THE MOTHER LOAD – The politics of maternity

Join Senators Lorraine Clifford Lee, Lynne Ruane, Cllr Claire Byrne as they tackle the thorny issue of motherhood and politics. Fashion Designer, broadcaster and business woman Sonya Lennon will chair this discussion.

Let’s face it, it was only a matter of time before the maternal card was played, as it invariably is when women dare to venture into politics. The more successful you are the more likely a motherhood-related insult will be thrown your way. Anybody remember Julia Gillard, the former Australian prime minister, who in 2012 of whom it was said, she was ‘deliberately barren’ by one political opponent and was accused by the then opposition leader, Tony Abbott, of running a government that ‘lacks experience in raising children’. And on the other side, women with children are discouraged from entering the political arena. Can this be changed?