From Julia Gillard’s “misogyny” speech to Margie Abbott’s media blitz on behalf of her husband and US congressmen attempting to rewrite biology and take claim over women’s bodies, it’s been an extraordinary year for memorable sound bites concerning women, gender issues and the conversation about work, life and balance.
We look back at the quotes that had us talking the most this year.
- “I say to the Leader of the Opposition I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not. And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever. The Leader of the Opposition says that people who hold sexist views and who are misogynists are not appropriate for high office. Well I hope the Leader of the Opposition has got a piece of paper and he is writing out his resignation. Because if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn’t need a motion in the House of Representatives, he needs a mirror.”
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“Women are destroying the joint – Christine Nixon in Melbourne, Clover Moore here. Honestly.”
— Alan Jones, speaking on air with Nationals Senate Leader Barnaby Joyce, Aug 31
- “We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet [in Massachusetts]. I went to a number of women’s groups and said, “Can you help us find folks?” and they brought us whole binders full of women.”
- “From what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare…If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
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“I’d been part, albeit unwittingly, of making millions of women feel that they are to blame if they cannot manage to rise up the ladder as fast as men and also have a family and an active home life (and be thin and beautiful to boot).”
— Anne Marie Slaughter, Why Women Still Can’t Have it All, The Atlantic, June/July
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“I can’t stand whining. I can’t stand the kind of paralysis that some people fall into because they’re not happy with the choices they made. You live in a time when there are endless choices.”
— U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton interview with Marie Claire, Oct
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”The thing that surprised me is that the job is really fun … and the baby’s been easy. The baby’s been way easier than everyone made it out to be. I’ve been really lucky that way.”
— Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer who made headlines all year long, interview with Fortune, Nov 28
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“Well Leigh can be a real cow sometimes when she’s doing her interviews.”
— Liberal Party strategist Grahame Morris on ABC radio, Aug 28
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“Tony Abbott gets women and … the women in Tony Abbott’s life certainly get him.”
— Margie Abbott launches media blitz to defend husband Tony Abbott, Oct 5
— Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Question Time, Oct 9
— Mitt Romney, second presidential debate, Hempstead, New York, Oct. 16
— Missouri Republican senatorial candidate Todd Akin, KTVI-TV interview, Aug. 19
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What comments had you talking this year? Let us know in the comments below