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The Misogyny Factor
In 2012, Anne Summers gave two landmark speeches about women in Australia, attracting more than 120,000 visits to her website. Within weeks of their delivery Prime Minister Julia Gillard's own speech about misogyny and sexism went viral and was celebrated around the world. Summers makes the case that Australia, the land of the fair go, still hasn't figured out how to make equality between men and women work. She shows how uncomfortable we are with the idea of women with political and financial power, let alone the reality. Summers dismisses the idea that we should celebrate progress for women as opposed to outright success. She shows what success will look like.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
Anne Summers
25 books50 followersProfessional
Dr Anne Summers AO is a best-selling author, journalist and thought-leader with a long career in politics, the media, business and the non-government sector in Australia, Europe and the United States.
She is author of eight books, including the classic Damned Whores and God’s Police, first published in 1975. This bestseller was updated in 1994 and, again, in 2002 and stayed continuously in print until 2008. A new edition was published on International Women’s Day 2016.
Her previous books are The Misogyny Factor (2013), The Lost Mother: A Story of Art and Love (2009, 2010) and On Luck (2009), The End of Equality (2003), Ducks on the Pond (1999), Gamble for Power (1983) and Her-Story: Australian Women in Print (with Margaret Bettison – 1980). She writes a regular opinion column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Anne was involved in the early 1970s, in helping start Elsie, Australia’s first women’s refuge and Refractory Girl, a women’s studies journal.
In 1975 she became a journalist, first on The National Times, then in 1979 was appointed Canberra bureau chief for the Australian Financial Review and then the paper’s North American editor.
She ran the federal Office of the Status of Women (now Office for Women) from 1983 to 1986 when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister and was an advisor, on women’s issues among other things, to Prime Minister Paul Keating for a year prior to the 1993 federal election.
In 1987 in New York she was editor-in-chief of Ms. – America’s landmark feminist magazine – and the following year, with business partner Sandra Yates bought Ms. and Sassy magazines in the second only women-led management buyout in US corporate history.
In November 2012 she began publishing Anne Summers Reports a lavish free digital magazine that promises to be ‘Sane Factual Relevant’ and which reports on politics, social issues, art, architecture and other subjects not covered adequately by the mainstream media.
In September 2013 Anne launched her series of Anne Summers Conversations events with former prime minister Julia Gillard in front of a packed Sydney Opera House.
Anne was chair of the board of Greenpeace International (2000-2006) and Deputy President of Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum (1999-2008).
In 1989 she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for her services to journalism and to women. In 2011, along with three other women, Anne was honoured as an Australian Legend with her image placed on a postage stamp.
Anne was a leader of the generation and the movement that changed Australia for women. Her involvement in the women’s movement has earned her community respect. She has received Honorary Doctorates from Flinders University (1994), the University of New South Wales (2000), the University of South Australia (2014) and the University of Adelaide (2015).
Personal
Anne lives in Sydney with Chip Rolley, her partner of 27 years who is the editor of The Drum, the ABC’s opinion website.
Dr Anne Summers AO is a best-selling author, journalist and thought-leader with a long career in politics, the media, business and the non-government sector in Australia, Europe and the United States.
She is author of eight books, including the classic Damned Whores and God’s Police, first published in 1975. This bestseller was updated in 1994 and, again, in 2002 and stayed continuously in print until 2008. A new edition was published on International Women’s Day 2016.
Her previous books are The Misogyny Factor (2013), The Lost Mother: A Story of Art and Love (2009, 2010) and On Luck (2009), The End of Equality (2003), Ducks on the Pond (1999), Gamble for Power (1983) and Her-Story: Australian Women in Print (with Margaret Bettison – 1980). She writes a regular opinion column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Anne was involved in the early 1970s, in helping start Elsie, Australia’s first women’s refuge and Refractory Girl, a women’s studies journal.
In 1975 she became a journalist, first on The National Times, then in 1979 was appointed Canberra bureau chief for the Australian Financial Review and then the paper’s North American editor.
