{"id":44577,"date":"2019-04-16T08:49:28","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T22:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=44577"},"modified":"2022-05-02T13:06:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T03:06:34","slug":"misogyny-changing-minds-in-newenglandvotes-newenglandlady4-comments-on-ausvotes19-womenvote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/misogyny-changing-minds-in-newenglandvotes-newenglandlady4-comments-on-ausvotes19-womenvote\/","title":{"rendered":"Misogyny changing minds in #NewEnglandVotes: @NewEnglandLady4 comments on #AusVotes19 #WomenVote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Barnaby Joyce at the 2018 CWA Conference, Armidale. Photo: Barnaby Joyce (via Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During a speech to mark International Women\u2019s Day (IWD) 2019, Scott Morrison suggested that womens’ advancement should not come at the expense of men. For the Prime Minister to be openly saying this points to significant obstacles for womens’ voices being heard in this country, not only in parliament but at the ballot box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australian politics has traditionally been a male domain<\/a>. In 1996, the Liberal Party was elected with a record number of female parliamentarians. In 1994, the Labor Party made a decision to introduce quotas for female MPs, starting with 30 per cent. In 2019, Labor has 44 females out of a total of 95 parliamentarians, or just under 50pc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, in 2016 the Liberal Party set a target that there would be 50pc female MPs and Senators by 2025, however, female parliamentarian numbers have gone backwards. The federal Liberal Party has just 19 female parliamentarians out of a total of 83.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New England voter Deanna Montgomery explains why she will vote for Independent candidate Adam Blakester.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some would find the Liberal Party numbers surprising given that in 2017 there were 12.4 million females, or just over 50pc of the Australian population<\/a>. Non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian women have had the right to stand for parliament since 1923. However, in 2019, the overall number of female parliamentarians in Australia is still below 50pc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is behind the lack of representation? Some would argue that it\u2019s difficult to juggle motherhood and politics; other blame the combative and occasionally nasty nature of politics. Neither of these factors are any different to what women experience in the business and other arenas, where data on womens’ participation reveals far more equal representation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So is there an element of male chauvinism and misogyny within politics, and does it impact how women vote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the fishbowl <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Male chauvinism (noun) male prejudice against women; the belief that men are superior in terms of ability, intelligence.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The term male chauvinism isn’t new, it’s been used for decades. According to Wikipedia the first documented use of the phrase ‘male chauvinism’ was in the 1935 Clifford Odets play Till the Day I Die<\/em><\/a>. However, it emerged during the 1960s with feminist movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Australian parliamentarians in 2016. Photo: Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

According to an article by Mel Konner MD, PhD<\/a>: “Call it sexism, male chauvinism, or any other name, it adds up to the same thing: ideologies and methods for controlling, restricting, suppressing, denigrating, and when necessary physically harming women so that men can be in charge of their reproductive capacities, limit them mainly to reproductive and other subservient roles, and avoid competing with them in an open market of human effort, talent, and skill.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misogyny (noun) dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.<\/em><\/p>


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According to an article from Industrial Psychiatry Journal<\/em><\/a> “…misogyny has taken shape in multiple forms such as male privilege, patriarchy, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the word misogyny isn\u2019t new, it was famously highlighted by Julia Gillard in her 2012 ‘misogyny speech’<\/a>. Australian politics hasn\u2019t improved since 2012, it continues to be male-dominated, moreso in conservative parties with women under-represented in both the Liberal Party and National Party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misogyny in action<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Male chauvinism and misogyny aren\u2019t confined to political parties, there are many male-dominated industries; but parliament is a ‘fish bowl’ and allows people to observe male politician’s behaviour towards females. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the 2017 New England by-election, Barnaby Joyce was forced to confirm that he’d had an affair and his girlfriend was pregnant. Since then it has been widely reported that Joyce admitted he spent years in Canberra “wandering and getting closer to other women”<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February, 2018 Catherine Marriott, rural advocate, 2012 WA Rural Woman of the Year and businesswoman, lodged a confidential sexual harassment complaint against the then Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a>. Within days, details of the complaint and Catherine\u2019s name were released. After an eight-month investigation the Nationals were unable to make a finding on the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Seriously, can @TonyAbbottMHR<\/a> direct his Advance Australia attack dogs not to rub up against photos of his political opponent? pic.twitter.com\/aBQJR4fu8T<\/a><\/p>— Matt Burke (@matttburke) April 14, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>