Minority report
An overwhelming fear of being ridiculed for simply holding contrarian views is turning young conservative women off public life. By Sophie Jefferies.
In 1943, Liberal Party founder Robert Menzies stated, “There is no reason why a qualified woman should not sit in Parliament.” An array of incredible female parliamentarians have since graced Parliament House over the years from Annabella Rankin and Margaret Guilfoyle to Amanda Stoker and Nicolle Flint. Women evidently have the capability to successfully sustain a role within parliament.
But from speaking with countless women, both those within Parliament and those seeking to serve there, it has become apparent that many women have been and are still hesitant to enter the political realm in the digital age. Why have women become so fearful to take the political plunge?
The anonymity of social media has enabled faceless trolls to incessantly scrutinise and ridicule female politicians, with conservative women a favoured target of persecution. This has ironically eroded freedom of speech within a supposedly egalitarian society. Such a toxic culture has made younger conservative women reluctant to enter politics out of fear of persecution.
The fear I have as a young conservative woman is palpable. The threat of being “cancelled” prior to my career even beginning is immense, forcing me to silence my voice due to the overwhelming fear of ridicule. Cancel culture is becoming a rising phenomenon, one that I refer to as “The Silencing”. It may sound like a Stephen King novel yet the horrendous reality of cancel culture reflects the gruesome nature of his work. Cancelling an individual and jeopardising their future career prospects for speaking out against the status quo is sheer absurdity.
This fear has crystallised even further in the wake of Nicolle Flint’s premature exit from the Federal Parliament. The Member for Boothy’s final speech revealed the “misogynistic abuse and dangerous behaviour” that characterised her experience within a toxic environment. Flint has been stalked, taunted with suggestions she should be strangled, has had her clothing criticised and endured other ordeals too inappropriate to repeat in print. After only seven years in parliament, Flint hit a breaking point and was forced into resigning due to constant attacks from political figures on the Left.
If political figures can evade scrutiny for verbal abuse, what are the chances of anonymous online trolls being held to account? A role model for many young aspiring female politicians, Flint believes that “women will continue to be attacked, abused, belittled and gossiped about”. What hope does this bring young women daring to enter the political realm when they can expect to be greeted with a welcome pack filled with misogynistic vitriol?
Over 70 years ago, Menzies invited the Australian Women’s National League to join the creation of the Liberal Party. A monumental occurrence that signified the ability of women to become critical components of a political party. Women's education has risen significantly over the past 50 years, leading to the emergence of more female leaders across all sectors of society. Instead of studying knitting and cooking at school, women now study science and maths. Women in STEM has never been so high. The 2021 STEM Equity Monitor Report revealed that in 2019, there was a staggering increase in women enrolling in STEM courses at university, an incredible 736% rise since 2015. Yet the progression of women within politics has been slow. Although the Liberal Party was ahead of its time during its formative years, it has now arguably fallen behind. In 2019, the total composition of female Australian politicians in both the lower and upper house was only 36.6%.
In recent times, the discussion around the greater representation of women in politics has been dominated by feminists and socialists. The concept of “feminism” has now become extreme and militant and is throwing society backwards. Radical feminism could be making the world of politics more of a boy’s club than ever, having the opposite effect on women’s hope for equality and resulting in more exclusion and separation within the political domain.
It is evident that the pendulum has swung too far. The rise of social media has facilitated the development of a toxic culture, undermining liberal principles and female conservative voices who stray from the war cry of the Left. We must eradicate the anonymity of social media by revealing the identity of faceless trolls, holding individuals accountable for their words and actions. In the interests of both intellectual freedom and female empowerment, we must refuse to cower to the bullies by raising up more women of the centre-right to serve in our parliaments.
Sophie Jefferies is an analyst and research intern at the Menzies Research Centre.