Ideas at the House

For the first time, Sydney audiences heard directly from Cambridge Professor Emerita Dame Mary Beard in an event that delved into the broad range of her career - from the ruins of ancient Rome to the trenches of Twitter. 

Dame Mary joins Bri Lee in a broad reaching discussion about how power is skewed along gender lines, her latest book, Emperor of Rome, which gives a nuanced understanding of sex, class, race, and politics in the ancient world, and whose astute observations of modern political power have shone a light on the remarkably persistent patterns of patriarchy today. 

This event was recorded at All About Women Festival at the Sydney Opera House on March 10, 2024. 

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Hot on the heels of her satirical literary sensation Yellowface crushing the bestseller lists, American author Rebecca F. Kuang was joined by Nakkiah Lui for a conversation exploring the complexities of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation today – both through her own eyes and those of her book’s protagonist Juniper Hayward. 

This event was recorded at All About Women festival at the Sydney Opera House on March 10, 2024. 

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It was the ultimate roast session at All About Women, but this time, the target wasn't a person—it was feminism itself! From suffrage struggles to the #MeToo movement, no aspect of feminist history or ideology was safe from the scathing wit of our roasters. A sizzling interrogation of gender and power, this special event was filled with laughs, irreverence, and insights that might make you look at things differently. 

Host Steph Tisdell marshalled six of the wittiest voices in comedy and writing -Michelle Law, Jane Caro, Jan Fran, Zoe Coombs Marr and Nakkiah Lui- to take aim at feminism, from its earliest roots to its modern-day iterations. 

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For All About Women in 2024, audiences embarked on a journey through the complex landscape of the human body, where strength meets vulnerability, pleasure intertwines with pain, and empowerment dances with trauma. This captivating conversation explored the political battleground that our bodies often become and tackled the societal challenges deeply rooted in our physical forms.  

The distinguished panel included Grace Tame, Tanya Hosch, Madison Griffiths and Tara Rae Moss, alongside moderator Jamila Rizvi.  

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Motherhood is known as one of life’s greatest joys but the complexities that come with raising a child solo while battling systemic barriers such as ableism and racism can turn it into an uphill battle.  

Malyangapa, Barkindji artist Barkaa and feminist writer Karen Pickering were joined by moderator Edwina Throsby for a moving and thought-provoking discussion at All About Women, where they unravelled the challenges society throws at mothers.

This podcast includes discussion about violence and other sensitive issues. If you or someone you know needs support, contact 1800 RESPECT, a free helpline which supports people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence. 

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It’s not hard to get caught in the contradictions of the beauty industry. We're told to embrace natural looks, yet we are bombarded with countless products promising to conceal or enhance our features. Additionally, no sooner than we express a desire to champion entrepreneurial women, we turn on them with criticism that outstrips anything said about a male exec. 

Fashion, beauty, and wellness journalist Marisa Meltzer spoke to moderator Bridie Jabour at All About Women 2024, exploring the impact of social media-driven hyper consumerism on the beauty industry - and us. 

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The ‘Sad Girl Novel’ has officially reached market saturation. Privileged young female protagonists  are portrayed as unfulfilled by sex and their careers; they are deeply entrenched in their complicated thoughts and feelings, filled with self-loathing and self-absorbed.  

It’s as if they have stumbled upon some great insight that the rest of us fail to see, except perhaps the millions of us who buy these books. 

This All About Women panel, with authors and critics Jessie Tu, Madeleine Gray, Neha Kale and moderator Bridie Jabour, delved into the themes of ‘Sad Girl Novels’ and discussed why they resonated with audiences. 

This event was recorded at the All About Women Festival at the Sydney Opera House on March 10, 2024. 

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In days gone by, raising kids was considered a woman’s job, while men were the breadwinners. Fast forward to 2024, and women are now expected to work, but men are still only taking 12% of primary carer’s leave. 

A panel of dads, including Sean Szeps, Osher Günsberg and Amar Singh, joined Jamila Rizvi at All About Women in 2024, to discuss their commitment to equality in the household and encourage men to take on more responsibilities. 

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Our justice system is not functioning as it should. Over 90% of women in prison have faced domestic violence, sexual assault or abuse. One-third of women incarcerated have yet to be found guilty of a crime. First Nations women are disproportionately represented in incarcerated populations. Additionally, there's the issue of mothers and pregnant individuals behind bars. 

Eleni Psillakis, Ashlee Donohue, Frances Drake and Tabitha Lean joined moderator Kirsten Gray at All About Women to share their experiences and talk about the prospects for reform. 

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Booker Prize-winning author Anne Enright’s latest novel is The Wren, The Wren, a multigenerational story delving into the inheritance of trauma, the resilience of women and the power of love in its manifold forms. It contemplates the question: how do we live with betrayal and loneliness, yet still love those close to us?

Anne Enright joined us at All About Women this year to explore with author Madeleine Gray the reasons behind the choices she makes in her writing.

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