All About Women is a space to come together to talk about the issues and concerns facing people everywhere. And in 2018, the festival couldn’t ignore the fact that one of the most powerful men in the world has a very troubling public attitude towards women. To that end, the festival included a panel called Grabbing Back: Women Age of Trump, which was a chance to assess the impact of the administration on women and the feminist movement worldwide. It featured legendary writer Fran Lebowitz, Francesca Donner, the director of the Gender Initiative at the New York Times and conservative political commentator Sophia Nelson. The panel was chaired by journalist Julia Baird. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate change is often spoken about as an abstract problem. Used as a political device by people far removed from the day-to-day reality of rising waters and increasing temperatures, conversations about global warming can often feel distant from our daily lives. At All About Women 2018, we invited two warriors for climate justice to share their experiences of what is happening right now in our world. In a panel called Disappearing Islands, acclaimed spoken-word poet Kathy Jetnil Kijiner from Marshall Islands joined climate activist Ursula Rakova from Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. They were with journalist Jacqueline Maley to discuss what action we can take to save our planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

War is often regarded as primarily a male domain, and yet its impact can hit women the hardest. It’s often their role to keep families together as they’re fleeing from conflict zones, and it’s women’s bodies that are most vulnerable to the weaponised use of sexual violence. Wai Wai Nu is a Rohingya human rights lawyer who is advocating for the rights of women in her community. In this session she’s joined by Emma Hogan, the South East Asian correspondent for the Economist, and Nicola Henry, an associate professor from RMIT University. This podcast is an extract of their discussion from All About Women 2018, chaired by Fauziah Ibrahim. Please note that this episode contains discussion of violence against women. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcasting has allowed more and more feminist voices around the world a platform to be centred, heard and celebrated. And as part of All About Women 2018, we invited some of the finest podcasters around to record live episodes at the festival. Of course, this had to include the wildly popular Guilty Feminist podcast, and its host comedian Deborah Frances-White brought the laughs and the politics to the festival. Along with co-host Geraldine Hickey, special guests Myf Warhurst and Tracey Spicer, they attempt to tackle the small issue of 10,000 years of gender imbalance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September 2017, the Saudi Arabian government announced it was lifting its long-standing ban on women driving cars. The decision was an historic milestone for Saudi women’s rights, and reflected a growing women’s movement in the region. The Right to Drive campaign was begun by the Saudi engineer, writer and activist Manal al-Sharif, and today’s podcast is an extract of her presentation at All About Women 2018. Watch more from the festival on our Youtube channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since #metoo blew up at the end of 2017, feminists around the world are hungry to mobilse, so at All About Women 2018, we thought we ought to offer some hands-on advice. What better thing to do than to program a session full of optimistic yet practical suggestions on how we might finally smash the patriarchy. The Guardian’s Van Badham chairs this uplifting, funny and practical discussion with best-selling author Barbara Kingsolver, writer and activist Manal al-Sharif and local feminist legend Clementine Ford. All activists in their own right, these incredible women talk about the deeper systemic and structural factors behind oppression and inequality and attempt to answer a couple of tiny questions: how do we destabilise these systems, and where on earth do we start?   Watch more talks from All About Women 2018 on Youtube  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intersectionality is the buzzword of contemporary feminism. But in focussing on issues of race, class and sexuality, disability often gets forgotten. In a panel at All About Women 2018, three radical speakers discussed how being disabled raises a whole lot of unique issues that directly affect their feminism. NDIS campaigner Samantha Connor, writer and performer Kath Duncan and artist, activist and writer Katharine Annear were joined by session chair Van Badham, for a rowdy discussion on why disability can’t be left off the table when thinking about a truly inclusive feminism. Watch more talks from All About Women 2018 on Youtube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American writer Kate Bolick’s blockbuster Atlantic article, ‘All the Single Ladies’ examined the the remarkable demographic shift away from marriage, and grappled with what resisting the intense social pressure to couple means for women. Now, her book Spinster combines memoir, feminist theory, cultural criticism and sharp historical research. At All About Women 2018, she took to the stage with moderator Jess Scully for a brazenly political and deeply personal discussion about the opportunities of modern singledom. Watch the full talk on our Youtube Channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a resume that includes coining the term ‘third wave’, and is filled in by multiple memoirs, essay collections and a novel, Rebecca Walker’s career is force of intellectual, intersectional thought. At All About Women 2018 she spoke with Edwina Throsby about beauty and all our preconceptions about it in relation to society, history and ourselves. Listen as she poses the challenge: how do we rethink beauty so that it becomes an act of resistance? Watch more from the festival on Youtube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At All About Women 2018, conversations about feminism were opened up beyond the gender binary to create a truly inclusive festival for everyone who wants to challenge patriarchal structures. In a panel called Trans Like Me, English writer and musician CN Lester, local broadcaster and musician Eddie Ayres, and comedy legend Jordan Raskopoulous came together to look at how trans politics intersects with feminism. This session was chaired by the head of Transgender Victoria, Sally Goldner. Watch more from the festival on Youtube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.