At last, some sensible analysis of the misogyny and sexism “debate” that erupted during 2012.

This article by Eva Cox was originally published on The Conversation.

Tony Abbott: a confused, conservative sexist, but not a misogynist

By Eva Cox, University of Technology, Sydney

When Prime Minister Julia Gillard gave her now famous speech attacking Tony Abbott, millions of women around the world cheered.

Her denunciation echoed and fuelled their anger at being unfairly judged because they were women and missing out on what they believed was their dues.

Initially, Australian media and commentators and party strategists were caught short, falling back on masculinised biases that failed to recognise women’s genuine response to a carefully crafted, but heartfelt attack. However, once the strategists recognised their errors, both sides decided to elevate their version of the gender card to enhance their election chances.

Will this sudden interest in women by the political strategists either influence voters or the policy options on offer? If so, who will benefit? [Read more…]