The Women's Agenda Podcast

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.

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.

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 failedSubscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and head to womensagenda.com.au for the full stories.

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.

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.

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.