Brazen Hussies: Then and now

Reflect on the women's liberation movement of the 1970s and examine what feminist activism looks like today.

Catherine Dwyer, Elizabeth Reid, and Biff Ward will sit down with Virginia Haussegger to discuss the evolution of feminism in Australia, and the making of the acclaimed documentary Brazen Hussies.

The conversation will be followed by a screening of the 1-hour version of Brazen Hussies. Don't miss this opportunity to spend an evening in the company of trailblazing women who reshaped Australia's social and political landscape.

Attend in person

Attend in person for the panel discussion and film screening. Entry to this event is free however bookings are essential.

Watch online

Only the panel discussion portion of the event will be livestreamed. Please make a booking and we will send you a direct link to the livestream via email. Or you can join anytime through the Library's YouTube channel.

Film poster for Brazen Hussies featuring a woman, yellow background and women's protestors, with pink and purple protest graphics

Brazen Hussies documentary film poster, and cover image, Unfinished Revolution by Virginia Haussegger, 2025 (detail)

About Catherine Dwyer

Catherine Dwyer is a filmmaker and archive producer best known for writing and directing the award-winning 2020 documentary, Brazen Hussies - a detailed investigation of the Australian women’s liberation movement in the 1970s. Brazen Hussies was named in The Guardian Top 10 Australian films of 2020. It was nominated for the 2021 AACTA Awards and the Australian International Documentary Conference Awards for Best Feature Documentary, and again in 2022 for its TV version.

As a documentary archive producer Catherine has recently worked on Trailblazers (2024) about the rise of the Matildas soccer team, Her Name is Nanny Nellie, addressing historical racism in the Australian Museum’s archives, and for the award-winning documentary series Queerstralia, about Australia’s queer history.

About Elizabeth Reid

Elizabeth Reid is a feminist, development practitioner, and academic. In 1973, she became the world's first Advisor on the Welfare of Women to a head of government under Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. In this role, Elizabeth helped to secure government funding for women’s welfare services including the Single Mothers Benefit, women’s refuges and rape crisis centres, healthcare centres, and childcare, achieving greater legal protections for women, and advancing the progress of equal opportunity.

Elizabeth convened Australia’s National Advisory Committee on International Women's Year in 1975 and led Australia's delegation to the United Nations First World Conference on Women. She continued her career in development practice with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), USAID and the US Peace Corps in Africa. In the late 1980s, Elizabeth turned her focus to the HIV/AIDs pandemic, working as consultant to the Australian Government and the UNDP. Elizabeth continues to work on a range of projects relating to women’s rights, HIV/AIDS, and development practice. She is an Associate of the ANU Gender Institute.

About Biff Ward

A founding member of Women’s Liberation in 1970, Biff Ward has maintained the early belief in revolution over reform - that sexism will only be adequately dealt with when there is a revolution of consciousness throughout society. Even small acts of speaking up, going to a rally, and joining with others to confront an injustice are steps along the path to the revolution we seek.

About Virginia Haussegger

Virginia Haussegger AM is an award-winning journalist and gender equity advocate. She has reported around the globe for Channel 9, the Seven Network and the ABC, and anchored ABC TV News in Canberra for 15 years. She lives and writes within cooee of Parliament House, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country. In 2019 Virginia was named ACT Australian of The Year. Her book Unfinished Revolution: The Feminist Fightback is out in October 2025 (NewSouth).