social justice

Working to eradicate inequalities by highlighting institutional, cultural and insidiously socialised biases and bigotries.

Fetal personhood (“Zoe’s Law”) before NSW Parliament

The stated intent of Zoe’s Law is to allow separate prosecution of injury to a fetus, following the death of Zoe Donegan (stillborn at 32 weeks gestation) in 2009 after Zoe’s mother Brodie was hit by a van. However, the bill has been introduced by an anti-abortion politician, and there are grave concerns about its potential interpretation, particularly “an unborn child is taken to be a living person”. Coalition and ALP members have been granted a conscience vote on Zoe’s law.

Friday Hoyden: Rosie Hackett

This month, Dublin City Council voted to name the new bridge over the river Liffey ‘Rosie Hackett Bridge’. This was in response to a huge campaign from Dubliners, mostly women, who felt Rosie was due a decent and long-lasting public memorial. All of the 16 previously existing bridges in the city are named after men. Rosie Hackett was a pioneering trade unionist who co-founded the Irish Women Workers’ Union (IWWU) in 1911.