Monday, November 2, 2026
Thanks to today’s partner Tafe Queensland
Women's Agenda has teamed up with Genea to launch an Ask Me Anything video series on women's health, with experts who are ready to answer any question you have. Submit your question anonymously via the link.
I think my 4yo understands the concept of losing better than some male politicians…
Last week, we had not one but two leaders (Benjamin Netanyanhu and Flávio Bolsonaro) claiming their elections were rigged. It seems the Trump playbook for fragile men with monstrous egos is alive and well. Dinushi Dias reports.
On the topic of questionable men in politics, Rita Nasr looks at the story of Matthew Collins, a One Nation candidate for the Victorian seat of Melbourne who once tweeted to the world: “I just crush pussy and chew gum.”
Whadda catch. (Thankfully he swiftly removed himself from the race when the comments surfaced).
In health, and new Australian research that shows routine mammograms could soon predict heart disease risk has been described as “incredibly promising”. Madeline Hislop shares more.
And a new Suzie Miller play, Strong is the New Pretty, tells the story of the of the AFLW’s inception and the extraordinary women who challenged the status quo to make it happen. More than a story of sporting history, it offers a powerful catalyst for conversations about leadership, courage and culture change. See it now at Sydney Theatre Company. (Partner Content)
More on the US midterms tomorrow.
Tarla Lambert-Patel
Editor in Chief & Co-Founder
The Key Quote
Donald Trump’s attitude, as evidenced by his actions, is he’s willing to go beyond limits and then dare people to pull him back, or to challenge the courts and others to stop him from doing it,
Former CIA Director John Brennan
John Brennan has spoken against Donald Trump in the leadup to the US Midterms, suggesting that Trump could take unprecedented action to interfere in the United States’s elections. “I do worry about what he could do in the run-up to the election [and] what he might do on the day of, as well as in the aftermath,” says Brennan, who was CIA director when Trump took office in 2017. He says the president is trying to sow doubt in the elections, and warns nothing is off limits.
On Women's Agenda Today
Why every leader needs to see Suzie Miller’s AFLW play Strong is the New Pretty
Sydney Theatre Company’s Strong is the New Pretty tells the story of the creation of the AFLW, and the group of women who pushed to make it happen. Read more +
Children who grow up in poverty are 5 times more likely to be poor young adults: new study
Children who grow up in poverty are five times more likely to experience poverty in their 20s and 30s, new research finds. Read more +
‘Incredibly promising’: Australian researchers say routine mammograms could soon predict heart disease risk
Women attending a routine mammogram could one day also have their risk for cardiovascular disease assessed. Read more +
A memo to the male leaders who keep crying election fraud
Male leaders in several countries are refusing to accept election defeats, instead making baseless fraud claims to retain power. Read more +
One Nation candidate who boasted about ‘smashing pussy’ and never seeking consent quits
Matthew Collins apologised and quit less than a month out from the state election. One Nation said it did not condone the comment. Read more +
The Key Figure
1 in 6
The number of Australian children under 15 that are reported to have lived in poverty in 2022-23, equalling About 757,000 – more than all the people living in cities of Geelong, Newcastle and Wollongong combined. Research by the University of Melbourne found children growing up below the poverty line had a 22.4 percentage points higher risk of living in poverty in their 20s and early 30s than those who grew up in households with incomes between 150% and 200% of the poverty line. 200% of the poverty line is still not even close to being wealthy. It’s simply the median income: about $144,000 for a couple with two children.
The win
Five people, including two children, have been found alive after drifting an estimated 5,400 kilometres to a remote island in Kiribati
About three months after their boat went missing in Micronesia. They were part of a group of nine who set off on July 30 on what was meant to be a routine one-hour crossing between the islands of Murilo and Ruo, in the Federated States of Micronesia, when they were caught in a storm. The member of parliament for the area, Kaotitaake Rakoroa, said they were taken in and cared for by the pastor of the local Uniting Church.
On The Women's Agenda Podcast
Check out our weekly podcast
We chat through the key stories shaping Women's Agenda. From the leaders doing the right (and wrong things), to the policymakers shaping the future for women, and the breakthrough moments making a difference and more. This is business, leadership, politics, health and climate from a woman's perspective.
Trending On Women's Agenda
———
