A controversy over sanitary pads in China has sparked widespread outrage on social media and ignited a broader debate on gender inequality.
Queanbeyan Hospital bans surgical abortions, telling local health workers the procedure 'does not currently sit within' its scope
An email obtained by the ABC confirms Queanbeyan Hospital has stopped providing surgical terminations for fetal anomalies and medical reasons, restricting access to a legal and time-critical form of reproductive health care.
Photo shows A blue sign saying Queanbeyan District Health Service sits at the entrance to the carpark of a hospitalNSW Health Minister says abortion services at Orange Hospital will be restored after executive restricted access
A public hospital in regional New South Wales is restoring abortion services after an ABC investigation revealed the executive had banned staff from providing terminations to patients for non-medical reasons.
Photo shows A sticker saying ABORTION ACCESS IS A COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY over a heart, stuck on a blue signOrange Hospital directs staff to no longer provide abortions to patients without 'early pregnancy complications'
Leaked documents show staff at the public hospital in Orange can no longer provide abortion services for patients who present without medical complications, further restricting regional women's access to time-critical reproductive health care.
Photo shows Orange Hospital signGisele Pelicot wears First Nations scarf sent by Australian supporters in court
An Australian advocacy group for older women's rights says they sent Gisele Pelicot the silk scarf as a marker of solidarity as she attends the trial of 51 men accused of raping her.
Photo shows An older woman in a red-blonde bob wearing a patterned scarf walks out of a building with 'Palais de Justice' on it''Grab him by the ballot': Thousands join Women's March in Washington DC with messages for Trump
A Women's March event in the US capital has brought thousands to the streets in support of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Photo shows Two women with signs smile at the camera, with a large crowd of people visible behind themNew Taliban decree restricts Afghan women's voices in private spaces
The Taliban has extended restrictions on Afghan women's voices by banning them from praying aloud or reciting the Koran in front of other women.
Photo shows A woman stares confidently at the camera with a marking of five strikes on her forehead symbolising an end to child marriage.Abortion is legal in Australia, but these women are being refused treatment. Doctors fear it's an 'unspoken ban'
Decriminalisation was meant to give women access to safe, affordable abortions as a form of health care. Five years on, the ABC can reveal glaring examples of the system failing people in rural and regional areas at almost every step.
Photo shows An illustration shows one woman with her hand to her forehead, on the phone, and another with her head in her handsSex worker advocates share 'rage' after man strikes manslaughter plea deal
Sex worker advocates have expressed their "rage and sadness" after a man who was due to face a double-murder trial for killing two Melbourne women struck a manslaughter plea deal with prosecutors.
Photo shows Xiaozheng Lin stands against a grey backdrop in a police mug shot.Afghan women's mental health deteriorates under new laws banning the sound of their voices
Women living under a regime which banned them from using their voice in public risk punishment to tell the world the brutal, bleak truth of life in Afghanistan.
Photo shows Three women with their faces covered sit at a table and draw on paperWhy a woman becoming Japan's PM won't necessarily be good for gender equality
Two women are in the running to lead Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and thus be virtually guaranteed to become the country's first female prime minister.
Photo shows A composite photo of Japan's Economics Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.A 21yo Australian woman was stabbed in a shopping car park in a case of 'honour-based' violence
A woman is stabbed in an Adelaide shopping centre car park by her father in what prosecutors described as an "attempted honour-killing". One academic says this is just one case of thousands that occur globally every year.
Photo shows Two shopping trolleys in a car parkAn exhausted female doctor took a nap at work. What happened next has horrified India
It's something exhausted doctors do every day – find a quiet corner of the hospital for a quick nap. But in India, it ended in a brutal murder. Will it change a nation? WARNING: The details in this story might be distressing to some readers.
Photo shows Women in white coats holding candlesMerle Thornton, who fought for the right for women to drink at public bars in Queensland, dies aged 93
In 1965 Merle Thornton AM and a friend chained themselves to a bar at the Regatta Hotel in Brisbane in protest of a ban on women drinking in public bars. It became regarded as a pivotal moment in women's liberation in Australia.
Photo shows Merle Thornton at the Regatta Hotel at Toowong in BrisbaneInfluential Thai MP hits female journalist prompting calls for investigation
Video of the incident shows the former deputy premier hitting the reporter after she asks a question about the appointment of the country's new prime minister.
Photo shows A man with short black hair combed over to one side looks sternly at the camera while lightly sweatingMum of domestic murder victim speaks out to 'try and save lives' as rallies demand end to gendered violence
Harrowing stories of survival and anguish have been shared by victims and their loved ones at rallies across Australia, where organisers have demanded an end to gendered violence and the culture of victim-blaming.
Photo shows A woman holding a cardboard sign that reads: "save lives say no to domestic abuse"Once a self-declared 'Never Trumper', JD Vance is now aligned on everything from abortion to the war in Ukraine
When Donald Trump first took office, JD Vance boldly declared he would never support him. So how did this conservative venture capitalist-turned-politician win over the former president to become his pick for Republican vice-president?
Photo shows JD Vance stands with arms folded across his chest, chin raised'I was just shocked to see that question in 2024': Army Reserve applicant withdraws over period question
Commercial photographer Jen Dainer was applying for the Army Reserve when a question about the date of her last period stopped her in her tracks. A Department of Defence spokesperson said the content of the questionnaire is being revised.
Photo shows Jen Daine stands under two bridges and looks up into the distrance.Robyn was in an abusive marriage for more than 10 years. One conversation was pivotal
After enduring years of abuse, and then years in prison, Robyn Westgate now runs a training program which aims to reduce domestic violence.
Photo shows A woman with brown hair and a grey jumper, sits in the sun by a river.Iran has elected its first reformist president in two decades. Can he deliver change?
Rather than move to give young Iranians more freedom, the Islamic Republic has become more hardline. Can Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, change that? And if not, the why did the regime allow him to run?
Photo shows Man clenches his fistsA chance meeting in a car park helped Shelley travel the 'long road' away from domestic violence
Shelley and Jo are an unusual pair, but a chance meeting in a Brisbane car park changed their lives.
Photo shows Woman in purple shirt hugging woman in grey jumper on street