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