Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has some blunt advice for women that want to get into politics. Gillard said women should expect “sickening” threats if they choose to go down the politics path, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Gillard’s advice is pretty direct, as she doesn’t hold anything back in her assessment of the hardships women face when getting into politics. The former prime minister gave her advice while attending a memorial service for British lawmaker Jo Cox, who was shot and killed in June. Gillard said she was left “particularly shaken” by Cox’s death and believed it was time to tell women the dangers they could face if they get into politics:
“Threats of violence have become more prevalent for women in public life. Once upon a time, to criticize a public figure, you generally had to put your name to that criticism…And of course, as a woman in public life, the violent threats take on another sickening dimension. Threats of violent abuse, of rape, are far too common. A woman in public view may expect to receive them almost daily.”
Gillard went on to say she has faced some of these issues and believes it is widespread throughout politics. In 2012, Gillard gave a rousing speech to the Australian parliament, labeling opposition leader Tony Abbott a misogynist for some of his comments he has made. The speech went viral and earned Gillard acclaim for her outspoken ideals. Gilliard’s words resonate in the U.S., for many have attacked Hillary Clinton for superficial reasons, and Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards women has been particularly crude and malicious of late.
(Via Australian Broadcasting Corporation News & ABC News)