She ran the federal Office of the Status of Women (now Office for Women) from 1983 to 1986 when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister and was an advisor, on women’s issues among other things, to Prime Minister Paul Keating for a year prior to the 1993 federal election.
In 1987 in New York she was editor-in-chief of Ms. – America’s landmark feminist magazine – and the following year, with business partner Sandra Yates bought Ms. and Sassy magazines in the second only women-led management buyout in US corporate history.
In November 2012 she began publishing Anne Summers Reports a lavish free digital magazine that promises to be ‘Sane Factual Relevant’ and which reports on politics, social issues, art, architecture and other subjects not covered adequately by the mainstream media.
In September 2013 Anne launched her series of Anne Summers Conversations events with former prime minister Julia Gillard in front of a packed Sydney Opera House.
Anne was chair of the board of Greenpeace International (2000-2006) and Deputy President of Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum (1999-2008).
In 1989 she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for her services to journalism and to women. In 2011, along with three other women, Anne was honoured as an Australian Legend with her image placed on a postage stamp.
Anne was a leader of the generation and the movement that changed Australia for women. Her involvement in the women’s movement has earned her community respect. She has received Honorary Doctorates from Flinders University (1994), the University of New South Wales (2000), the University of South Australia (2014) and the University of Adelaide (2015).
Personal
Anne lives in Sydney with Chip Rolley, her partner of 27 years who is the editor of The Drum, the ABC’s opinion website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 19, 2021
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June 22, 2013How wonderful - indeed, what a relief - to read something that shows I am not alone in my thinking about recent politics and attitudes towards Julia Gillard. What started out as the occasional criticism of political matters has become a hegemonic discourse about the PM as a woman. The overriding result is the sense that many people in this country consider her evil, vile and horrid. Very much the image of the crone really.
Anne Summers breathes fresh air into the debate by delineating the patricarchal discourse that allows such a representation and belief about Australia's first woman Prime Minister. it is a discourse we all grew up with, one which is so normalised, we often don't recognise when we speak with it as our premise.
Please read this book. Get a grip on reality again before we make terrible mistakes that lead to years of rigid right wing politics in this country.
Anne Summers breathes fresh air into the debate by delineating the patricarchal discourse that allows such a representation and belief about Australia's first woman Prime Minister. it is a discourse we all grew up with, one which is so normalised, we often don't recognise when we speak with it as our premise.
Please read this book. Get a grip on reality again before we make terrible mistakes that lead to years of rigid right wing politics in this country.
March 10, 2023
I’m outraged that ten years after this book was published that these issues are still prevalent and not properly addressed by the Australian Government. I don’t need to list the unbelievable controversies and scandals that have happened within the last few years. While it has improved since 2013 when Summers wrote and published this, such as having sexual abuse surviver Grace Tame be Australian of the Year 2021, but there’s still such an incredibly long way to go. At the time this book would’ve been inspiring, but now it’s a tad depressing. However, Summers does say that success does not mean progress, so if anything the way it’s all turned out has proved her argument
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2020
a re-read that hits in a different way in 2020
June 15, 2013
I was pleased to be able to read a book aimed at women in Australia, and women in Australian politics, as opposed to being USA-centric. I learned quite a few things about our political history that I wasn't really aware of (the 70s and 80s being before my time). The author brings up many good points, although I would have liked more examples for some of them. I may not have fully agreed with one or two things, but on the whole, an enlightening read!
I had seen the author's talk 'Her Rights at Work' on YouTube before reading this book, and definitely recommend tracking this talk down!
I had seen the author's talk 'Her Rights at Work' on YouTube before reading this book, and definitely recommend tracking this talk down!
June 8, 2013
Anne has written a thoughtful polemic that should be compulsory reading for every voter before September. It's an impressive assemblage of facts which prove that progress towards equality can evaporate as quickly as it came. Success has to be sustainable - we are a long way from the inclusion and respect that should be every woman's birthright
June 10, 2013
A very good essay on the issue of women in Australia.
