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We unpack the week that was, inspired by the grace and dignity of Dr Helen Haines, her husband Phil Haines and Governor-General Sam Mostyn. Plus, our conversation with Dr Kayla Steele, a Clinical Psychologist for UNSW at the Black Dog Institute, and why "overwhelm" describes much of the mood of women in Australia. Kayla discusses the value of movement, connection, and friendship on mental health, and also why the Black Dog Institute and UNSW are studying the impact of IVF on mental health. If you are currently having IVF, have had IVF or are supporting someone through their fertility treatment and you'd like to share your experience, check out more on eligibility for the study here. The survey closes on the 29th November 2026. Stories discussed this week include: As Helen Haines fights for her life, the warnings women in politics have been making become painfully clearJacqui Lambie's vaginal prolapse isn't the joke. Pauline Hanson's internalised misogyny definitely isWomen are advised by AI to prioritise flexibility, while men are pushed towards higher salaries If today raised anything for you, support is available: 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 13 11 14. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend marks World Menopause Day! We speak with Mary Caustas to learn more about her own peri and menopause experience, and why she founded UnPause to help women feel more informed and supported through this stage of life.​ Mary is a comedian, actress and founder. She came to television fame in the 1980s for her portrayal of the iconic Greek-Australian character Effie Stephanidis in the comedy series Acropolis Now, winning a Logie Award for Best Comedy Performer. The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justice Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her efforts to promote peace and international law. We're re-releasing this phone interview we recorded with Justice Pillay in November 2025, just as she was about to be awarded the Sydney Peace Prize. Justice Pillay is a trailblazer for human rights and women in law, and has delivered historic judgements on sexual violence and genocide. She is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was recently Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Justice Pillay shares so much in this interview, including how she cultivated a career in South Africa's apartheid, her relentless pursuit of justice, and some really important lessons on hope. The Nobel Committee called Justice Pillay one of the great defenders of international legal principles in our time, and said it wanted to remind the world that peace requires justice. The Women's Agenda Podcast is published by the 100% women-owned and run Agenda Media. Check out more on the stories discussed today at Women's Agenda, where you can also sign up for our free daily newsletter. Keen to support our work? Become a Women's Agenda Member. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Elise Stephenson joins Women's Agenda to unpack the gendered risks of AI, and why they're so urgent right now. Speaking with Angela Priestley, the conversation moves from how AI reinforces existing inequality (rather than inventing brand-new problems) to the most immediate real-world risks for women and gender-diverse people in workplaces today. Elise also outlines how AI could reshape relationships, abuse, and gender norms over time, including the role of LLMs and AI companions in subtly entrenching unhealthy dynamics. Then, we move on to the risks to democracy, including those playing out right now, especially impacting women's participation: the harassment, disinformation, and AI-generated abuse pushing women out of public life and politics, and the question of who is funding and coordinating those attacks. Finally, hope! Elise outlines what a feminist approach to AI actually looks like in practice, and closes with a clear call to action on Australia's guardrails and why it matters who is in the room when AI decisions get made. This conversation comes as Elise has also just published Space XX: Gender, Power and the New Space Race. See our published extract on how women astronauts were once seen as a liability, but research suggests they could actually have an edge. The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda. Subscribe to our lunchtime daily news update here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our wrap of the biggest stories this week! As always, the wins: Hélène Huby raising a record $450 million for her European space company, the biggest round ever for an EU firm led by a female founder, and Australia cracking the top ten on the World Economic Forum's global gender equality rankings for the first time. Then, we dig into Ed Sheeran's claim of "neutrality" after Macklemore was dropped from his tour, then onto the HYROX incident and our obsession with pushing through and much more. This week's discussed stories include: Australia's record 8th place on gender equality is still no time for complacencyEd Sheeran claimed neutrality, then made the most political call of his careerThe HYROX poo incident exposes our obsession with pushing throughThe Sweeney ad isn't about sport, it's about who gets to profit from women's bodies Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week at Women's