For a non-sexist future

Green Left Weekly, [3 November 1998]

A recent front-page report in the Sydney Morning Herald, citing statistics from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, highlights the increasing number of women and children seeking protection from domestic violence.

Domestic violence protection orders in NSW have increased by 53% in a year. The greatest increase is in regions that have been hardest hit by government cuts to welfare, such as rural areas and the outer suburbs of Sydney.

Such statistics are not surprising, given the backlash against women's rights and feminism. The attack on women's rights is being driven by right-wing ideologues who claim that the gains of the women's liberation movement have gone too far, providing fuel for the reactionary policies of both Labor and the Coalition.

This trend has also been reflected by the notable increase of blatantly sexist images and stereotypes in the establishment media. A typical example is a TV advertisement by a well-known barbecue and outdoors chain store, which features a nagging wife inside a barbecue, with the husband placing the lid on top so he can relax.