'Politics is tough': Liberals' reactions to bullying of female MPs ignored the gender issue

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-03-24 03:00

Australia; SA

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Liberal politicians routinely reacted to female Liberal MPs accusations of bullying from male colleagues, by arguing it was not an issue of gender, or by arguing along the lines that 'politics is tough’ and that it was normal and unproblematic, say Australian researchers. The researchers analysed transcripts of media interviews between August and September 2018 - a period in which four female Liberal MPs in Australia made accusations of bullying and intimidation against male colleagues. They say that these responses functioned to silence talk about the relevance of gender and the persistence of inequality, and that this behaviour may continue unless systemic change occurs that acknowledges the ongoing relevance of gender in politics.