All About Women Is Expanding Its 2022 Program Across Two Days to Celebrate Its Tenth Anniversary

Pushing ladies to the front, welcoming them on-stage to discuss their fields of expertise and their experiences, and exploring a broad range of topics that are relevant to women: that's been the aim of Sydney Opera House's key feminist festival since 2013. From its inception, All About Women has dedicated a day to focusing on female voices, fittingly popping up around International Women's Day each year. Of course, it's never been possible to confine everything there is to talk about to one single day, so 2022's fest is expanding.

When next March rolls around, All About Women will mark its tenth festival — and it'll hit double digits and broaden its footprint in tandem. To celebrate, Sydney Opera House's Head of Talks & Ideas Chip Rolley and First Nations legal academic, broadcaster, filmmaker, writer and Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt OA, the event's co-curators, have amassed an impressive range of speakers to participate in talks, panels, performances and workshops. The big focus: bravery, allyship and collective responsibility.

One of the must-attend sessions of the 2022 fest, which'll take place between Saturday, March 12–Sunday, March 13: current and former Australians of the Year Grace Tame and Rosie Batty, who'll appear together publicly for the first time. In a session to moderated by author and political commentator Jamila Rizvi, they'll chat through the title they've both shared, including its challenges and opportunities.

Jacquie Manning

Another of All About Women's key talks will feature American Bad Feminist and Hunger writer Roxane Gay in conversation with writer/actor and Gamilaroi/Torres Strait Islander woman Nakkiah Lui, discussing their personal experiences of racism and misogyny.

Other highlights include a session on the story of 'Kate', who posthumously accused federal MP Christian Porter of sexual assault; an exploration of consent, featuring lawyer and author Bri Lee, writer Lucia Osborne-Crowley, and advocate for sexual assault law reform Saxon Mullins; a conversation with Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson, Goenpul author of Indigenous feminist text Talkin' Up to the White Woman; and a panel discussing the everyday of disabled parenting curated and led by Eliza Hull, whose anthology of stories by disabled parents, We've Got This, will soon be published.

Jacquie Manning

The rest of the lineup also features an opening night gala headlined by poet and contemporary dancer Tishani Doshi, who'll perform Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods; writer, historian and podcaster Yves Rees hosting a panel that imagines a future without gendered expectations; Fight Like A Girl, Boys Will Be Boys and How We Love's Clementine Ford giving a secular sermon on love; a panel on the fate of women in Afghanistan now the Taliban has taken back control of the country; a session highlighting veteran ABC journalist Laura Tingle; and a panel showcasing next generation First Nations voices.

While the festival is going ahead in-person for Sydneysiders, it'll also live-stream to viewers both around Australia and worldwide — because this top-notch program, and the subjects it covers, can't be confined to either one day or one place.

All About Women 2022 will take place on Saturday, March 12–Sunday, March 13 at the Sydney Opera House. Livestream tickets and event multipacks are on sale from 9am AEDT on Thursday, December 16, with single-ticket pre-sales starting at the same time — and general public tickets available from 9am AEDT on Friday, December 17.

Top image: Prudence Upton.