Agenda: the women quietly holding the system together, and the men billing it. We start with two wins: the boys' school principal with a strong message on violence against women, and the federal government finally taking aim at social media algorithms — a decent step forward, if not yet done and dusted. Then we unpack ICAC evidence that a consultant was paid $10,000 a month for a "mum's perspective" and the twenty-something men with big dreams of transforming the right of the Liberal Party. We look at the invisible, unpaid — and overwhelmingly female — workforce propping up Australia's underfunded public schools through P&Cs. And, on a lighter note, our take on the Raygun documentary, This week's discussed stories include: Sydney mothers raise $3.5m to fund Australia's first neonatal MRI machineAustralia is taking aim at social media algorithms. Could it help protect women and girls?A consultant paid $10k a month for a 'mum's perspective', and '20-something guys dreaming big': ICAC delivers againThe invisible workforce propping up Australia's public schools through P&CsSubscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women's Agenda speaks with George Megalogenis about his new book Three Shocks: Who We Are Becoming in the 21st Century. The book traces how politics has failed to keep up with a changing Australia, including via one key shock -- that professional women are now the largest segment of the workforce, replacing blue-collar men. The three shocks have redefined politics in Australia and will continue to do so. Women's Agenda will be back with the usual Weekly Wrap next week! The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the wins and the biggest conversations from the week that was. A record crowd at the SCG, a celebration of Dolly Parton who was so much more than the hits she created -- and she created a lot of brilliant hits. Then into a discussion on our three biggest stories: why are people throwing sex toys onto WNBA courts for a second season? Plus the comments blaming girls for "gin under their coats" when it comes to bad cultures at schools. And we look into the 400 jobs that have just been lost at KPMG's Australian office, where workers are paying the price for alleged misconduct at the top. This week's discussed stories include: Dolly Parton wrote the working woman's anthem. We'll always love herSex toys thrown again: the epidemic of attacks on women's sport seen in the WNBAAngus Taylor's wife Louise Clegg blames drunk teens and cavalier parents. The culture of Scots? Not so much.Almost 400 jobs go. The cost of KPMG's alleged misconduct and a culture that failed Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Women's Agenda, the highs of the women's game and the very deep lows following the actions of men. Plus, all the language that skirts around the issues to protect reputations Still, there were the wins! Deborah Mailman becoming the first Aboriginal person inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame, and the AFLW roaring back with big double-header crowds (and six matches around men's grand final weekend). Then we unpack the Sydney Swans scandal, and the language that reflexively protects footballers. Jacqui Lambie leads the fight against the government's $5,000 cap on veterans' allied health -- and what it means for women veterans and the 2,500+ women in a military sexual-violence class action. And to cap it all off, the alarming new University of Melbourne research finds nearly one in three teen boys believe equality for women has "gone too far". This week's discussed stories include: Scots and Swans: The private school and the footy team with bigger responsibilities than reputation managementDeborah Mailman becomes first Aboriginal person inducted into Logies Hall of FameThe Sydney Swans scandal proves we still care more about footballers than the victimsOne in three teen boys believe giving women equal opportunities has gone too farSubscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk through our biggest stories of the week! First up, two wins: three women-founded Australian companies nominated for the Prix Galien Awards (medicine's answer to the Nobel), and Tina Arena's grace-filled response to her ex-husband's rape conviction. Then the harder stories: AOC freezing her eggs and Karoline Leavitt stepping down, and how the "can women have it all" question just got supercharged again; why the Prime Minister needs to stop trying so hard to be one of the boys; and alarming new research showing smart glasses are being used to secretly film and harass women — plus DuckDuckGo's brilliant troll of Big Tech and such pervert glasses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Special guest Amy Remeikis joins the podcast! The journalist and commentator has just published her new book Screw Nice, and she's here to share why continuing the expected pleasantries is not getting us anywhere. Amy also touches on the other book she published this year (yes, she's written two), Where It All Went Wrong: The Case Against John Howard. Screw Nice is a manifesto for anyone sick of the status quo. It's not a call to be mean or cruel, but rather to take the permission to quit being nice because it keeps other people comfortable and in power. Angela Priestley spoke to Amy in the lead-up to her appearance at the Byron Writers Festival, from August 14 to 16, 