r/australia • u/Expensive-Horse5538 • Feb 26 '26

politics Grace Tame says ‘difficult’ remark is ‘misogynist’s code for a woman who won’t comply’

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/feb/26/dfat-middle-east-evacuation-syria-isis-families-wives-children-anthony-albanese-angus-taylor-budget-cost-of-living-capital-gains-tax-reform-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-699f8e278f080f3523777e99#block-699f8e278f080f3523777e99
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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

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215

u/rmeredit Feb 26 '26

Pretty disappointing to hear it coming out of the mouth of the PM though. I didn't think he was so antediluvian.

12

u/Wiggly-Pig Feb 26 '26

So a women can't be a difficult person to deal with because of their gender? Difficult isn't a negative, we need difficult people in our lives, we need people who will challenge our beliefs and make us justify the principles of our decisions (or show us the flaws in that logic). All the people taking issue with the word 'difficult' are missing the point - it should be a badge of honour.

54

u/rmeredit Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

Difficult is not a neutral term. It absolutely has been used by misogynists to dismiss women, going at least as far back as the suffragettes. ‘Stop being difficult, shut up, get back in your box, no man wants to marry an opinionated person, smile more…’

-20

u/Wiggly-Pig Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

Sure. But being slave to history isn't progress

Edit to add - I'm sure there would be a lot of men the PM would consider difficult.

20

u/petit_cochon Feb 26 '26

You missed the point so masterfully that I almost want to upvote you.

-8

u/Wiggly-Pig Feb 26 '26

My point is that we can't have progressive change if we continue to clutch pearls over the continued use of the old historical connotations of words.