October 22, 2019
In someways this is now a historical document and in other ways it still needs to be read as a call for action.
Misogyny and Sexism Stop with Me.
I call it out more today then I ever have. It often feels like it falls on deaf ears, which is why we should lobby for removal of barriers and 'Destroy The Joint' because fretting about progress to equality isn't providing practical help.
After reading this in full, I can see why this caused such a stir 7 years ago, I remember listening to the speeches. It leaves me wondering if any progress has been made over that time, I think there probably hasn't been any.
I'm left with great admiration for Anne Summers, I have a signed copy of her memoir Ducks on the Pond: An Autobiography, 1945-1976 after I read that one I'll be looking forward to then reading her most recent memoir that follows up to the present day.
Highly recommended. I'll be returning this copy to the library and be looking out for a copy of my own.
Misogyny and Sexism Stop with Me.
I call it out more today then I ever have. It often feels like it falls on deaf ears, which is why we should lobby for removal of barriers and 'Destroy The Joint' because fretting about progress to equality isn't providing practical help.
After reading this in full, I can see why this caused such a stir 7 years ago, I remember listening to the speeches. It leaves me wondering if any progress has been made over that time, I think there probably hasn't been any.
I'm left with great admiration for Anne Summers, I have a signed copy of her memoir Ducks on the Pond: An Autobiography, 1945-1976 after I read that one I'll be looking forward to then reading her most recent memoir that follows up to the present day.
Highly recommended. I'll be returning this copy to the library and be looking out for a copy of my own.
October 12, 2013
So I actually finished this book a little while ago and deliberately left off writing a review because I wanted to discover what stuck out the most after a few weeks. In all honesty I can barely remember any of it.It may be my fault, I may have read it while I was not in the right frame of mind, it's happened before. Overall I found it a little dry and overly repetitive. I felt like she concentrated on only a few topics but repeatedly exhausted the information on them so that it just went around in circles. Don't get me wrong, the information was incredibly relevant and people need to be made aware of the circumstances facing women in the workforce and everyday life today, because the misogyny is lost insidiously around a front of equality.
I really appreciated the fact that Summers focused on the workforce and didn't really delve into the overall sexualisation of women. The statistics she provided surrounding the inequality and discrimination in the workforce were fascinating. The topic of Childcare and the dilemma of woman "having it all" was both infuriating and inspiring and made me want to pack up my bags and move to France. So there were a few things that stood out.
What made me perceive the book as more authoritative than anything was that our dear Summers made the time and effort to give us references. Thank you! Oh how many 'factual' books have I read that have failed to provide me with evidence of correct information (I'm looking at you Sperm Wars)? So that was truly appreciated.
I feel as if I should be giving it 3.5 to 4 stars based on the information provided and her dedication to the cause in such a small volume, but because I can't remember most of it I'll just say I liked it and leave it at that.
I really appreciated the fact that Summers focused on the workforce and didn't really delve into the overall sexualisation of women. The statistics she provided surrounding the inequality and discrimination in the workforce were fascinating. The topic of Childcare and the dilemma of woman "having it all" was both infuriating and inspiring and made me want to pack up my bags and move to France. So there were a few things that stood out.
What made me perceive the book as more authoritative than anything was that our dear Summers made the time and effort to give us references. Thank you! Oh how many 'factual' books have I read that have failed to provide me with evidence of correct information (I'm looking at you Sperm Wars)? So that was truly appreciated.
I feel as if I should be giving it 3.5 to 4 stars based on the information provided and her dedication to the cause in such a small volume, but because I can't remember most of it I'll just say I liked it and leave it at that.
October 27, 2013
Enjoyable and well-thought out (and a quick read!), but one of those books where I learned more from thinking about why I disagreed with bits. I was also distracted by some of Summers's bold assertions that didn't seem to have any evidence behind them - I wonder if that was a product of Gillard's unexpected loss of the Prime Minister-ship, and the subsequent rush to publish.
