On this episode of Women on the Line we covering the latest update on Treaty in Victoria. We hear from Sue-Ann, Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman,  who is the Deputy Chair And Commissioner of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. She delivered a speech at the Women’s Rights at Work Conference Held at Vic Trades Hall on Friday 5 September. Her speech covers how union members can play a vital role in supporting meaningful solidarity in their workplaces and communities for Treaty. She covers the key findings of the Commission’s report and steps towards Treaty in Victoria.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that the following program contains references to colonial violence. If you need to speak to someone about the issues covered in the show, you can contact:13 YARN on 13 92 76 - a dedicated 24/7 national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesYarning Safe'n'Strong on 1800 959 563 - a free and confidential 24-hour counselling service for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesOn this week’s episode we bring you audio from the ‘Cry for Truth and Justice’ rally that took place on Sunday 19th October in Djilang/Geelong on the lands of the Wadawurrung people. Organised by Be Tru, a group of First Nations Peoples and non-Indigenous members, this rally and march aimed to unite the community in declaring a firm NO to racism, and coincided with other anti-racism protests that took place across the state. Today we’re going to hear from Corrina Eccles, Julie Saylor-Briggs, Aunty Annie Nicholson, Aunty Wendy Brabham and Irith Williams.Thank you to Amy Ciara from 3CR's Kill Your Lawn and Kick Your Fence for the recordings.

We are dedicating this special episode to the Shuhada, the martyrs of Gaza. On 7 October 2025, the Palestinian community in Victoria gathered to mourn and honour those killed by Israel, and to speak truth against silence and erasure. We take you to that vigil, the commemoration in honour of Gaza and Palestine in Naarm/Melbourne.We hear from women who hold that grief and resistance in their voices. We hear from Camellia, Nour, and some of the names of Palestinian children martyred over the last two years. Featured song: Mawtini, performed by children in Gaza in 2015, available on YouTube.Image by @gabinthesun

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Huong Truong and Lily Vu about their upcoming workshop for ViệtSpeak as well as the importance of Vietnamese language, bilingual education, language diversity and community organising tactics. Huong Truong is a grassroots organiser and former Greens MP. Lily Vu is part of the ViệtSpeak Committee.  The workshop will be held on Sunday 26 October in Footscray. All are welcome to attend. RSVP here.

On this week's episde we speak to Munanjahli and South Sea Islander woman, Professor Chelsea Watego, about her new book, Black Thoughts Matter: Essays on Black Love, Black Power and Black Joy. Providing critical context to some of the groundbreaking essays published across a range of digital platforms, ‘Black thoughts matter’ honours the Black thinkers that have shaped Watego’s intellectual and political formation to date. It is a testament to the love, power and joy that is at the heart of Black thinking and writing in the fight against racial violence in so-called ‘Australia’. In this interview we also speak about the power and ongoing challenges of writing in the colony and reflecting on 10 years of articles and essays, as well as the power, the joy, and the importance of embracing rage.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear from Emma Valente, one of the co-artistic directors of the RABBLE. Emma talks to us about their new Fringe Festival show, UNWOMAN (the protest), a durational artwork celebrating the multitude of experiences around birth, fertility and pregnancy. If you want to be a part of the show and share your experience, go here. Emma and the RABBLE will support you all the way through! The show is free and will be performed at Fed Square on Sunday 5 October - to book a spot go here.   

This week, we hear from researcher and activist Dr. Sadia Agsous-Bienstein, recorded at a teach-in hosted at the Institute of Postcolonial Studies in Naarm/Melbourne.Sadia speaks on the erased histories of Arab–Jewish solidarities and their meaning in the current moment of genocide in Gaza, perpetrated by Israel and its Zionist footsoldiers — including descendants of Jewish communities of North Africa and the Middle East.From anti-fascist resistance in colonial Algeria, to Arab solidarities against European antisemitism, to shared struggles against colonial rule in the Maghreb and Mashreq, Sadia traces how Western colonial divide-and-rule and Zionist settler-colonialism fractured and erased attempts at common life and joint struggle between Jews, Arab-Muslims, and Palestinians.In the second half of the show, Tasnim Sammak joins Sadia in conversation to reflect on what these histories mean in the current moment of genocide in Gaza — and how remembering solidarities is itself an act of resistance.Sadia mentions the following authors in her talk:Avi Shlaim, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew. London: Oneworld Publications, 2019.Ella Shohat, On the Arab-Jew, Palestine, and Other Displacements. London: Pluto Press, 2017.Rashid Hussein, Selected Poems. Edited by Adina Hoffman, translated by Sasson Somekh. Jerusalem: Ibis Editions, 2002.Sadia Agsous, Le dialogue culturel entre Palestiniens et Israéliens dans les années 1950 : Rashed Hussein et Sasson Somekh, histoire d’un rendez-vous manqué, dossier spécial,  L’histoire culturelle des relations entre Juifs et Arabes en Palestine/Israël de la fin du XIXe siècle au début du XXIe siècle, Revue d’histoire culturelle XVIIIe-XXIe siècles, 2021.Mahmoud Darwish, interview cited in Elia J. Ayoub, The Jewish and Arab Questions and European Fascism, eliaayoub.com, 22 May 2021. Please note the guest lecture was co-organised by Tasnim Sammak and this week's presenter, Scheherazade Bloul.

