If you thought that sexism and gender inequality in Australia is a thing of the distant past, think again. Here are 10 of the worst moments for women this year.
That Jacinda Ardern interview
In a 60 Minutes segment in February, journalist Charles Wooley inappropriately asked New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when her baby was conceived and whether it would boost her approval ratings. Ms Ardern was visibly uncomfortable when deflecting the questions. He also said, "I've met a lot of prime ministers in my time, but none so young, not too many so smart, and never one so attractive.” The interview was publicly criticised by a New Zealand columnist Steve Braunias as “so incredibly and relentlessly creepy”.
The #LibSpill fallout
The Liberal leadership spill in August shone a light on the treatment and under-representation of women in politics. Leaked Whatsapp messages showed the tactics used against former Foreign Minister and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party Julie Bishop. "Despite our hearts tugging us to Julie we need to vote with our heads for Scott in round one," Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher allegedly wrote to the group. The ordeal ended with her resignation to the back bench, at the time leaving the new Morrison government with the lowest number of women in a Liberal government since 1996. MP Julia Banks said that the “bullying and intimidation” she experienced during the leadership spill was the “last straw”, leading to her resignation from the party a few months later.
Western Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan missing the AFLW final
Western Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan was forced to miss the AFLW Grand Final due to a suspension for rough conduct. Her second violation resulted in a one-match ban. The Bulldogs appealed, arguing that the ban was discriminatory and in the men’s football it would have led to a fine, rather than a ban. Unfortunately, due to the semi-professional status of female players, paying a fine is not an option.
The return of Matt Lodge to the NRL
Less than three years after his violent drunken rampage in the US in 2015, which resulted in reckless assault charges after chasing two women into a New York apartment building, Matt Lodge was welcomed back to the NRL with the Brisbane Broncos, despite claims from the victims that he had not paid any of the damages owed, or issued any apology at the time of his re-debut in March. He has since reached a settlement with his victims, with the NRL gender adviser Catharine Lumby calling the “horrifying” incident one of “the most disturbing cases I’ve ever reviewed”.
David Leyonhjelm’s slut-shaming
During a parliamentary debate about violence about women, Senator David Leyonhjelm told Senator Sarah Hanson-Young to “stop shagging men”, to which Hanson-Young accused him of "slut-shaming" her. In the fallout that followed, he called a female critic of his remarks a “bitch” and responded to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s calls to apologise by saying that he should “stop being such a pussy”. Sky News then faced criticism for suspending a female producer when his comments were repeated on air. Leyonhjelm stood by his remarks amidst intense pressure to apologise.
The infamous Serena cartoon
A cartoon depiction of Serena Williams by Australian cartoonist Mark Knight, published in the Herald Sun, sent shockwaves around the world for its depiction of the US Open Women’s final. The caricature was criticised for depicting exaggerated racist and sexist stereotypes that dehumanised Williams, whilst depicting her opponent and the referee blankly in the background. Many have pointed out the similarities between the cartoon and the racist imagery used in propaganda during the segregation era of the 19th and 20th centuries in America. Mark Knight has denied the accusations, stating he had “absolutely no knowledge” of the Jim Crow-era cartoons of African-Americans.
An Aboriginal woman forced to give birth alone in custody
In March an Aboriginal woman was forced to give birth alone in her unsterile cell at Bandyup Women’s Prison in Perth, without pain relief, after pressing the alarm button and repeatedly requesting assistance. Once staff did eventually arrive, they were unable to get into her cell until after the birth. An inquiry found that the systemic, procedural and human failings resulted in circumstances that were distressing, degrading and high risk.
At the time, the incident raised significant concern for the ongoing welfare of women in the facility, as it occurred just months after another Aboriginal woman was transported from the prison naked whilst experiencing menstrual bleeding. Not only do these incidents highlight dismissive treatment of women's pain and health, they illustrate a systemic problem with Indigenous incarceration rates. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO slammed the incarceration of Indigenous women as a national shame: “they make up two per cent of Australia’s population and yet represent 34 per cent of the women behind bars.”
The murders of Eurydice Dixon and Qi Yu
They were just two of the 66 women murdered in Australia this year, happening just one week apart. The rape and murder of Eurydice Dixon by Jaymes Todd in Carlton captured the attention of the country. Victoria police were faced with accusations of victim blaming for releasing a statement asking “people to consider their personal safety and be aware of their surroundings”. In the days that followed, as vigils were held around the country, Andrew Nolch defaced a memorial for Eurydice Dixon as “an attack on feminism”. Just days before Dixon’s death, the body of Chinese national Qi Yu was reported missing, police having since charged her 19-year-old flatmate Shuo Dong with her murder.
The Cricket Australia sacking over abortion advocacy
In July, outrage erupted over the sacking of female Government Relations staffer Angela Williamson by Cricket Australia for her activism about the difficulty of accessing abortion in Tasmania. Williamson posted a series of tweets after having to travel to Victoria to have a pregnancy terminated at her own expense when the state's only private provider closed in January. She believes the sacking came after one Tasmanian Liberal staffer sent screenshots of her tweets, and another leaked personal information pertaining to her abortion and subsequent activism, to Cricket Australia. The parties have since reached a settlement.
The gender pay gap begins with pocket money
One survey has found that Australian girls are doing more housework compared to Australian boys that for those who get pocket money as a reward, girls are also being paid less than boys. The Kids Contribute survey, conducted by the University of Melbourne with ABC’s Behind The News, found that not only were a greater portion of boys receiving pocket money, they were also more likely get paid in the highest bracket of more than $25.
Watch Is Australia Sexist? on SBS On Demand.
