On 9 October 2012, the then prime minister Julia Gillard delivered what is now known as the “misogyny speech” in parliament. A feat of rhetoric and a viral sensation – “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man … Not now, not ever” – it burned into the Australian consciousness. For a moment, it felt like it might herald a social and political shift towards gender equity, not just in numbers, but in spirit.
Also in 2012, the Australia Council released its Women in Theatre report, detailing an imbalance in the arts: in the decade prior, women accounted for about 16% of playwrights performed in the country each year. The numbers were even lower for female directors.
