Gillard's speech prompts misogyny definition rethink

Updated

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's speech in Parliament on misogyny has prompted the Macquarie Dictionary to broaden its definition of the word.

Ms Gillard made headlines around the world last week after she used a 15-minute speech in Parliament to accuse Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of being a misogynist.

The current edition of the dictionary defines misogyny as "hatred of women".

But the dictionary's editor, Sue Butler, says the definition will now be broadened to include "entrenched prejudice against women".

She says the usage of the word has evolved over the past few decades.

"You're not really saying they [misogynists] have a pathological sickness, that they should be on a psychiatrist's couch discussing their early relations with their mother or anything like that," she said.

"They don't have this hatred that extends to all women.

"They merely have what we think of as sexism, an entrenched prejudice against women."

Ms Butler says Ms Gillard's use of the word prompted the rethink.

"The debate certainly brought it to our attention," she said.

"I always think of myself as the person with the mop and the broom and the bucket who's cleaning up the language after the party's over.

"And in this case it was a fairly big party, and what was left on the floor was misogyny."

Mr Abbott said this morning that he does not want to buy into Macquarie's decision.

"I'm just not going to get into the politics of smear," he said.

But Coalition colleague Senator Fiona Nash says the decision to broaden the definition is extraordinary and alarming.

She says Ms Gillard clearly used the wrong word in Parliament and the dictionary should not be expected to change its definitions.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Gillard quizzed about misogyny on India trip (ABC News)

Topics: women, federal-parliament, gillard-julia, abbott-tony, languages, english, australia

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