News Features

Donald Trump accuses Bill Clinton of 'women abuse'

Amy Chozick 11:37 AM For years, President Bill Clinton was the best friend Donald Trump always hoped to have. When scandal engulfed Clinton's White House, Trump leapt to the president's defence, saying: "He's probably got the toughest skin I've ever seen and I think he's a terrific guy".

South Korea, Japan agree to 'irreversibly' resolve comfort women issue

Jack Kim South Korea and Japan reached a landmark agreement on Monday to resolve the issue of "comfort women", as those who were forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels were euphemistically known.

Brittany Merrick posts pictures of injuries after alleged attack

Dan Proudman Brittany Merrick left home for a girls' night out and has returned the reluctant, new and battered face of the fight against violence towards women.

China passes first law against domestic violence, ratifies two-children policy

China's largely rubber stamp parliament on Sunday passed the country's first law against domestic violence, which covers unmarried people who cohabit but does not protect gay couples, a senior lawmaker said.

'Don't ask, don't tell'

Resolute Obama marks five years after 'don't ask, don't tell'

Julie Hirschfeld Davis "I’m going to spend every minute I have left as president working with you to move our country even closer to our founding ideals."

Trans rights

New York City lays out transgender protection on dress codes, bathroom use

Ellen Wulfhorst New guidelines detail the legal protections of transgender and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers.

LGBTI issues

US overturns 30-year ban on gay blood donors

Following in Australia's footsteps the US Food and Drug Administration has ruled that gay men can donate blood 12 months after their last sexual contact with another man.

Armed forces

Give women combat roles in armed forces, says British PM David Cameron

Women in Britain's armed forces should be allowed to serve in close combat roles by the end of 2016.

Hundreds protest the release of New Delhi rapist

Rama Lakshmi "As a mother, I feel quite helpless today," said Asha Singh, the victim's mother.

Adoption shake-up

Victoria's outdated adoption laws set for a shake-up

Farrah Tomazin Law Reform Commission review aims to ensure adoption laws better reflect a "contemporary understanding" of what it is to be a family,

Witch trials

Rise in ritual killings, witchcraft trials as perpetrators go unpunished in Liberia

The UN says Liberia must tackle a widespread culture of impunity for perpetrators of ritual killings, "exorcisms" and other harmful practices largely targeting women and children, including FGM.

Woman tax

NYC report finds women pay thousands of dollars more than men for equivalent products

Ellen Wulfhorst Study finds gender-specific product pricing puts women thousands of dollars out of pocket for purchasing similar items to men.

Anger as Japan's top court upholds law requiring spouses to share surname

Johnathan Soble, Hisako Ueno Japan's highest court has rejected a claim that the rule discriminates against women by effectively forcing them to give up their names in favor of their husbands'.

Saudi millionaire cleared of raping teenager

A Saudi millionaire has been cleared of raping a teenager after claiming he might have accidentally penetrated the 18-year-old when he tripped and fell on her.

Most women in Kenya are abused on public transport survey says

Katy Migiro "Most passengers, both male and female, uphold a culture of silence and do not intervene."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologises to Canada's indigenous peoples

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologised to natives for more than a century of abuses at boarding schools set up to assimilate Canada's indigenous peoples, saying the burden of those experiences weighs heavily.

Women in combat

Elite US soldiers are apparently more afraid of PMS than war

"I cannot stand my wife for about a week out of the month for every month. I like that I can come to work and not have to deal with that."

Girl power reigns supreme in HSC

Alexandra Smith Girls have topped the state in agriculture, primary industries and automotive studies as well as English and history.

Sydney fashion designer Shardz Hourani avoids jail for groping models

Karen Sweeney A Sydney fashion designer who admitted assaulting models working for him on photo shoots has avoided a jail sentence.

Public allegations of domestic violence carry risks: experts

Patrick Begley, Kate Aubusson, Miki Perkins Domestic violence victims can feel like they have no other option but to publicly accuse their perpetrators, but doing so carries its own dangers, specialists have warned after a Sydney woman posted pictures of her housemate's bloodied face on social media.

DoingIt4Allison: Trickett, Lazarus join Baden-Clay appeal

Kristian Silva Supporters of slain Brisbane mother Allison Baden-Clay, including Libby Trickett and Glenn Lazarus, appear in a video ahead of a rally planned in Brisbane on Friday.

Bullying in firefighting the next target for Human Rights Commissioner

Richard Willingham Bullying, sexism and gender inequality are entrenched in the culture of the state's fire services and will be scrutinised by the state's human rights and equal opportunity watchdog.

NSW Police accused of failing alleged domestic violence victim

Kate Aubusson NSW police officers have been accused of failing to properly investigate a case of domestic violence after a 19-year-old woman was allegedly left bloodied and beaten by her boyfriend on Saturday.

Police force

Police adopt gender-equal recruiting in South Australia

The initiative is part of a new drive to make the force more representative of the community it serves.

Refugee crisis

Germany launches plan to protect asylum-seeking women and children from attacks

A recent UNICEF report found incidents of violence, rape and sexual attacks in centres for new arrivals.

Meet the 15-year-old Muslim girl fighting to box while wearing a hijab

Cindy Boren "I think the rules are old school. I don't think there's anything wrong with getting them changed."

Bill Cosby files countersuit against seven sex assault accusers

Bill Cosby, who allegedly used his celebrity status over the years to sexually assault more than 50 women, has filed a defamation suit against seven of his accusers.