For example, I was disappointed when she heavily implied that Nicola Roxen was sexist or under the influence of misogyny for failing to appoint women to the High Court, and making the bench majority woman for the first time. This seemed to be the kind of 'first woman to...' thinking that she criticised elsewhere, and didn't fit with her otherwise coherent arguments for quotas.
On the whole, however, it was a refreshing read and exposed some frightening statistics about the role and position of women in modern Australia. And while I mightn't have agreed with all her answers, it's good to see someone asking what we can do about the fact that women outnumber men at university (and have since the 80's) but are still woefully underrepresented at the top of professions.
For example, I was disappointed when she heavily implied that Nicola Roxen was sexist or under the influence of misogyny for failing to appoint women to the High Court, and making the bench majority woman for the first time. This seemed to be the kind of 'first woman to...' thinking that she criticised elsewhere, and didn't fit with her otherwise coherent arguments for quotas.
On the whole, however, it was a refreshing read and exposed some frightening statistics about the role and position of women in modern Australia. And while I mightn't have agreed with all her answers, it's good to see someone asking what we can do about the fact that women outnumber men at university (and have since the 80's) but are still woefully underrepresented at the top of professions.
September 8, 2013
The best part of this book is the part which goes over the author's Her Rights At Work speech about the Australian Ex-Prime Minister Julia Gillard's treatment at the hands of the media, the opposition and her own party, and Social Networks.
A sobering read, it documents the lead up to Julia Gillard's Misogyny speech, and places it in context to reveal some shockingly uncomfortable (for the reader) insights into the motivations for the poor behaviour that we have seen towards her. The viciousness of the attacks on our first female prime minister can only be explained as the resentment and bitterness of those who see their advantage and privilege as tribal leaders threatened by the entry into power of an opposing clan.
Read the speech here: http://annesummers.com.au/speeches/he... if you have the stomach for it. Then watch the Misogyny speech on YouTube.
Important and vital.
A sobering read, it documents the lead up to Julia Gillard's Misogyny speech, and places it in context to reveal some shockingly uncomfortable (for the reader) insights into the motivations for the poor behaviour that we have seen towards her. The viciousness of the attacks on our first female prime minister can only be explained as the resentment and bitterness of those who see their advantage and privilege as tribal leaders threatened by the entry into power of an opposing clan.
Read the speech here: http://annesummers.com.au/speeches/he... if you have the stomach for it. Then watch the Misogyny speech on YouTube.
Important and vital.
March 13, 2014
This book is a compilation of two speeches that Anne Summers gave focussing on 1) the lack of progress towards gender equality in Australia in recent decades and 2) the horrendous sexism that Julia Gillard was subject to while prime minister. For the completely uninitiated the book provides a passable precis of some important issues, but there's nothing new here for anyone who has been paying attention to feminist-oriented media in the past few years. The book feels a bit like it was rushed to publication to capitalise on the extraordinary public response to Gillard's misogyny speech and lacks the detailed arguments that might add to the debates that have largely played out online.
You'd be much better off getting hold of Summers' classic 'Damned Whores and God's Police', a brilliantly authoritative summation of the role and treatment of women in Australia up to about 1975 (the more recent editions provide updates, but the meat of the book is from the first edition).
You'd be much better off getting hold of Summers' classic 'Damned Whores and God's Police', a brilliantly authoritative summation of the role and treatment of women in Australia up to about 1975 (the more recent editions provide updates, but the meat of the book is from the first edition).
August 2, 2014
Delved into the economic/workplace side of things, in particular the way women are discouraged from moving upwards and taking higher positions, and with a special focus on Julia Gillard. I'd forgotten just how shitty her treatment was by the media and the Australian public, so that was a rude re-awakening. (It also forced me to embarrassingly recall a friend making a facebook page called something like "I want to punch Julia Gillard in the box". Crazy days!) Overall, while it was an interesting book and well referenced, it came off a bit too second-wave for my liking, and the limited scope didn't help this.
