Media reactions to Julia Gillard's 'sexism and misogyny' speech in 2012

What is it about?

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's speech to parliament in 2012 called out the opposition on their sexism and misogyny. She was held up around the world as a feminist icon, yet the reaction in the Australian media criticised the Prime Minister for using the speech instrumentally. This paper explores way in which the framings of Gillard's speech in the media were gendered, drawing attention to the impact of the gender 'double-bind' on women leaders who must navigate the feminine typed qualities expected of them, while they perform masculine typed leadership roles.

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