A FEMALE candidate at the upcoming local government election claims an engrained misogynist culture in society led to one of her campaign posters being defaced and moved to the entrance of a men’s toilet on Mildura’s waterfront.
Helen Healy said she felt humiliated after seeing a “degrading” drawing on one of her corflutes, which had been taken off the side of a coffee caravan and moved to nearby Jaycee Park last Friday.
Ms Healy posted the defaced image on her Facebook page and it has since gone viral as both men and women throw their support behind her calling out the “disgusting act”.
“This goes to the heart of the gender equality issue,” she said.
“This inappropriate behaviour towards women has been accepted for too long, and people have just turned a blind eye to it.
“Well, I am calling it out. It is not acceptable that males of any age think it’s OK to humiliate women.
“This is clearly about gender because it wouldn’t happen to a man.”
Ms Healy is the latest female candidate to come under attack after Katie Clements, from the Greens, had a campaign sign “ram-raided” on Benetook Ave a fortnight ago. It came after Racheal Fyfe withdrew from the election race in late August after she allegedly received online threats.
“I am a woman, stepping into the public arena and clearly some misogynist is trying to bring me down,” said Ms Healy, who replaced Ali Cupper midway through the last term of council.
“This is one of the reasons why women are loath to stand for government elections, because of the hostile attention drawn to them that is solely about gender.”
Ms Healy has received support on social media from a number of male candidates running for election on the next Mildura council.
“It deeply concerns me that this happens in our community,” Jason Modica said.
“I stand with you and all women who strive for what we, men have had and taken for granted for centuries. Politics in our region suffers if actions like this are not called out.”
Fellow candidate Dean Wickham added: “Helen, all the more reason to have strong female leadership in the council chamber.”
Other men also backed Ms Healy for calling out the attack on her campaign.
“What an intelligent, measured response to a cretinous act,” Tony Smith wrote on Ms Healy’s Facebook post.
John Maher added: “Might I suggest that person is so out of touch with modern Australia that they possibly don’t realise it in all likelihood has done the complete opposite to their intended outcome.”
And Daniel Rosendahl said: “All too often people walk right past this stuff without unpacking what is really happening in our community.
“The punk that did this felt empowered to do so. Empowered by other men who think it’s acceptable. Thanks for holding him to account.”
