“Thank you very much Deputy Speaker and I rise to oppose the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition. And in so doing I say to the Leader of the Opposition I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not. And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.”
On 9 October 2012, the then-Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made one of the most iconic speeches in Australian political history – one that cemented it’s status in the history books. Yet this is the exception.
It’s hard to believe that despite groundbreaking contributions of women to public discourse, they continue to be underrepresented in the archives both in Australia and beyond.
Enter Madam Speaker. The new initiative, launched by the Victorian Women’s Trust in collaboration with digital agency Your Creative, challenges the masculine bias inherent in the reporting and recording of Australian speeches – and is a digital archive showcasing women’s significant contributions as public speakers and community advocates over decades.
The Victorian Women’s Trust says that the archive fills a critical void by addressing the longstanding underrepresentation of women’s voices in the public record – “showcasing impactful orations from women across various industries, including arts and culture, disability rights, gender issues, and military service.”
“Australian women have been speaking out on their own terms and in their own styles for a long time. Yet, books of speeches, and forums like the prestigious National Press Club, privilege the voices and interests of men,” said Mary Crooks AO, Executive Director of the Victorian Women’s Trust. “It’s as though it is mainly men who exercise authority and thought leadership. With Madam Speaker we ask, why is this so? And what can we do to challenge and erode this bias?”
In her address at the initiative’s launch, Crooks pointed to Julia Gillard’s speech as an example. “It has been voted the most unforgettable Australian TV moment, and was reported by The Guardian as taking on a life of its own,” Crooks said. “Julia Gillard’s speech ignited the world, as did the words of Vida Goldstein, who packed out venues on a world tour a century earlier. Words are where change begins. The impact of women’s words on public debate has long been significant, yet over time, have been rendered invisible by the practices of patriarchal institutions.”
The aim of the archive is to be intentionally disruptive and act as what organisers call an ‘activist tool’. “Our goal is to set the public record straight and challenge the invisibility that is accorded to women and gender diverse people,” said Your Creative founder, Lauren Crystal, who worked on the initiative.
“Beyond a clear desire to elevate women’s voices, Madam Speaker is a highly-accessible, open source tool that will grow over time. This isn’t a standard campaign; we’re activists and technologists using tech to redefine what women’s leadership actually looks and sounds like in practice.
“We want Madam Speaker to be the most representative archive of women’s voices in the country. By 2026, we aim to have at least 800 speeches listed,” adds Lauren. “The hope is it will have enough material to analyse and learn from our collective history. We’ve got big ambitions to build a learning tool for women.”
“Ultimately, this project is about reshaping ideas around authority and leadership, showing that these qualities are not the preserve of men in our society”, Lauren continues. “We want to provide the next generations of women with the practical tools to speak with confidence and fearlessly take up leadership positions.”