In the new Australian government, organized by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, women will have less of a voice than they do in the government of Afghanistan. Of Abbot's nineteen appointed cabinet ministers, only one is a woman.
But that hasn't stopped Abbot from putting himself in charge of women's issues in Australia. Abbot has assumed full responsibility for "women's policies and programmes," according to a recent article in the Independent.
Abbott's track record in defending women is less than dismal. He has publicly declared abortion "the easy way out" and opposed affirmative action for women. Meanwhile his frequent snarky and sexist comments betray his fundamental contempt for women. Abbot is on record saying women do all the ironing and recommending that a former prime minister "make an honest woman" of herself. Tell Tony Abbott he is the last person who should be in charge of women's issues.
We the undersigned believe your contempt of women is showing.
You have cut women's voice out of government--appointing only one woman to your 19-member cabinet. You have undermined a woman's right to choose by calling abortion "the easy way out." You have opposed affirmative action for women. Yet now you have put yourself in charge of women's policies and programmes.
You are the last person who should oversee women's issues in Australia or anywhere else.
