A historic intervention by the Australian Federation of Graduate Women
In July 2008 the Australian Federation of University Women, as it was then known, wrote urging the federal government to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Protocol requires the establishment of national and international machinery to prevent torture and degrading punishments within places of confinement. The Australian government signed the Protocol in 2009, but does not appear to be currently implementing it within its detention centres. This historic document is still relevant today. Read on.
Promoting human rights in Australia
On 20th March 2013, Graduate Women Victoria joined other Women’s Non-Governmental Organisations in writing to the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus urging the Government to pass the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill through parliament by June 2013. Read on.
Defending Australian universities
On 6th September 2013, Graduate Women Victoria sent a fax to the then Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbot, protesting his plans to interfere with the independence of the bodies funding tertiary level research in Australia. Read on.
Defending girls secondary and technical education
On 20th January 2014 the Australian Federation of Graduate Women wrote to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott, arguing against his proposed cuts to education programs benefitting women and girls. Read on.
Promoting funding for science
On 22nd January 2014 the Australian Federation of Graduate Women wrote to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott, urging him to advocate increases in the funding for science in Australia. Read on.
Defending Masters Degrees by Coursework
On 17th December 2014 the Australian Federation of Graduate Women wrote to the Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne, asking him to rethink cuts to the funding of Masters Degrees by Coursework which are particularly valuable to women’s continuing education and job-training. Read on.
Protesting the loss of the federal Gonski funding
On 1st January 2016 the Australian Federation of Graduate Women wrote to the Minister of Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, expressing their surprise and disappointment at the decision of the new Turnball Government to withhold federal funding that was promised under the Gonski scheme. Read on.
Defending the rights to education of young women in the Northern Territory
On 29th January 2016 the Education Convenor of the Australian Federation of Graduate Women wrote to the Minister for Education in the Northern Territory, Peter Chandler, protesting the closure of a school providing alternative education to allow young and pregnant women to complete their secondary education. Read on.