“We met them with the ballots”: Australian women’s revolution marches on, and other stories
#WomenLead (Issue 99): Your weekly round-up on women in politics
Hello, and welcome to Issue 99!
Do we sense some milestones coming our way? Absolutely yes! 🤩💯🤩#EnthusiasmAlert
If 2021 saw women speaking up against the toxic culture of sexual harassment and assault in politics in different parts of the world, looks like 2022 is seeing those movements paving the way for some positive change. This week we have at least two updates on the same! In this week’s edition, we bring you news from France, Kenya and Lebanon and the spotlight is on Australia. In case you missed last week’s edition, you can read it here.
Quick Updates
👂 UNSOUND ISSUES: In France, Elisabeth Borne has been appointed the country’s Prime Minister, becoming only the second woman in the country’s history to hold the position. A seasoned politician, Borne has previously served as Transport and Ecological Transition minister under President Emmanuel Macron.
While the outgoing PM Jean Castex addressed her as "première ministre", the feminine form of the title in French, Eric Zemmour, a far-right politician refused to use the term, because for him, “French should above all sound pleasant to the ear", the BBC reported. Very encouraging to know that the feminine form does not sound pleasant to the ear, Mr. Zemmour. We are very touched with that detail!🤢
In the meantime, some men who have been accused of sexual assault are being forced to step down ahead of Parliamentary elections next month. Last year, women in the country had launched the #MeTooPolitique movement demanding an end to the space for perpetrators of sexual violence in politics.