The Gender Agenda

This month you’ll hear from one of the most formidable women in Israeli civil society, Hamutal Gouri. She talks about how she uses gender-based philanthropy and storytelling to empower women in Israel. What you will discover is another side of Israeli philanthropy!

Sheree Rubenstein, founder of women's co-working space, One Roof, reflects on her decision to leave law, what it means to be ambitious, the needs of women pursuing careers, the importance of family, why most co-working spaces are filled with techie guys eating Doritos and lots more.

We tackle the subject of fertility with the inimitable Dr Raelia Lew. Dr Lew is a gynaecologist and obstetrician who specialises in fertility treatment. She also has a passionate interest in women’s health. We turn the spotlight on fertility, asking 'how is fertility a social issue?' and examine all manner of fertility-related scenarios including same-sex couples, egg and sperm donation, and egg freezing. We also hear about some new legislation. Given that one in seven Australians are likely to face fertility issues, this podcast makes for important listening! Whether it's you, a friend or a relative, fertility challenges are likely to touch many in your world. Thanks to Dr Lew for taking the time to chat with us about this important topic.

At least one in five pregnancies result in miscarriage. But even though pregnancy loss is so common, beyond turning to google, there are not many places in which one can openly discuss their experiences. When I first launched the gender agenda my main priority was to provide a forum in which we could talk about gendered issues that are not usually openly discussed Fertility and miscarriage are one of the defining experiences for women and men as they move towards parenting. Yet it’s so invisble. In many ethnic communities, the imperative to reproduce and build a family can be even greater than the broader community. This adds but another layer of pressure in the pregnancy stakes. But still, the experience of pregnancy loss can be even more lonely in these communities. Our guest lost two pregnancies, and though she has gone on to have four healthy children, her experiences of miscarriage have been formative. She admits that she rarely speaks about her miscarriage. But she hopes that opening up about her pregnancy loss, can serve to raise awareness about the issue, and perhaps provide some useful insights for those who have faced similar experiences, or for those who wish to support others facing pregnancy loss.

Women backing women, Mikva without an audience, and the politics of pregnancy and childbirth. For most healthy women, pregnancy is the first time you might find yourself doing serious research on health-related issues on the internet. Before you know it, you find yourself on forums in the midst of heated arguments about birthing, parenting, breastfeeding, you name it. Some of the most toxic conversations I’ve encountered take place when we talk about pregnancy and birthing. Our guest, Alex Fein, was in that position herself before and around pregnancy, and has begun to apply the skills she developed as a journalist and researcher, in navigating this often divided world.

Someone once said to me that the minute a person utters – out loud or to themselves – I want to have a child, control goes out the window. The truth is that in life, there is little that we can control, but this becomes even more evident if you are trying to conceive, if you’re pregnant, or if you have given birth. This episode we chatted with Lamaze Educator Tanya Strusberg And Katrina Zaslavsky, who is an author and blogger. Both are working to empower women to take charge of their birth experience and make it a positive one, whatever that means to them.

It’s hard enough coming out of the closet once. But coming out twice takes things to a whole new level. Nevo Zisin knew that his body and his gender identity did not match from an early age. As a teenager, he came out telling his friends and family he was a lesbian. But once “the dust had settled” over his announcement, he came to understand that he was actually transgender. Only a few years ago, transgender people were all but invisible. Today we see transgender characters in mainstream films and television series, in the UN, in politics and in schools. In the Australian Jewish community, gender variance is also gaining greater acceptance. This is very much a result of the work of local activists such as Nevo, a transgender activist based in Melbourne. While Nevo’s transition has been deeply personal, it has also been deeply political. At each stage of his journey he interrogated his own values, as well as the values of those around him. He used his own experiences as a platform upon which to raise awareness about gender issues in the hope that people in his position would have an easier time coming to understand their own gender identities. This two part series follows Nevo’s journey. It’s an amazing story! Enjoy.

It’s hard enough coming out of the closet once. But coming out twice takes things to a whole new level. Nevo Zisin knew that his body and his gender identity did not match from an early age. As a teenager, he came out telling his friends and family he was a lesbian. But once “the dust had settled” over his announcement, he came to understand that he was actually transgender. Only a few years ago, transgender people were all but invisible. Today we see transgender characters in mainstream films and television series, in the UN, in politics and in schools. In the Australian Jewish community, gender variance is also gaining greater acceptance. This is very much a result of the work of local activists such as Nevo, a transgender activist based in Melbourne. While Nevo’s transition has been deeply personal, it has also been deeply political. At each stage of his journey he interrogated his own values, as well as the values of those around him. He used his own experiences as a platform upon which to raise awareness about gender issues in the hope that people in his position would have an easier time coming to understand their own gender identities. This two part series follows Nevo’s journey. It’s an amazing story! Enjoy.

