Female politicians from different parties are united in their criticism of a speech by Prime Minister Scott Morrison where he said the rise of women should not come at the expense of others.
An all-female Q and A panel criticised Mr Morrison's speech on International Women's Day with the reactions from Labor, Liberal and Greens MPs very similar.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young was the strongest in her criticism.
"We have this debate about merit. Well, there’s some pretty mediocre blokes up there, and if women rise to the top and knock some of them off, well, go for it," Senator Hanson-Young said.
"This whole idea that we have to hold back women’s advancement by fear of upsetting some blokes, I really think it’s the wrong perspective to be promoted from our Prime Minister, particularly on International Women’s Day.”
The Greens MP pointed out the comments were in a prepared speech on International Women's Day.
"I think it says everything about Scott Morrison. I think it says everything about his misunderstanding of what is at the heart of the struggle for equality."
Labor MP Linda Burney described the remarks as "an absolute own goal".
"I think it's very worrying that the leader of this nation would make that comment on International Women's day," Ms Burney said. "It's really putting women down and not understanding what feminism is, and not understanding what equality is about."
Scott Morrison says the rise of women shouldn't mean others do worse. Source: AAP
"I think that the really important point to make here is that for women to achieve equality requires men to understand and men to be supportive of that notion, unlike the Prime Minister (who) clearly is not."
Senior Coalition minister Karen Andrews was more restrained, but agreed with host Annabel Crabb that the Prime Minister's words were a little "clunky".
"I'm prepared to forgive the clunky words, because I know that the sentiment is - that he has and that his respect for women is there," the Industry, Science and Aviation minister said.
Target unrealistic
The Liberal Party has a target for half of its federal representatives to be female by 2025, but Ms Andrews told the program that wasn't going to happen.
"Look, quite frankly, I think a 50 per cent target in that space of time is very ambitious and we need to accept the likelihood of us achieving that is slim."
Karen Andrews says she left a meeting with a stakeholder after he pretended to be about to take off his pants. Source: Q and A
Ms Andrews said a target of 30 per cent would be more realistic and still deliver "sustainable change".
The senior minister also urged women to call out inappropriate behaviour after a stakeholder's behaviour prompted her to walk out of a recent meeting.
"A male in the meeting thought it was appropriate for him to make gestures as if he was going to remove his trousers … and at that point, I called it as inappropriate behaviour, and I left the meeting," Ms Andrews said.
"The behaviour needed to be called. It wasn't funny, it wasn't smart - it was inappropriate. And I think that women need to start calling out that behaviour as and when it happens.