Today we hear from Dr Samah Jabr, a Palestinian psychiatrist living in Jerusalem who recently visited Australia for the first time to tour her new book, Radiance in Pain and Resilience: The Global Reverberation of Palestinian Historical Trauma.We spoke with Dr Jabr shortly ahead of a lecture and panel discussion organised by the Shifa Project held at RMIT on August 17.The event was MCed by Nasser Mashni along with panellists Leah Manaema Avene and Tasnim Samak. Dr Gary Foley was also scheduled to speak but was unfortunately unable to attend on the day.

 On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with 44 Flats United (44FU) are a group of residents, former residents and supporters of public housing, organising against the Victorian State Government's decision to demolish the 44 high-rise commission flats and a growing number of walkups across Narrm (Melbourne). They are guided by the principle that not one person should be left worse off because of this government's decision to demolish their homes, that public housing needs to be defended and protected for current residents and future generations to come and that on the unceded sovereign land of First Peoples, no decisions should be made about the sale or leasing of public land until Treaties with First Peoples have been negotiated and finalised.We hear from R-Coo Tran, leader of 44 FU and Thi, a Vietnamese woman living in a housing estate in Richmond. We chat about the major problems with the estate demolition plan, what impact this is having on residents and how 44FU is organising on this campaign. Please note that parts of the conversation are in Vietnamese and have been translated and edited for brevity.

On this week’s episode we look into big tech companies - their complicity in war, their pervasive use of surveillance and data, and the impacts this is having on us as individuals, as artists, and as communities. Our first conversation is with Cher Tan, an essayist and critic whose written work has been published widely. Cher delves into the dark side of Spotify; its ties to the military-industrial complex, its role in stripping artists of their rights and dignity, as well as the way it has homogenised art and culture. Later in the program, we’ll hear an interview with Lucinda Thorpe, Privacy Campaigner at Digital Rights Watch, which aired on 3CR’s Tuesday Breakfast on 12 August 2025. In this interview, Lucinda outlines the latest Productivity Commission report which calls for a pause on AI regulation; how this benefits big tech companies and the negative impacts this will have on our privacy.

Today we hear speeches from the Convergence on Canberra which took place from 20-22 July.More than a thousand people from across so-called Australia gathered outside Parliament House to demand that the Federal Government impose sanctions on Israel in response to the state’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians.There were over 24 speakers across the Convergence, today we hear from Amal Naser, Leah House, Janet Parker and Hiba Farra.

On this episode of Women on the Line we hear from Thaan, founder of Wholistik Permaculture, a social enterprise based in Chiang Mai, Thailand that aims to connect people with nature and create an alternative to living within capitalism. Thaan talks to us about the importance of permaculture, building sustainably, creating safe queer spaces in nature, educating children and families about sustainability, and sharing knowledge and skills across brown, black and Indigenous cultures and communities. Follow Thaan's work on Instagram @wholistik_permaculture and his music @fluidfrequenciesmusic   

In the first half of the show, we bring you speeches from the “Future Fund Invests in Genocide” rally held on June 26 in Naarm/Melbourne. We hear from Jaimie Jeffrey, who is a member of the No Aukus Vic and Elbit Out of Vic campaigns, as well as Romina Beitseen, an Iranian unionist and peace campaigner with the Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament.In the second half, sound artist Bridget Chappell takes us to the occupied West Bank, where they interview Yara Dowani, co-founder of Om Sleiman Farm in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. Yara speaks about agroecology as a form of resistance, centring Palestinian food sovereignty, solidarity economies, and the reclamation of land and identity in the face of Israeli coloniality in its various manifestations.

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with scholar Carolyn D’Cruz and librarian and archivist Clare O’Hanlon, who are speaking at the Researching Our Culture talk as part of Q-Lit, Victoria's premier LGBTQIA+ literature festival. We chat about gender in academia and the archives as well as transphobia and the manosphere.  The Researching our Culture talk will bring together leading researchers exploring queer culture, history, and literature and will be held on Tuesday 24 June 6.30pm at Library at the Dock in Narrm. Tickets can be found here. BiosCarol is a recovering academic, from gender, sexuality, and diversity studies. She gained expertise in identity politics, after having to explain where she's from, and who she is, for most of her life. She writes on making sense of oneself through others to contribute to making the colony fall. Clare is a genderqueer academic librarian and Australian Queer Archives volunteer. They are passionate about making diverse knowledge and histories accessible across Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums and higher education sectors. Their work is grounded in collective reflection and guided by social justice, compassion, courage, and creativity. Show References: The colonial project of gender (and everything else) by Sandy O'Sullivan Archie Barry's essay on trans history in Archer magazine A brief history of homophobia in the dewey decimal classification Democracy in Difference book by Carolyn D'CruzClare O'Hanlon's playlist response to Carolyn's book Democracy in DifferenceQueerness in Stem