We chat about gender neutrality as expressed through non-gendered titles like "Mx" as opposed to 'Ms' or 'Mr'. And did you know that the 2016 colour of the year is blue fading into pink. Yes, it's supposed to reflect gender fluidity. We chat about why it might be good - or bad - for feminism. And we look at the surprising differences between Melbourne and Sydney when it comes to acceptance of women in the pulpit. And of course, you'll hear a few versions of the Hannukah story, including the x-rated version!

A special audio story brought to you live from a milestone event in the Melbourne Jewish Community- the inaugural JCCV LGBTI Community Symposium. Guest host Sophie Klein brings you stories from LGBTI health expert Dr Y. Gavriel Ansara and Director and CEO of the Jewish Museum of Australia Rebecca Forgasz.

Dean Cohen says that people with Down Syndrome can make the best delivery men/women for his flower businesss, a Social Enterprise called The Best Bunch. And through his work, he has been working with people with disabilities by tapping into their many gifts so that they can make a meaningful contribution. He has launched two amazing social enterprises, Camp Sababa and The Best Bunch. We’ll be chatting about his work, as well as the conspicuous absence of men in his industry. We are also joined by two guest co-hosts, Ellie Bouhadana and Emily Berkowitz. Ellie and Emily first came to my attention when they were in the centre of a few controversial discussions around gender, marriage and feminism on social media in June this year. Emily and Ellie’s gender awakening, took place in a world accompanied by social media, and much more flexible ideas about gender and sexuality than my own. So they bring to The Gender Agenda a very different perspective, which I’m sure will only enrich and broaden our conversation.

Wayne Green knew he was gay from an early age. But having grown up in a traditional Jewish community, he felt that he could not live an authentic Jewish life as a gay man. In the closet, he spent a lot of time talking to god - the only one with whom he felt he could share his secret. But when he courageously came out to his family and friends, he found that he didn't need god anymore. He says his Judaism went into the closet. But eventually he found his way back. Hear his beautiful story here.

A new study has emerged that suggests over 80% of women are sexually attracted to other women. Are all women bisexual? And we chat about pregnancy taboos. Why do we wait until 12 weeks before we tell people we’re pregnant? And why is it that in our modern age of science, and rationalism, we become so superstitious when it comes to giving birth. Eti Tamir and Tamar Stein join me to talk about taboos around pregnancy. Both live in Melbourne, but hail from Israel and the US respectively, so they have some great comparative perspectives. We chat about finding out the gender as well. A really juicy discussion!

The politics of bra fittings, gender in the Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF). Hear Tamar Simons from JIFF and radio producer Hannah Reich chatting about youth movements, bra fitting, films about sacred sperm and cults.

We're back with season two! Hear Ramona Koval, broadcaster and writer talking about secrets, shame, genes and the holocaust. We chat about her latest book, Bloodhound, in which she describes her investigation into the true identity of her biological father. And of course, we have a gender news update - Rabbi Genende welcoming LGBTI Jews and female leadership into his Orthodox congregation; "Bro codes" on The Bachelorette.

Season Finale - we reflect on highlights from Season One and tell the stories behind the stories. Gender News Update - attacks on the Pride Parade in Jerusalem AND a Raphael Dascalu tells us about a new egalitarian Beit Midrash (House of learning) in Melbourne

Parenting transgender children with Sharon Swiatlo: Sharon shares her insights, experience and wisdom about what she has learnt from her son's gender exploration. US Supreme Court decision on marriage equality. Sophie Klein comes on board as Gender Agenda co-host with Dalit Kaplan.

In 2011, journalist Julie Szego turned her writer’s pen to the story of a young Somali Australian man, Farrah Jama, who was wrongly convicted of raping a 48-year-old woman found semiconscious in a toilet cubicle in July 2006. The woman had no memory of the night, or of seeing any African men at the club. Jama denied having ever been to the club, had an alibi, and there were no witnesses. And yet, he was convicted based on what appeared to be incriminating DNA evidence. Julie Szego delved into this case, and invites her reader to contemplate complex and confronting questions about race and multiculturalism, gender, and the justice system. Listen to this great conversation where we examine the fuzzy lines around our cultural and gender identities. Image: Sydney Writers Festival

We've come a long way since Mr. Whippy’s Icecream truck traveled the streets peddling those highly processed treats. Today there are hundreds of foodtrucks offering cuisine from all over the world. But remember, the precursor to these street vendors was MR Whippy – not Ms. Whippy, and indeed, like the rest of the business world, the food truck industry tends to be male dominated. Our guest , Ellie Marin, owns and operates CornUtopia, a foodtruck business specializing in Latin foods and My Two Mums, a foodtruck business that serves Icecream sandwiches. Hear Ellie reflect on how women fair in the male-dominated foodtruck industry. As it happens, there are many advantages to being a woman in the foodtruck industry!

We chat with co-founder of Chalk Circle Meabh Loughnane about the effect of rigid gender roles in our society and what her organization is doing about it; Sophie Klein reports on community workers' concerns about the Border Force Act and its gender implications.