Not Now, Not Ever: Ten years on from the misogyny speech

Ten years on from the speech that stopped us all in our tracks – Julia Gillard’ s misogyny speech. Where were you then? And where are we now? This is a barnburning piece of Australian feminist history in the making. MATILDA, BETTER READ THAN DEAD Then it was done. After staying silent, I’ d had my say. At no time did I feel worked up or hotly angry. I felt strong, measured, controlled. Yet emotion did play its role in the energy of the speech. The frustration that sexism and misogyny could still be so bad in the twenty-first century. The toll of not pointing it out. On 9 October 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard stood up and proceeded to make all present in Parliament House that day pay attention – and left many of them squirming in their seats. The incisive ‘ misogyny speech’ , as her words came to be known, continues to energise and motivate women who need to stare down sexism and misogyny in their own lives.