June 23, 2013
Essential reading for anyone who is interested in not only feminism in Australia, but personality politics and how it creates an environment where our biases can inform and unravel democracy. A deeply informative and stirring essay on how far we have come and how far we have to go in achieving equality, inclusion and respect for women and men alike.
June 22, 2013
"It stops with me"
An absolute must read for every Australian before this September. Phenomenal, well researched and argued, a great book
An absolute must read for every Australian before this September. Phenomenal, well researched and argued, a great book
August 14, 2016
I never heard anything about Anne Summers before, until I read the title and pulled this book from its shelf and I thought, "How interesting." And then I bought it.
From the very first saw I knew that this book is about feminism. The author is a lady, and later I know that she is a former editor in chief of NY based feminist magazine.
The Misogyny Factor is basically written speeches. It contains Anne's speeches from uni to uni with some thought-expansion. I'm amazed by how Anne told us to fight the misogyny in our society and realized that misogyny is not just about mere hatred because sexism has something to do with it.
Reading this book is like reading a viral article about fighting misogyny 101 and asking fellow women to not spread misogyny by defending our own gender (which is the reason why I can relate to this book quite quick). I found some difficulties while reading it though: she didn't use oxford commas, some sentences are lacking punctuation, and because Anne is an OZ citizen, she used the sexist along with misogynist problems in her country for the main idea. I was expecting something more general, but I guess that's ok (um, honestly, I'm not ok cause I didn't bother doing research to found out what happened in Australia at mentioned time).
Other difficulty that I experienced while reading this book is that its foot-note is not literally a foot-note. The explanation of citation in each sentence located in the end of the book, which I found annoying. It should have been better if the foot-notes are just being foot-notes; located at the bottom of a page.
One more feminist book I read. Overall, I like this one, quite reflecting my thoughts about today's misogyny. Will probably give it my 5 stars if its topic was more general.
From the very first saw I knew that this book is about feminism. The author is a lady, and later I know that she is a former editor in chief of NY based feminist magazine.
The Misogyny Factor is basically written speeches. It contains Anne's speeches from uni to uni with some thought-expansion. I'm amazed by how Anne told us to fight the misogyny in our society and realized that misogyny is not just about mere hatred because sexism has something to do with it.
Reading this book is like reading a viral article about fighting misogyny 101 and asking fellow women to not spread misogyny by defending our own gender (which is the reason why I can relate to this book quite quick). I found some difficulties while reading it though: she didn't use oxford commas, some sentences are lacking punctuation, and because Anne is an OZ citizen, she used the sexist along with misogynist problems in her country for the main idea. I was expecting something more general, but I guess that's ok (um, honestly, I'm not ok cause I didn't bother doing research to found out what happened in Australia at mentioned time).
Other difficulty that I experienced while reading this book is that its foot-note is not literally a foot-note. The explanation of citation in each sentence located in the end of the book, which I found annoying. It should have been better if the foot-notes are just being foot-notes; located at the bottom of a page.
One more feminist book I read. Overall, I like this one, quite reflecting my thoughts about today's misogyny. Will probably give it my 5 stars if its topic was more general.
January 26, 2016
It is now forty years since Prime Minister Gough Whitlam put gender equality on the national agenda of this country. You would think that would be time enough to achieve what are, after all, pretty simple and 13 you 19d think 13 pretty uncontroversial objectives for women: financial independence, ability to control fertility and freedom from violence. Sadly, we are still a long way from achieving these simple goals. Women work less, earn less and retire with less than men. A 25 year-old female postgraduate entering the workforce today will earn $1.3 million less over her lifetime than the man who sat beside her in class. Abortion is still illegal in some Australian states, and not readily available outside major cities in others; the abortion pill RU486 is still not easily available. Violence against women is extensive and, it seems, increasing. Why is this?
