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Sall Grover nominated for Human Rights Medal

Family First Party

Family First National Director and NSW Legislative Council lead candidate Lyle Shelton has nominated women's rights advocate Sall Grover for the Australian Human Rights Commission's 2026 Human Rights Medal and is urging Australians to do the same before nominations close on Monday, 3 August.

 

Mr Shelton said no Australian had made a bolder stand for human rights over the past year than Ms Grover.

 

"Whatever your politics, it is impossible to deny Sall Grover's extraordinary courage," Mr Shelton said. “I urge everyone to nominate Sall.”

 

"She has risked everything to defend what she believes are the fundamental human rights of women and girls – their right to fair sporting competition, privacy, dignity, safety and freedom of association."

 

Ms Grover, founder of the women-only social networking platform Giggle for Girls, has spent years defending her right to create a space exclusively for women, taking her case through the Federal Court and now towards the High Court.

 

"Instead of walking away when challenged, Sall chose the peaceful path of testing these issues through Australia's legal system. She has borne enormous financial, professional and personal costs because she believes human rights are worth defending.

 

"At a time when too many people are afraid to speak, Sall has also become a champion of freedom of expression, insisting that Australians must be free to discuss women's rights respectfully and without fear."

 

Mr Shelton said the Human Rights Medal exists to recognise Australians who have made outstanding contributions to advancing human rights.

 

"If there is anyone who exemplifies courage, resilience and commitment to fundamental freedoms, it is Sall Grover.

 

"I encourage every Australian who believes women's rights are human rights to nominate Sall Grover before nominations close on 3 August. Recognition from the Australian Human Rights Commission would acknowledge not only Sall's sacrifice but the importance of protecting the rights and freedoms of women and girls for generations to come."

 

Nominations for the Australian Human Rights Awards close at midnight on Monday, 3 August 2026.

 

Below are the reasons Mr Shelton cited for his nomination of Ms Grover:

 

 

Q1. Describe the nature of the work of the individual or organisation you are nominating (max 300 words)

 

Sall Grover is an Australian entrepreneur, women's rights advocate and founder of Giggle for Girls, a social networking platform created exclusively for women. Through her work, she has become one of Australia's most prominent advocates for the protection of women's sex-based rights.

 

What began as the development of a women-only online community evolved into one of the most significant human rights and anti-discrimination cases in Australia's recent history. Rather than abandoning her vision when challenged, Ms Grover chose to defend what she believes are the rights of women to have single-sex spaces based on biological sex. Her legal battle has placed fundamental questions about equality, freedom of association, privacy, safety and the interaction between sex-based rights and gender identity protections before the Federal Court and now, potentially, the High Court of Australia. The case has generated extensive public debate and legal scrutiny of Australia's anti-discrimination framework.

 

Throughout this process, Ms Grover has demonstrated exceptional courage and resilience. She has continued her advocacy despite the loss of her business, significant financial costs, intense public criticism and years of litigation. She has consistently engaged in public education through interviews, speeches and public commentary, encouraging Australians to consider how the law should balance competing human rights claims.

 

Sall Grover's work has made an undeniable contribution to Australia's human rights conversation. She has shown extraordinary personal commitment to testing important legal questions through the courts while advocating for the rights of women and girls to fair sporting competition and sex-based private spaces. Her willingness to sacrifice her own commercial interests exemplifies the courage and public service the Human Rights Medal seeks to recognise.

 

Q2. Provide a brief overview of the nominee's approach to improving or promoting human rights (max 250 words)

 

Sall Grover's approach to promoting human rights has been principled, peaceful and grounded in the rule of law. Rather than seeking to silence those who disagree with her, she has consistently relied on Australia's legal institutions to test important questions about the protection of women's rights under anti-discrimination law.

 

Her advocacy is founded on the belief that human rights should protect everyone, including women and girls who seek access to female-only spaces, services and sporting competitions. She has argued that sex-based rights deserve equal recognition and careful balancing alongside other protected rights, encouraging respectful public debate about how competing rights should be reconciled.

 

Ms Grover has pursued these objectives with remarkable perseverance. Despite significant personal, financial and professional costs, she has remained committed to resolving these issues through lawful processes rather than public confrontation. She has welcomed legal scrutiny, accepted the responsibilities that come with litigation and used her public platform to explain why she believes these issues matter to women across Australia.

 

Beyond the courtroom, Sall has contributed to public understanding through media interviews, public speaking engagements and engagement with community organisations. Her advocacy has encouraged Australians to think carefully about the meaning of equality, fairness and the protection of vulnerable groups within a democratic society.

 

By combining entrepreneurship, civic engagement and respect for the rule of law, Sall Grover has demonstrated that individuals can make a significant contribution to the advancement of human rights through courage, persistence and constructive participation in Australia's legal and democratic institutions.

 

Q3. What human rights issue(s) is the nominee addressing through their work? (max 250 words)

 

Sall Grover's work addresses several fundamental human rights issues that arise where protected rights intersect and require careful balancing.

 

Foremost, she advocates for the rights of women and girls to equality, dignity, privacy and safety through the preservation of sex-based spaces and opportunities. Her work seeks to ensure that women and girls are able to participate in female sporting competitions on a fair basis and to access women-only services and spaces where privacy, dignity or safety are important considerations.

 

Her advocacy also engages the human right to freedom of association. Through the creation of a women-only social networking platform, Ms Grover has argued that women should be free to establish and participate in associations organised around biological sex, consistent with long-standing legal recognition of single-sex organisations in appropriate circumstances.

 

A further issue addressed by her work is freedom of expression. Throughout years of public controversy and litigation, Ms Grover has defended the principle that Australians should be able to discuss matters of sex, women's rights and public policy respectfully and in good faith without fear of intimidation or unjustified restriction. She has consistently used lawful and democratic processes to advance these issues, encouraging robust but respectful public debate.

 

Ultimately, Ms Grover's work is concerned with ensuring that Australia's human rights framework continues to recognise and protect the legitimate rights of women and girls while fostering open discussion about how competing rights can be fairly and lawfully balanced in a pluralistic democracy.

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