Abortion

Woman charged with attempted murder for failed coat hanger abortion

Sarah Kaplan WARNING: this story contains graphic imagery.

Maiden name

Japanese women are demanding the right to keep their maiden names

Elaine Lies Five women are suing the government over an 1896 law that stipulates spouses share a surname.

Saudi women vote, 'win office' for the first time

Aya Batrawy Women across Saudi Arabia marked a historic milestone, both voting and running as candidates in government elections for the first time, with at least seven reportedly winning seats on local councils.

China's few defiant feminists jailed, harassed, watched

Philip Wen Li Tingting is still adjusting to the attention – both welcome and otherwise – that comes with being the face of China's youthful new wave of feminist activists.

Refugee crisis

First planeload of Syrian refugees greeted by Justin Trudeau in Canada

Ian Austen "You are home," Trudeau said to the first passengers to disembark after a 16-hour flight from Beirut on a Canadian military aircraft. "You're safe at home now."

Police officer Daniel Holtzclaw guilty of raping multiple women

Sarah Kaplan For months, accusers, authorities and now an Oklahoma jury say, police officer Daniel Holtzclaw preyed on vulnerable women.

Government seeks advice on new sex discrimination commissioner

Judith Ireland The Turnbull government will use a selection panel to pick a new sex discrimination commissioner, in a move that follows concerns the high profile position would be filled by a "captain's pick".

Guilty verdict

Former Oklahoma police officer Daniel Holtzclaw guilty of multiple rapes while on-duty

Dave Philipps Holtzclaw targeted women he stopped on patrol, singling out poor, black victims with criminal backgrounds whose stories would not be believed.

The mad monk and the coming of the raptor

Annabel Crabb The end of the year, when everyone is tired and snippy, is always a bit prone to farce of one kind or another.

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Saudi women are voting and running for office for the first time ever

Brian Murphy There will be more than 900 female candidates in the kingdom's first nationwide election in which women are able to run - and vote.

Karaoke sex slave raids a stain on Australia

Adele Ferguson Sexual servitude is arguably the most egregious worker violation of foreign workers in this country.

'Warrior for the babies' declares he's guilty

The man accused of shooting three people to death and wounding nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last month has declared himself guilty and a "warrior for the babies" during an outburst in court.

German chancellor Merkel named Time's Person of the Year

Megan Cassella Time magazine has named German Chancellor Angela Merkel its 2015 Person of the Year, noting her resilience and leadership when faced with the refugee crisis and turmoil in the European Union over its currency this year.

'Boys will be boys': toxic, sexist police culture haunts victims

Miki Perkins The damning review of sexual harassment and predators at Victoria Police holds powerful testimony from female employees.

Trans advocacy

$28 million given to charities fighting anti-trans violence around the world

It is an unprecedented philanthropic contribution for trans organisations.

Messaging

Ending texts with a full stop is terrible, study confirms

Rachel Feltman Ending your texts with a full stop is truly monstrous. We all know this. Grammar be darned, it just doesn't look friendly. Now a study has confirmed it.

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'Just some lesbian drama': ex-policewoman 'bullied' by colleagues

Tom Cowie and Anna Prytz An ex-Victoria Police officer has revealed her battle with bullying in the force, describing intimidation and threats of violence by her colleagues.

JK Rowling says Donald Trump is worse than Voldemort

Josephine Tovey The outspoken author says comparing the two is 'horrible', because 'Voldemort was nowhere as bad'.

'I ask the questions on this program': Leigh Sales shuts down Malcolm Turnbull in ABC 7.30 interview

Kate Aubusson It was an interview that canvassed the federal government's new innovation package, but when the questions weren't to Malcolm Turnbull's liking he attempted to innovate the interview itself.

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Call to focus on 'invisible victims' of domestic violence

Rachel Browne While women are most often the targets of domestic violence, the children who witness assaults also suffer.

Police in armed stand-off with man at Rye cafe

Liam Mannix, Neelima Choahan and Goya Dmytryshchak Two women have escaped unhurt from a six-hour siege at a Rye cafe, where they were being held by a lone gunman since morning.

Liberals hold Hockey's seat despite 13 per cent swing

Adam Gartrell Liberal Trent Zimmerman has won the North Sydney by-election, holding on to former treasurer Joe Hockey's seat despite a significant swing against the party.

'I fear he may kill me': how the system failed domestic violence victim Kelly Thompson

Melissa Fyfe Stalking. Attempted strangling. Breaching an intervention order. Kelly Thompson repeatedly reported her ex-partner's violence to police, so she thought she was safe.

In a historic move, US military will open all combat jobs to women

W.J. Hennigan Women will be able to join artillery, infantry and other frontline units for the first time next April.

Violet and lemon eclairs

They are as delicious as they look.

Marriage Equality

Sex Party MP Fiona Patten to push Victorian Parliament to endorse marriage equality

Benjamin Preiss "Why on earth does this require a plebiscite?"

Breastfeeding set to be allowed on the floor of Parliament

Latika Bourke New mothers would be allowed to breastfeed their babies on the floor of Parliament and take their infants into the chamber "when needed," under sweeping new recommendations put forward by a Parliamentary committee.

Group threatens to sue school over reading of transgender teen Jazz Jennings's book

Jessica Contrera Under threat of a lawsuit, a Wisconsin elementary school canceled a reading of "I Am Jazz," a book about transgender teen activist Jazz Jennings.