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It could have been the ultimate grim irony – an event convened by Women in Media, to celebrate International Women’s Day, with the Australian of the Year – a woman – giving the address. And the focus at the National Press Club on Wednesday was almost stolen by the alleged actions of men. Or, more specifically, the alleged actions of men in positions of power. But Grace Tame, Australian of the Year, rape survivor, campaigner to change sexual assault laws, would not let them dominate. In a week full of grubby news about the shabby treatment of women, Ms Tame’s voice cut through loud and clear. “We are on the precipice of a revolution whose call to action needs to be heard loud and clear,” she said. Her speech – a raw and powerful account of the events that had led her to the podium today – let no one off the hook. Not the journalists recording her words – the media, she said, needed to learn that she, and others like her, were not fair game when it came to reporting on sexual abuse. “Listening to survivors is one thing. Repeatedly expecting people to relive their trauma on your terms without our consent, without prior warning, is another,” she said. “It’s sensation. It’s commodification of our pain. It’s exploitation. It’s the same abuse.” Not the Chief of Defence, who defended his comments to young cadets this week that they should take care not to become “prey” to sexual predators. “I’m not judge, jury and executioner, but that’s not helpful rhetoric at all,” she said. “That feeds the idea that this is something that a victim has to foresee and stop themselves, if they’re to blame, and that is really unhelpful.” And certainly not the Prime Minister, also prone to unhelpful rhetoric when confronted with the obligation to deal with the alleged behaviour of political staffers and accusations against serving cabinet ministers. Ms Tame was cutting about Scott Morrison’s account of taking his wife’s advice to consider his own daughters when listening to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins’ allegations that she was sexually assaulted by a senior male colleague in a minister’s office. “It shouldn’t take having children to have a conscience,” she said. “On top of that, having children doesn’t guarantee a conscience.” And no, she wasn’t surprised about the recent allegations of sexual misconduct up on the hill – not one bit. “Coverup culture, the abuse of power, is not unique to Parliament,” she said. “I was doing this work before it dominated the national stage. It is heightened right now because it’s happening in the centre of our country in Parliament but, like I said, it’s not unique to Parliament. It happens everywhere.” Her shortest answer was to the question – only half in jest – of whether she herself had considered a career in politics. “No,” she said, loud and firm. Her speech received a standing ovation, and some tears – she herself confessed to having cried several times when writing about what happened to her. And when it came to questions, Ms Tame was short, sharp and concise – a good thing given the longer-than-usual queue of journalists lining up to ask her what she thought of current political events. But no one could steal Grace Tame’s thunder – not after she had come this far. And, given the unholy rash of godawful news stories emanating from the country’s centres of power this week, she’s only just begun. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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It could have been the ultimate grim irony – an event convened by Women in Media, to celebrate International Women’s Day, with the Australian of the Year – a woman – giving the address.
And the focus at the National Press Club on Wednesday was almost stolen by the alleged actions of men. Or, more specifically, the alleged actions of men in positions of power.
But Grace Tame, Australian of the Year, rape survivor, campaigner to change sexual assault laws, would not let them dominate.
In a week full of grubby news about the shabby treatment of women, Ms Tame’s voice cut through loud and clear.
“We are on the precipice of a revolution whose call to action needs to be heard loud and clear,” she said.
Her speech – a raw and powerful account of the events that had led her to the podium today – let no one off the hook.
Not the journalists recording her words – the media, she said, needed to learn that she, and others like her, were not fair game when it came to reporting on sexual abuse.
“Listening to survivors is one thing. Repeatedly expecting people to relive their trauma on your terms without our consent, without prior warning, is another,” she said. “It’s sensation. It’s commodification of our pain. It’s exploitation. It’s the same abuse.”
Not the Chief of Defence, who defended his comments to young cadets this week that they should take care not to become “prey” to sexual predators.
“I’m not judge, jury and executioner, but that’s not helpful rhetoric at all,” she said.
“That feeds the idea that this is something that a victim has to foresee and stop themselves, if they’re to blame, and that is really unhelpful.”
And certainly not the Prime Minister, also prone to unhelpful rhetoric when confronted with the obligation to deal with the alleged behaviour of political staffers and accusations against serving cabinet ministers.
Ms Tame was cutting about Scott Morrison’s account of taking his wife’s advice to consider his own daughters when listening to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins’ allegations that she was sexually assaulted by a senior male colleague in a minister’s office.
“It shouldn’t take having children to have a conscience,” she said.
“On top of that, having children doesn’t guarantee a conscience.”
And no, she wasn’t surprised about the recent allegations of sexual misconduct up on the hill – not one bit.
“Coverup culture, the abuse of power, is not unique to Parliament,” she said. “I was doing this work before it dominated the national stage. It is heightened right now because it’s happening in the centre of our country in Parliament but, like I said, it’s not unique to Parliament. It happens everywhere.”
Her shortest answer was to the question – only half in jest – of whether she herself had considered a career in politics.
“No,” she said, loud and firm.
Her speech received a standing ovation, and some tears – she herself confessed to having cried several times when writing about what happened to her.
And when it came to questions, Ms Tame was short, sharp and concise – a good thing given the longer-than-usual queue of journalists lining up to ask her what she thought of current political events.
But no one could steal Grace Tame’s thunder – not after she had come this far.
And, given the unholy rash of godawful news stories emanating from the country’s centres of power this week, she’s only just begun.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