Anne Summers argues in her important new book that it is the result of the misogyny factor, the belief which is, sadly, very widespread still in Australia, that women do not have a fundamental right to be part of society beyond the home. Despite Australia having a female Prime Minister and a female Governor-General, misogyny and its expression 13 sexism 13 is rampant and is evident in the lack of respect shown to the women in these top jobs. The Misogyny Factor explains how women have been excluded from full and equal participation in Australian economic and public life. Despite the promise of equality, Australian women are still not there. Not by a long way.We have made a lot of progress but we have not yet succeeded.
Anne Summers argues in her important new book that it is the result of the misogyny factor, the belief which is, sadly, very widespread still in Australia, that women do not have a fundamental right to be part of society beyond the home. Despite Australia having a female Prime Minister and a female Governor-General, misogyny and its expression 13 sexism 13 is rampant and is evident in the lack of respect shown to the women in these top jobs. The Misogyny Factor explains how women have been excluded from full and equal participation in Australian economic and public life. Despite the promise of equality, Australian women are still not there. Not by a long way.We have made a lot of progress but we have not yet succeeded.
October 30, 2013
This is a sad indictment of the misogynistic society that Australia still is in the 21st century. I read with horror the statistics that show that we have regressed from the heady days of the 1980's when women thought they could 'have it all' into a society where women are still not given equal pay for equal work and of the inequality of women's lifetime earning prospects as compared to men's. To quote one example p.53 'A report released in October 2012 showed that a 25 year old woman with post-graduate qualifications would, over her lifetime, earn $2.49 million. The 25 year old man who sat beside her in class would by contrast, accumulate $3.79 million.'
I read with even more horror how social media was used by women haters of both sexes to denigrate our first woman Prime Minister and I was one of those people that Anne Summers mentions that went to her website to read her speech to Newcastle University 'Her Rights at Work: the political persecution of Australia's first female prime minister.' which horrified me even more.
And now we have the Abbott Government and a Prime Minister that prompted Gillard's 'I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.....' speech that reverberated around the world and that has prompted women to stand up and say enough is enough there needs to be an end to sexism and misogyny.
Anne Summers has, in this book presented women with a challenge to 'change the rules and change the game."
I read with even more horror how social media was used by women haters of both sexes to denigrate our first woman Prime Minister and I was one of those people that Anne Summers mentions that went to her website to read her speech to Newcastle University 'Her Rights at Work: the political persecution of Australia's first female prime minister.' which horrified me even more.
And now we have the Abbott Government and a Prime Minister that prompted Gillard's 'I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.....' speech that reverberated around the world and that has prompted women to stand up and say enough is enough there needs to be an end to sexism and misogyny.
Anne Summers has, in this book presented women with a challenge to 'change the rules and change the game."
July 9, 2017
The book is a short and well articulated response to the treatment of Australia's first female PM, Julia Gillard.
Introduction outlines Summers intention for the book and also the issues that it does not cover which was interesting for a book and author to be so clear and set in their guidelines and what they hope to achieve.
The focus, as Summers outlines, is very much based in economics and is initially full on, a lot of numbers but quite succinct and easy (necessary) to understand.
Summers is quick and concise as she outlines progress vs. success for women in Australia and also early on noted that the earlier feminist movements during the 70s, 80s and 90s was naive to believe progress would allow the movement to be successful.
The treatment of Julia Gillard was outlined with using an ample number of examples of sexism and misogyny. The book was written before Gillard lost the second caucus vote to Rudd, and in that regard ends in bittersweet outline of what is possible to come. In reality the not even two years since publication of this book, the statistics for example in regards to the pay gap has increased and more legislation and government bodies that are designed to champion womens causes have been defund or removed under he now Liberal government.
Introduction outlines Summers intention for the book and also the issues that it does not cover which was interesting for a book and author to be so clear and set in their guidelines and what they hope to achieve.
The focus, as Summers outlines, is very much based in economics and is initially full on, a lot of numbers but quite succinct and easy (necessary) to understand.
