By Anne Summers             Photo: AP The potentially terrifying consequences of Russian interference in Western democratic politics has been laid out before us in two very different ways this past week. Both reveal the distortion of politics and processes that result from this meddling. If the Russians’ aim is to prevent business as usual in … Read More

by Anne Summers       Illustration by Matt Davidson Last November millions of Americans, especially women and girls, were devastated that Hillary Clinton, the most qualified candidate ever to seek the office of US president, was defeated by Donald Trump. Apart from fear at what kind of president Trump would be, there was widespread mourning that a woman candidate … Read More

By  Anne Summers The recent revelation that each day more than eight Australians kill themselves was startling and confronting but perhaps even worse was learning that another 200 of us attempt suicide every day and do not succeed. We should be grateful to Julia Gillard, the former Australian prime minister who was recently elected the chairman of the board of beyondblue, … Read More

By Anne Summers It really is scarcely believable that pay inequality between women and men is still an issue in 2017. Not only do women on average earn at least 20 per cent less than men, but in some sectors the gap is actually growing. This is despite innumerable court victories and other measures, including anti-discrimination laws, designed to ensure … Read More

by Anne Summers Photograph by Crystal Howard It has the potential to become as potent an international symbol of protest and resistance as the iconic 1960 Alberto Korda photograph of Che Guevara that has for decades adorned millions of T-shirts, or the early emblem of the women’s liberation movement: the clenched fist inside the symbol for women. I’m talking about … Read More