Bitches Get Stuff Done

Just do a search on Facebook with the name of Australia’s new Prime Minister Julia Gillard and you’ll get a page full of results that poke fun at her due to her gender. To pick the two most popular pages as examples, we’ve got “How the hell is Julia Gillard meant to run the country from her kitchen?” and “Dear Julia Gillard, if I vote for you, you better make me a sandwich”.

Stay classy, Australia.

Firstly, as I know that the majority of you aren’t up to speed with Australian politics, I’ll explain how it is that Gillard came to power. The circumstances in which Julia Gillard came to power a mere 90 or so days ago were considered controversial by much of Australia. Though there was a growing sense of disillusionment with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd due to various decisions he made, as well as his perceived lack of ability to connect with the Australian people, I doubt there was any question in the minds of the general public that he would lead the Labor Party to contest the 2010 election. However, with the installation of his deputy Julia Gillard to the office of Prime Minister on that blustery June morning came the inevitable barrage of jokes.

From what I’ve seen, the ridicule can be classified into three main categories: the sexist jokes, the ‘stab in the back’ jokes and then, of course, we’ve got the ranga jokes. You know, because she’s got red hair and that’s hilarious. I’m willing to let those last two slide, but the sexist jokes? Sorry, no can do. Now, I know Facebook isn’t gospel and I know that people join these groups or like these pages just for kicks – but what gets me is this: there are an alarming number of girls in these groups and I know firsthand that some actually agree with the essential message of the group, that a woman should not be the head of government.

The night before Kevin Rudd announced his resignation, Australians were watching their normally scheduled TV shows when news bulletins flooded every channel, with reporters talking of hushed backroom meetings between the heavyweights of the Labor Party and Kevin Rudd taking to the floor to announce that the party powerbrokers wanted him out. As we all know, in this day and age any big news is talked about as it happens online; that night, twitter and Facebook were buzzing, with a large amount of updates questioning Julia Gillard’s ability to run the country due to her gender. A surprising (and disturbing) number of girls I know, girls who go to academically selective schools because they’re smart and have big plans for their futures, made disparaging comments about Gillard’s gender. I literally struggle to comprehend this. My school’s aim is to produce independent young women and for six years we’ve been told we can achieve anything: these girls want to be doctors, lawyers, economists. Why is it that being Prime Minister is out of the question?

Just a week or two into her “proper” tenure as Prime Minister now that the Labor Party formed a minority government with a Greens MP and three Independents after last month’s election, I hope Australia can give Julia Gillard a decent chance to show us what she’s got before we cast judgement on her on the basis of only her policies and effectiveness, just as we would any male Prime Minister.