Summers is quick and concise as she outlines progress vs. success for women in Australia and also early on noted that the earlier feminist movements during the 70s, 80s and 90s was naive to believe progress would allow the movement to be successful.
The treatment of Julia Gillard was outlined with using an ample number of examples of sexism and misogyny. The book was written before Gillard lost the second caucus vote to Rudd, and in that regard ends in bittersweet outline of what is possible to come. In reality the not even two years since publication of this book, the statistics for example in regards to the pay gap has increased and more legislation and government bodies that are designed to champion womens causes have been defund or removed under he now Liberal government.
June 14, 2015
Thank goodness for individuals like Ann Summers. She doesn't skirt around issues concerning gender inequality but addresses them with a clarity that is greatly needed. She provides a good overview of the women's movement in Australia and the struggle to achieve legislative and cultural change. Clearly we can take nothing for granted as the gains made under one government, notably the Whitlam administration, can very quickly be reversed by subsequent governments. Perhaps her analysis could be more sophisticated and not just rely on the "misogyny factor" as the explanation for the lack of opportunities many women face. But at least she doesn't treat feminism as a lifestyle issue and zeros in on the material circumstances and double standards which keep women under the thumb of men. Julia Gillard should have had a more iconic and positive treatment as our first female prime minister, instead she was undermined and discredited for reasons relating mostly to her gender rather than her actual performance.
April 7, 2015
Maybe I would have appreciated this more if I'd read it in 2013. The chapter 'The Prime Minister's Rights at Work', based on a lecture Summers gave at the University of Newcastle, was interesting and well-written, as was the final chapter, 'Destroying the Joint', describing reactions to the mistreatment of Prime Minister Gillard, including her own 'misogyny' speech. But the first four chapters seem to have been written quickly simply to create a book-length work out of a couple of excellent articles. I struggled reading them, and only kept going because of my appreciation of Summers' other works. My advice is: don't bother buying and reading this book. Just read the 'Her Rights at Work' speech, available on Summers webpage. The speech is well worth your time; sadly the book isn't.
September 29, 2015
This book is a compilation of speeches that its author, celebrated academic Anne Summers gave on the lack of progress towards gender equality in Australia in recent decades and the sexism that Julia Gillard was subject to as Prime Minister. Despite its subject matter of the entrenched institutionalised resistance to women’s equality, this is a quick and relatively easy read. And regardless of political allegiance, it is good to see a book aimed at Australian women. It reveals some interesting points about our political history, however, it does seem like it was rushed to publication to capitalise on Gillard’s misogyny speech.
February 26, 2021
This book captured a moment in time, when Gillard was still PM and had just delivered her powerful misogyny speech. It was a moment in time when we had a female governor General, a female PM and a female state premier. But as Summers warned, while that was progress for women, it was not an indicator of success. How true that has turned out to be under our current coalition government with only one female member of cabinet and Tony Abbott thumbing his nose at women every where by appointing himself minister for women.
July 12, 2013
What an amazing book!!! Summer’s description of the disgusting treatment of ex Prime Minister Gillard defiantly made angry but it also inspirational me to make sure that any discrimination that I come across in my everyday life stops with me.
April 13, 2014
Usually I give 5 stars to books I absolutely love, usually fiction. I didn't love this, but it was exceedingly well written, thorough, documented and has such an important message that I think it deserves 5 stars. Disheartening reading it now Gillard is no longer PM.
August 23, 2013
Sexism and Misogyny in Australia? You bet! What an empowering book! A must read for all Australians!
September 25, 2013
I enjoyed this book. The first third wasn't that interesting but the last two thirds were great. A book that gets you thinking about social norms
July 2, 2014
Very decent book. I discuss it in a little more detail here.
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September 10, 2014Interesting book talking about Julia Gillard and women from the 1970s and when Gillard was PM.
September 18, 2015
It was an absolutely incredible book that opened my eyes to the struggles of women in Australia and I think it's a great read for all feminists.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews