The implications for women of the world’s rapidly ageing population are profound. The gender inequalities they have experienced throughout their lives cumulate and become more visible as they grow older. Australia lags behind most other developed countries when it comes to the economic and social well-being of people over 60. While the health status of...

Many Australians were unable to complete the Census on August 9 due to the Census website failing. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) chief statistician has blamed a deliberate ‘denial of service attack’ for the failure. Like many government information systems, the Census site was outsourced to an external contractor: IBM. As well as writing...

On August 9, most of the Australian population will complete the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Census night comes less than a week after national Homelessness Week, which aims to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people. With that in mind, the week’s theme this year is ‘Homelessness Counts.’ While homelessness does count...

Talk of reforming the Family Court and family law system is back in the headlines, but agitation about the family law system has a long history. Since the introduction of the Family Law Act and the establishment of the Family Court of Australia in 1976, there have been many parliamentary inquiries and numerous reforms. However...

The harrowing image of a child, partially clad, hooded and shackled to a chair in a prison cell, has provoked public outrage and the prime minister’s resolve that a royal commission “get to the bottom of it.” This swift commitment to a royal commission directs much-needed attention to the abuse of children in correctional institutions...