Still a Bit of a Boys Club in Many Countries...

I was listening to a radio talk last evening from the BBC world service. A good service by the way and always interesting. They were talking about women heads of state, Presidents..Prime Ministers  and why there are so few in the world.

Also those that are elected in this part of the world anyway, here in Australia and "across the ditch" as we say in New Zealand, once elected they suffer more on-line abuse than their male counterparts. Sexist misogynist comments are just way over the top.

I know when our first woman Prime Minister, the first and only female prime minister in Australian history...there were 26 elected males prior, she suffered some horrendous comments daily in the press and on the radio, social media etc., from the way she dressed.."oh I don't like that look...that makes her back side look large" etc., Also, the daily colour choices she wore..or her hair style. No man would have to put up with that. Well, it would never be said!

As she was not married at the time and lived with her partner and didn't have any children of course that didn't go down well either. 

Really have no idea why and what exactly that has to do with "the job". Why even go there? Why mention it at all? There is no need... 

I don't care what "side of the fence" you're on politically just show some respect. It doesn't cost anything. 

One radio commentator even said she was so bad she should be tied up in a chaff bag and dumped at sea. I mean! It's easy to just say things but there are always those that want to take it to the extreme. 

Oh and also one other quote he famously said about our then Prime Minster just after her elderly father died...he said that he, the father, died of shame regarding his daughter.

Just pathetic really. How hurtful is that...just terrible.

Exceptionally cruel and callous comments. And even one photo taken outside of our parliament in Canberra with the opposition leader at the time conveniently situated in front of a large sign that read..Ditch the Witch!

Her now famous misogyny speech in Parliament is known around the world. The target was this man opposition leader Tony Abbott.

https://youtu.be/han0tVu3L2Y                 2010-2013 Julia Gillard Australian Prime Minister

New Zealand on the other hand leads the way... Apart from being the first in the world to give women the vote and three...yes three...women Prime Ministers.

The New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has recently resigned saying she has "nothing left in the tank" after seven years also suffering some vicious on-line attacks from so called "key board warriors".  In 2017 becoming the world's youngest female head of government at age 37 and stood large on the world stage.

One of the many things that come to mind she achieved was after the well-known and terribly sad  Christchurch mosque attack in 2019 where fifty-one people were shot and killed as they prayed. The killer was the first criminal in New Zealand ever sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for release-the country's most severe punishment. 

She then banned automatic guns from the country. Saving many more lives no doubt in the process.

If only that were possible in other countries we know of where mass shootings are all too frequent.

Maybe...just maybe if we had more women as world leaders there would be less ego, less war mongering and more compassion in the world.

We live in hope..

1997-1999 Jenny Shipley. First female Prime Minister of New Zealand and the first woman to have led the National Party.

1999-2008 Helen Clark became the fifth longest serving Prime Minister and the second woman to hold that office.

2017-2023 Jacinda Ardhern New Zealand Prime Minister. The third female leader of the country.

(In 1893 New Zealand was the first country to give the vote to women. They were not however allowed to stand for Parliament until 1919.)