2026. Screw Nice is published by Hachette Australia and Where It All Went Wrong by Simon & Schuster. The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda. Get all our latest stories here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's wrap chat: who gets protected, who gets replaced, and who gets to leave on their own terms. We share the big wins: a new Alzheimer's blood test that could transform early detection for the women most at risk, and ACTU powerhouses Sally McManus and Michele O'Neil stepping down after a decade of hard-won rights — together, and without clinging to power. Then Angela unpacks the convicted Melbourne rapist who still can't be named, thanks to a suppression order protecting him. We mark Jacinta Allan's departure as Victorian premier, and her message to young women in politics. And we dig into the rise of the AI "model" — and what it means when the beauty standard is no longer even human. This week's discussed stories include: New Alzheimer's blood test could transform care for hundreds of thousands of Australian women at riskThey've won rights and fought big power together. Now Sally McManus and Michelle O'Neil are both stepping downA 'high profile' man has been convicted of rape, but still can't be named'This gig has been tough': Jacinta Allan steps down as premier, urges women to keep at politicsAI beauty tools and models are here, giving women even more impossible standards Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au to subscribe to our daily news update. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What got us talking this week: Andrew Tate's arrest on new UK charges, and how he was undone in the court of public opinion by a purple blouse. Plus, we unpack Pauline Hanson's claim that women should just "don't put up with it" — as new Anglicare research shows the cost of leaving family violence has jumped 71% in a decade, to over $7,000. Then Dinushi Dias sits down with Simone Clarke, CEO of UN Women Australia, for an interview on how leaders sustain momentum and keep investing in their teams when budgets are tight, and everyone's being asked to do more with less. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tarla and Angela cover a diverse range of stories this week! First, to the wins: including Sam Neill's masculinity and the New York initiative giving parents a night off. We share the reality of birth trauma in Australia and what more can be done to support women's health overall. Plus, we venture (again) into the women-and-AI discussion, following the Prime Minister's AI speech this week. In the second half of the pod, Women in Digital CEO Holly Hunt joins the podcast for a critical conversation on the women and AI, including concerns about women's jobs being at risk. You can learn more about Holly Hunt here. Plus check out our latest stories (and daily news coverage) on Women's Agenda, where you can also subscribe to our lunchtime daily news update. This week's discussed stories include: Zohran Mamdani's latest policy recognises what modern parents really needStrong and caring: In praise of Sam Neill's masculinityThere is no 'bouncing back' from childbirth trauma without knowledge and resourcesOnly one woman on Australia's highest-paid CEO list as top boss pockets $48 millionAI could fast unwind our women’s workforce participation rate. We need more than historical reassuranceAI could fast unwind our women's workforce participation rate Further show notes Birth trauma. Check out the Australasian Birth Trauma Association for more information, plus PANDA's National Helpline (1300 726 306), and the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66). Sam Neill. Died 13 July 2026 in Sydney, aged 78; survived by four children and eight grandchildren. Family noted the death was sudden and unexpected, following pneumonia after he'd recently been declared cancer-free. Anthony Albanese's AI speech. Delivered Wednesday 15 July in Sydney. Office of AI within PM&C; faster approvals; data centres to underwrite new energy generation; mandatory standards legislated by early 2027 via national cabinet; copyright pushback. The DEWR figures are all from AI and Employment in Australia, and covered in the story linked above. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk all things women's longevity with Dr Ginni Mansberg! A no-BS conversation on the things women need to know, and those that we don't. Dr Mansberg is a GP of more than 30 years who has built a reputation as one of the most trusted, plain-speaking voices in Australian women's health. She specialises in menopause, midlife health and disease prevention, and was voted Australia's most trusted healthcare professional in 2022. She's been a resident GP on Channel 7's Sunrise and The Morning Show, the host of Embarrassing Bodies Down Under and SBS's Medicine or Myth, and co-host of the podcast Unleashed. Dr Mansberg is also the bestselling author of six books, including The M Word. Her latest, The Women's Longevity Handbook, cuts through the biohacking hype to ask a more useful question for women: not how to live forever, but how to add life to the years we've got. The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by the 100% female-owned and run Agenda Media. Check out our website and subscribe to our lunchtime daily news update. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.