by EMINE SANER
2 Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi … where to start?
Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. PHOTO/Guido Montani/EPA
It’s hard to know where to start with the former Italian prime minister. On tackling rape, he said: “We would have to send as many soldiers [for protection] as there are beautiful girls.” He was quoted as saying that he thought rightwing women were “more beautiful” and that “the left has no taste, even when it comes to women”. Promoting Italy’s business interests at the New York stock exchange, he said “another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries … Superb girls.” In 2008, when Spain’s prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appointed a female-majority cabinet, Berlusconi said: “Zapatero has formed a government that is too pink … He will have problems leading them. Now he’s asked for it.”
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4 The French wolf-whistle
Last year, Cecile Duflot, the French housing minister, endured wolf-whistles as she delivered a speech in the national assembly. Defending the incident, Patrick Balkany, who is close to Nicolas Sarkozy, said he was merely “admiring” Duflot, adding that she had chosen the dress she was wearing (a fairly conservative floral dress, if it matters) “so we wouldn’t listen to what she was saying”. Another politician said the wolf-whistles had been “in tribute” to her.
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6 Sri Lanka‘s ‘beauty queen’
Rosy Senanayake, member of Sri Lanka’s opposition United National party, has been involved in politics for more than 20 years, serving as a UN Goodwill ambassador and Sri Lanka’s high commissioner in Malaysia. And yet, when asked a question by her in parliament, Kumara Welgama, the transport minister, said he was “choked” by her beauty. “I am so happy to answer a question by a beauty queen,” he said (Senanayake is a former Miss World). “You are such a charming woman. I cannot explain my feelings here. But if you meet me outside Parliament, I will describe them … My thoughts are running riot … I don’t want to reveal [them] to the public.”
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7 South Korea‘s ‘venomous swish of skirt’
Although a number of things about Park Geun-hye‘s politics could be criticised (the rightwing daughter of one of South Korea’s dictators, she cites Margaret Thatcher as a hero), in the run-up to the election last year she had to endure many sexist comments, including from her own party. “The head of South Korea should take charge of national defence, and it would be hard for any female who hasn’t experienced this reality [of national service] to do the job,” said Lee Jae-Oh, Park’s rival for the nomination within her New Frontier party.
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10 ‘Deliberately barren’ … and we’re back in Australia
The main source of ire towards Gillard appears to come from her decision not to have children. “Anyone who has chosen to remain deliberately barren … they’ve got no idea about what life’s about,” said Senator Bill Hefferman in 2007. Then last year, Mark Latham, the former Labor leader, said: “Having children is the great loving experience of any lifetime. And by definition you haven’t got as much love in your life if you make that particular choice. She’s on the public record saying she made a deliberate choice not to have children to further her parliamentary career.” He claimed she lacked empathy, adding: “I’ve also had some experience where around small children she was wooden. And I think the two go together.”
The Guardian for more