Feminism in a changing world | Jacqueline Maley

Feminism achieved colossal triumphs in the 19th and 20th centuries after fierce battles for legal, social and economic equalities. The right to vote, the right to work, the right to divorce, the right to equal pay and freedom from sexual exploitation were a handful of important wins for Australian society. In the modern western world, it could be argued the great injustices have been corrected, or have they not? Despite what would seem to be the most pluralist time to be alive, trust between the sexes has been measured at all-time lows. Strident opinions are hurtling down echo chambers at both male and female audiences, demanding that no gender cedes ground to another. Bring in transgender activism, and you have a confluence of outrage and division rising social tension to a boil. In what contexts does inequality still beleaguer and harm Australian women? On what new fronts are feminists fighting? Where has entrenchment led to stalemate? Where do we risk regression? And how do we need to communicate to arrest and reverse the most alarming recent trends?Author and senior writer for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald Jacqueline Maley joins me to discuss this topic and put as many answers as she can to some difficult questions.Jacquline is the host of the weekly Inside Politics podcast for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, and her column is published in both papers each Sunday. She is also the author of two books; her most recent, Lonely Mouth, can be purchased online and in bookshops today.