On this episode of Women on the Line we chat with Maxine Chi (Chai) who is a contributor to the Our Story: Aboriginal – Chinese people in Australia, an exhibition that has been curated by Zhou Xiaoping and held at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra until 27 January 2026. Maxine is a Bardi Aboriginal woman who has Chinese, Japanese and Scottish ancestry. She was born in Broome, Western Australia in 1954, a place which has a rich history of people from around the world, mainly Asia and Australia, coming to live and work in the pearling industry from the late 1890s. Maxine currently teaches the Graduate Certificate in Aboriginal Studies at Notre Dame University, Broome Campus, online and face to face with her students. She has worked in various government positions in State and Commonwealth Governments as well as the Kimberley Land Council, the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA (Inc), Department of Housing (WA) and is a member of the Bardi and Jawi Niimidiman Aboriginal Corporation the native title body for her countrymen and women. 

On this week’s program we speak to Genevieve Grieves and Wejdan Shamala about their project, Motherhood in the Colony. Genevieve is a proud Worimi woman and respected artist, educator, field builder, film director and oral historian. She is also the co-Creator and Creative Director of GARUWA, First-Nations owned and led storytelling agency. Wejdan is a Palestinian woman, whose family is from Gaza and the West Bank. She uses art, such as spoken word, as a vessel for her advocacy. This film Motherhood in the Colony, brought to life by Genevieve Grieve, and Palestinian artist, Aseel Tayah, sees the coming together of eight First Nations and Palestinian women. Through intimate storytelling, the film unravels stories of colonial trauma, and mothering as an act of resistance, while inviting audiences to listen, learn, and envision a future beyond the oppressive structures of colonisation.Listeners are advised that the following program contains references to genocide and colonial violence. If you need to speak to someone about the issues covered in the show, you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 14Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners can contact: 13 YARN on 13 92 76 on  - a dedicated 24/7 national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesYarning Safe'n'Strong on 1800 959 563 - a free and confidential 24-hour counselling service for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples  

On this episode of Women on the Line, we speak to Burmese artist Yim about her book The Story of Rice, a colouring book that preserves traditional Burmese farming methods. We also speak with Lisa, Yim's friend, translator and founder and owner of Free Bird Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand, about her work supporting Burmese refugees.Follow Yim's work on Instagram: @littlebrightcnx - you can also DM her to buy her book!Follow Free Bird Cafe on Instagram: @freebirdcafe 

On this week’s program, we hear from Bee and Rory about the targeting of Asian-migrant sex workers, increased raids committed by Australian Border Force through Operation Inglenook, and the ongoing violence and surveillance of street-based sex workers. First, we’ll hear a conversation with Bee on 3CR’s Tuesday Breakfast. Bee is a migrant sex worker, outreach peer support worker for women of cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds for Vixen and AMSWAG (Asian Migrant Sex Worker Advisory Group) under the Scarlet Alliance. They are also a member of Justice for Our Sisters. This interview originally aired on Tuesday 15th April. We will then hear from Rory, a sex worker and peer support worker with Vixen who spoke at the action organised outside the Department of Home Affairs in Naarm on Thursday 17th April. This rally was organised by Vixen to demand an end to racist profiling of Asian-migrant sex workers at work and at the border; an end to the raids and to shut down Operation Inglenook; cops and Border Force out of sex worker spaces, and full decriminalisation for all sex workers, including street-based workers. Content warning: Listeners are advised that the following program includes descriptions of police raids and references to violence against sex workers. If you are a migrant sex worker in need of support, you can reach out to your local peer organisation. That’s Scarlet Alliance for the peak body at www.scarletalliance.org.au or Vixen in so-called Victoria at www.vixen.org.au. If you need to talk to someone about the issues covered in today’s episode, you can also contact QLife on 1800 184 527 or go to www.qlife.org.au.

On this episode of Women on the Line, we speak with Thinzar Shunlei Yi, an award winning Myanmar Democracy Activist well-known for her public advocacy against Military supremacism and oppressive systems for ethnic and religious minorities. Shunlei tells us about military rule in Myanmar, the devastating impacts of the recent earthquake, the added threats of being a feminist activist, and her work promoting global solidarity with Myanmar women.Find out more: https://sisters2sisters.org/ Instagram: @sisters2sisters.myanmarContent warning: discussions of war crimes including sexual assault, violence against women and violence against children.

In this episode, we speak with Jeju-based peace activist Sung-Hee Choi, who has spent more than 15 years resisting U.S. militarism, weapons manufacturing, and the construction of a naval base on Jeju Island, South Korea.Sung-Hee is a board member of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space and a participant in the Pacific Peace Network. She speaks with us about the long legacy of anti-militarist resistance on Jeju Island, from the 1948 massacre to the ongoing corporate-led militarisation of land, sea, and space.We also trace the role of Hanwha as they open a new space centre on Jeju Island, South Korea’s largest weapons company, in global war profiteering, including their new weapons facility in Avalon, Victoria, developed with Australian government support, and subcontracting Elbit Systems an Israeli arms company complicit in the genocide in Gaza.