to create non consensual content, with women and girls disproportionately targeted. Reform in this area is both timely and necessary.

This change recognises that digital harm is real harm and reinforces the need for protective standards and accountability to keep pace with technological advancement.
Today’s reform is good news for women and girls and signals that the conversation around Al, safety and gender impact is moving in the right direction.

17/02/2026

As of March 2025, Australian employers with 500 or more employees needed to select, and achieve or make progress on, gender equality targets after amendments to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (the Act) passed Parliament last year.

The 2025 Workplace Gender Equality Agency media statement in part read: "The changes apply to nearly 2,000 employers and will benefit 3.9 million Australian employees. These employers are required to choose 3 gender equality targets from a menu of numeric and action-orientated targets."

"Priority areas for intentional action cover the gender pay gap, workforce and board composition, support for carers and parents, consultation, and prevention of sexual harassment. The employers will have 3 years to achieve, or make progress on, each of their selected targets. "

To read the whole statement, go to:

27 March 2025 News Media release All industries Gender Equality Gender pay equity Gender Strategy For everyone Australian employers with 500 or more employees will need to select, and achieve or make progress on, gender equality targets after amendments[1] to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 ...

09/02/2026

VALE

Professor The Hon Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO
1930–2026

On behalf of the National Council of Women NSW (NCWNSW) Executive, I extend our heartfelt condolences to Dame Marie’s family, friends, colleagues and the many whose lives she touched throughout her incredible life of commitment and service.

Our NCWNSW Executive, Affiliates and Individual Members knew her well and many had personal and professional connections with her.

She was a former NCWNSW Patron (2001–2014) and in recognition of her incredible commitment to young women students we established the Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awards in 2010. These Awards have been held annually over 15 years and will continue to honour her legacy as an educator and mentor extraordinaire to young women secondary students (Yrs 10–12).

Dame Marie is remembered as a remarkable woman from a diverse cultural background, who led by example with Authority, Humility and Compassion.

Eternal Memory

Leshia Bubniuk
President
NCWNSW Inc

09/02/2026

COTA Australia - for older Australians – the leading advocacy organisation "CEO, Patricia Sparrow says the findings should put an end to the ‘rich boomer’ narrative that continues to dominate public debate and drive poor policy."

"One in four older Australians is living in poverty, almost half have felt lonely in the past week, and 38 per cent say they have experienced one or more forms of ageism since turning 50 – a trend that appears to be growing."

The stereotype of older Australians as uniformly wealthy is not just wrong – it’s fuelling ageism that hurts people of all ages, new research shows. The 2025 State of the ...

09/02/2026

In 2025, Australia released the "International Gender Equality Strategy - For a safer, more prosperous Indo-Pacific and World"

The Strategy focuses on five priorities:
1. work to end sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and protect and advance women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
2. pursue gender responsive peace and security efforts
3. deliver gender equitable climate action and humanitarian assistance
4. promote women’s economic equality and inclusive trade
5. support locally led approaches to women’s leadership.

"Gender equality benefits everyone. It is a necessary foundation for peace, prosperity and sustainability. It drives economic growth, enhances social cohesion and increases the wellbeing of all members of society. "

https://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/development/australias-international-gender-equality-strategy

Gender equality benefits everyone. It is a necessary foundation for peace, prosperity and stability. It drives economic growth, enhances social cohesion and increases the wellbeing of all members of society.

09/02/2026

The National Women’s Alliances play a key role in understanding the experiences and issues affecting women in Australia and working with government to inform solutions. The Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance - AMWA is the national voice for migrant, refugee, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women. Led by the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), AMWA advocates for gender equality, representation, and inclusion to ensure multicultural women can fully participate in all aspects of Australian society.

The Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance (AMWA) is holding a free "Introduction to AMWA Webinar" to share information about the Alliance and connect with new and potential members.

Details on how to join the conversation are in the post below.
When: Tuesday 17th February
Time: 1 pm – 2.30 pm (eastern)

https://events.humanitix.com/amwa-introductory-webinar

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗠𝗪𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿!

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Tuesday 17 February 1:00pm - 2:30pm
📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Online (Teams) - link will be provided upon registration
👥 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱: AMWA members, prospective members, community leaders, advocates, practitioners, and allies

This webinar will provide an overview of AMWA’s vision, mission, and core strategic priorities, alongside a snapshot of key achievements to date and the progress we are making together as a national alliance.

You will also:
🌏 Hear why and how to get involved with AMWA, and the value of being part of a collective, nationally recognised voice
🤩 Hear directly from our Thematic Group Leads about priority focus areas (gender based violence, health, paid and unpaid care, leadership and economic security) and opportunities for engagement
🗣 Share what matters most to you, your communities, and your work - and explore how AMWA can amplify these voices to influence policy, systems, and decision-making

We want to hear about your priorities, challenges, and ideas, and to discuss how AMWA can best reflect and represent the diversity of experiences and perspectives across our membership.

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://events.humanitix.com/amwa-introductory-webinar