Headlines celebrating Gladys Berejiklian as the first female elected as premier of NSW exemplify how far we have come and still have to go with women in politics. That women are held to a different, higher standard than men is evident in all facets of society, but in the political sphere it is a test of worthiness.
The media and politicians see the need to differentiate between women 'being elected' by the public and those 'being imposed' on the public.
Kristina Keneally, the first female premier of NSW, rolled her Labor predecessor Nathan Rees in a leadership ballot and is often painted as being a 'puppet' of right-wing factional warlords — a claim she defiantly denied. Despite her popularity and meritorious performances as an effective campaigner and excellent communicator, Kenneally's reign is tainted with shades of betrayal and outright scandal.
A similar stench of treachery and untrustworthiness marked Julia Gillard. Australia's first female prime minister came to power by knifing Kevin Rudd in a leadership spill — in which she was elected unopposed. It's no secret that Rudd was uncooperative and a nightmare to work with, but the question of whether usurping him was the right move lingers. On top of frustrations regarding her role in the leadership coup, Gillard faced disgraceful gender based attacks, which plagued her performance. She was admired but not respected.
Commentary about Berejiklian has been kinder than it was to Kenneally and Gillard — she took the reigns of government cleanly from Mike Baird when he stood down as premier. But still she can't escape being defined by her relationship to others. An article this week said Berejiklian 'lacks a spouse and children'. Like Gillard, the reportage of a female leader being unconventional in her family choices has an air of suggesting a deficiency in her personality, and that she is different from 'ordinary Australians'. In truth, the marital status and number of children a politician has shouldn't be seen as a measure of their capability.
So why don't we have more female leaders? Well, history has not been kind and neither has society. The pressure for politicians to return to the job after childbirth has created an either/or mentality for some. Labor deputy Tanya Plibersek has remarked that she returned to work 'too early' after the birth of one of her children, while outgoing minister Kelly O'Dwyer is leaving Parliament to have more kids. The womb does not make the woman, but in politics it is seen as potency.
The unequal playing field in which women in politics are judged extends beyond the family unit. Female politicians are judged on everything from the warmth of their style to the height of their heels and the details on their dress. Berejiklian has been described as 'not photogenic', while remarks about Gillard mentioned her 'big arse'. In spite of the sexism they face women are expected to walk an impossible line between carrying themselves with charm and commanding credibility.
"The next female prime minister or premier is listening and she deserves to be seen for her own worth, not as an attractive embellishment."
Some of the worst and most overt sexism can come from within politics itself. Outgoing Senator David Leyonhjelm had a defamation action brought against him for making disgusting comments about Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young's sex life. Meanwhile, former Labor opposition leader Michael Daley in his concession speech referred to deputy Penny Sharpe as 'an ornament to the party'. It seems far too often women are condemned for what they do with their bodies and congratulated for the 'softer' optics they add to a political party.
Even the statistics show we are still far from parity. About a third of candidates in the NSW election were women — a Sydney Morning Herald report found women made up 34 per cent of those running for a seat in the Legislative Assembly and 37 per cent of those running for a spot in the Legislative Council.
But things are changing slowly. Federal Labor are likely to reach 50/50 gender representation in Parliament at the next election. Meanwhile some former and current Liberal women are speaking up and challenging the merit argument that has long curbed their progression in politics. However, it must be said that politics is still largely a white woman's world.
Addressing the woman drought in politics requires a multi-pronged approach: reducing barriers that prevent people who don't have immense privilege and connections from standing as candidates; breaking up the 'boys club' in the youth wing of political parties; and cracking down on unparliamentary behaviour in the 'bear pit' that requires women to 'roll with the punches'.
Additionally, newsrooms can do much to ensure they don't contribute to a culture of 'othering'. There is a clear link between media reporting and attitudes and beliefs about women.
The next female prime minister or premier is listening and she deserves to be seen for her own worth, not as an attractive embellishment.
Eliza Berlage is a Canberra based journalist and podcast producer with a background in sociology. She currently works in the Parliament House press gallery as a researcher for The Conversation's chief political correspondent Michelle Grattan.
Main image: Gladys Berejiklian is greeted by former PM John Howard and current PM Scott Morrison on election night. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)