It appears that believing in women’s rights and equality is no longer a prerequisite for being the Minister for Women.
Or should I say, for being the Minister who assists the Prime Minister on women’s issues, because who needs a Minister for Women when we’ve got Tony, eh?
In fact, the woman who holds that very title has used the week of International Women’s Day to declare herself undecided on the whole ‘feminism’ thing.
Minister Michaelia Cash was asked by a journalist at the National Press Club yesterday whether or not she considered herself a feminist. To which the Minister deliberately dodged giving an affirmative answer. She said:
“I consider myself a very lucky person whose parents told their four children to achieve, you work hard… All I know is that I believe in women … but I also believe in men.”
Right. Thanks for making yourself so abundantly clear Minister.
But the Minister didn’t stop there. In an interview with Fairfax published today, the Minister was once again asked about feminism and whether she was reluctant to associate herself with the term. She said:
In terms of feminism, I’ve never been someone who really associates with that movement.
Groan.
Even though Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed to be a feminist this week, it seems that the woman assisting him on developing policies and strategies to advance the status of women in our community, ain’t so eager. Her ministerial colleague and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party Julie Bishop doesn’t shy away from the label; nor does Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek or Greens Leader Christine Milne. But Minister Cash rejects the term despite the fact that her many and considerable achievements in public life would never have been possible had it not been for the feminist movement.