The Equality Rights Alliance is hosting a virtual 2021 members gathering between Monday, 15 February 2021 and Monday, 22 February 2021.
Over its 18-year history, ERA has evolved significantly in response to a range of different challenges and changes in the world around us. As we move towards our 20th anniversary in 2022, it’s time to take stock and consider ERA’s future role in a changing world of intersectional feminism. This online members gathering will give us the space to think creatively about our purpose and set the framework for our next three years of work.
The gathering is organised in three-parts:
- Imagining feminist futures workshop with International Women’s Development Agency (Mon, 15 Feb 2021, 9.30am – 1:30pm)
- Members Discussion – Values and Purpose of ERA* (Wed, 17 Feb 2021, 9:30am – 1:30pm OR Fri, 19 Feb 2021, 1:30pm – 5:30pm)
- Members Discussion – Goals and Priorities of Future ERA Work (Mon, 22 Feb 2021, 9:30am – 1:30pm)
*’Members Discussion – Values and Purpose of ERA’ will be held twice to accommodate members in different timezones.
We strongly encourage all our members to attend all three sessions of the gathering to ensure that our future work accurately reflects your organisation’s needs.
If you have not yet RSVP’d to attend the meeting, please contact Helen at era@ywca.org.au ASAP.
The full agenda will be available shortly on this page.
Relevant documents for the meeting
Pre-reading for the members meeting
As this gathering will focus on the future direction of ERA, we have put together a list of resources to help all participating members to focus your thinking on current and emerging trends in feminism. While you might not have time to follow every link, we strongly encourage you to check out areas which are new to you or outside your normal area of expertise.
- Gender Equality and Class and Economic Segregation
- Gender, Race, and Colonialism in Australia
- Women Experiencing Disability in Australia
- Women and Age
- Women, Girls, and Diversity in Rural, Regional and Remote Australia
- Gender Diversity
- The Future, Feminism, and Future Feminism
Gender Equality and Class and Economic Segregation
- ‘Mothers in Frontline Industries Deserve Better‘, Hayley Brown, Hye Jin Rho and Shawn Fremstad from Center for Economic and Policy Research | A short article on the intersection of class and gender as highlighted by the impact of COVID-19 on mothers working on the pandemics frontlines.
- ‘In gender discrimination, social class matters a great deal‘, Catherine Harnois and Matthew Anderson from The Conversation | This short opinion piece argues that women’s ability to access higher education affects their experience of gender discrimination in the workplace.
- ‘Gender, Climate & Security; Sustaining inclusive peace on the frontlines of climate change‘, UN Women | Evidence from the field suggests that climate change is having an immense impact on women’s insecurity including sexual violence, economic vulnerability, and gender inequality more broadly.
Gender, Race, and Colonialism in Australia
- ‘Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices)‘, Australian Human Rights Commission | An extensive report on strengths, challenges and aspirations for change identified by our First Nations women and girls.
- ‘The journey of health and wellbeing‘,Aboriginal Health Policy Directorate at the Department of Health Western Australia | A 10 minute animated video which describes Aboriginal people’s experience of multi-generational trauma from colonisation to the present day.
- ‘Indigenous Femicide and the Killing State‘, Deathscapes | This case study collection explores the structural discrimination of the intersection of gender, colonialism and racism experienced by Aboriginal women in Australia. Warning: contains images of and references to Aboriginal women and girls who are deceased. Also contains case studies describing physical and sexual violence against women.
- ‘Intersectionality‘, Harmony Alliance | Australia’s migrant and refugee women’s alliance hosted a series of intersectionality discussions on power, privilege and colonialism. Features Harmony Alliance’s Intersectionality Position Statement and links to three panels.
Women Experiencing Disability in Australia
- ‘Stories from Women with Disability‘, OurSite | Read, watch, and listen to real stories of women with disability from around Australia.
- ‘Segregation Position Statement‘, Disabled Peoples Organisations and Disability Representative Organisations | An easy read version of the Segregation Position Statement.
- ‘Issues facing women with disabilities‘, Women with Disabilities Victoria | A two-page factsheet that outlines additional barriers faced by women with disabilities.
Women and Age
- ‘Lost jobs and missed opportunities: How young women’s financial security and careers will take a COVID-19 hit’, Sarah Hill from YWCA Australia | A short blog on the disproportionate impact of COIVD-19 on young women.
- ‘The Impact of the Pandemic on Older Women’, Augustine Zycher from Pro Bono Australia | A short article considering ageing as a process of devaluation in the context of COVID-19.
Women, Girls, and Diversity in Rural, Regional, and Remote Australia
- ‘Rural Proofing‘, National Rural Women’s Coalition | By rural proofing, we can embed the needs and interests of rural people, communities and businesses in the development and implementation of all policies and programs.
- ‘Rural young people and their communities’, Student Wellbeing Hub | Watch this video by young gender diverse people from small country towns recounting challenges they faced about their sexuality and relationships.
- ‘Rural Women with Disability; COVID-19 Webinar‘, National Rural Women’s Council | Organised by National Rural Women’s Council and Women with Disabilities Australia, this webinar invites 3 inspiring women with disabilities living in rural areas.
- ‘Rural Settlement: Positive Stories of Migrant and Refugee Women’, National Rural Women’s Council | The National Rural Women’s Coalition and Migration Council Australia present a webinar on the positive stories of migrant and refugee women in rural Australia
Gender Diversity
- ‘Face the facts: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People‘, Australian Human Rights Commission | A one-page infographic on the facts about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Australia.
- ‘Gender Diversity; A QLife guide for health professionals’, QLife | A quick and easy guide on gender diversity. Also watch this video of young LGBTQIA+ people sharing their experiences.
- ‘COVID-19 and the Human Rights of LGBTI People‘, The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights| LGBTQI people experience stigmatisation and discrimination in accessing health services which is exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19.
The Future, Feminism, and Future Feminism
- ‘Futures, Power and Privilege‘, Aarathi Krishnan brings an intersectional feminist lens to futures thinking in this brief article.
- ‘The Future of Feminism‘, Jessica Machado and Karen Turner from VOX | Five brief perspectives on where the movement needs to go next.
- ‘This is why AI has a gender problem‘, Pascale Fung from World Economic Forum | According to Pascale, male over-representation in the AI industry has embedded gender inequality in everything we now know as AI including mostly female virtual assistants.
- ‘Gender Bias in Predictive Algorithms: how applied AI research can help us build a more equitable future‘, Annie Brown from Forbes | Read about the people who are actively fighting against sexism in algorithms and AI systems design.
- ‘The Future of Women at Work’, McKinsey Global Institute | Report summary and 2-minute video highlighting the risks and opportunities to women posed by automation and other workplace changes. (Full report available at this site.)
- ‘Women’s mental health in the context of COVID 19 and recommendations for action‘, Women’s Mental Health Alliance | A 7-page policy brief on the impact of COVID-19 on women’s mental health.
- ‘Covid19 and Gender Equality: Countering the Regressive Effects‘, McKinsey Global Institute | Report summary on COVID-19 and gender equality.
