Women in Politics




Sydney Writers' Festival show

Summary: This year marks 100 years since the first woman was elected to Australian parliament. Despite significant gains for women in politics, recent history leaves us in no doubt of the volatile, hostile and harmful environment politics can be for women. The numbers in federal parliament speak for themselves, while reports of sexism and harassment abound. Labor MP Kate Ellis (Sex, Lies and Question Time: The Successes and Struggles of Women in Australia’s Parliament), Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, former independent MP Cathy McGowan (Cathy Goes to Canberra: Doing Politics Differently) and journalist Annabel Crabb talk about how the gender divide runs deeper than party lines and the structural change needed to address its harsh costs, with historian Clare Wright (You Daughters of Freedom). Please note, there is some minor background noise during the first few minutes of this podcast episode that later resolves.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.