In a glass cabinet at the Museum Of Australian Democracy in Canberra, a pair of red satin high heels now take pride of place. They are the shoes Julie Bishop wore to announce her resignation as Australia’s first female Foreign Minister. And they shot to fame thanks to Fairfax photographer Alex Ellinghausen capturing them amidst a sea of men’s feet.
“a statement of women's empowerment which is what I believe the red shoe emoji is intended to be"
– Julie Bishop donates the red heels she wore when she resigned as Foreign Affairs Minister to @MoAD_Canberra this morning, via @srpeatling https://t.co/n8rztb0UQK pic.twitter.com/YPKjdytWxU
— Alex Ellinghausen (@ellinghausen) November 27, 2018
But oh boy did this museum acquisition fire-up the Interwebs. Bishop was made out to be a “bad feminist” by some for telling the Sydney Morning Herald that she enjoyed wearing red accessories because it invokes “power, passion and fashion”. You know what? If red shoes makes Julie Bishop feel more confident in the absolute dumpster fire that is Australian politics, then all power to her.
Very intrigued to discover that feminism for Australia's ex-foreign minister equates to wearing red fashion accessories. pic.twitter.com/btKlDpMHdy
— Latika M Bourke (@latikambourke) November 28, 2018
There is this patronising attitude that any woman who enjoys fashion must therefore be frivolous. I wish I could take a stride in those outstanding high heels of Bishop’s. Sadly I’ve dislocated my knee three times now, so I struggle to make it from the taxi to the table in anything more than a small wedge. But I love wearing bright colours and batshit crazy patterns and big silk scarfs on my head at work and it doesn’t mean I take my job any less seriously. It just makes me happy, and happy makes me confident, and confident makes me productive. Just like Julie Bishop.
I see you, you patronising types.
Bishop’s immaculate appearance may steal the attention at times, but it’s her actions that do the real talking for feminism. When Peter Dutton & Co called a second Lib spill within days, she stood up to be counted. It was like: “You fellas have really created a mess here but I’m going to try and clean it up.” The numbers might not have gone Bishop’s way, but she took a stand. She was visible, on the national stage no less, and in doing so inspired the next generation of potential leaders to give it a crack. If those red heels helped shine the light on women in Parliament – or serious lack thereof – then they certainly deserve to be in a museum.
It’s all about representation. When it comes to feminism, actions speak louder than words. As Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop often invited Labor counterpart Penny Wong to join her on overseas tours. It was inspiring to see them front the press together – it was not only a nod to bipartisanship, but also highlighted female representation in general. Both women are incredibly hardworking, formidable debaters, and always appear calm under pressure. That, to me, is far more motivating than any feminist slogan t-shirt.
Total. Boss.
Everyone has a chance to take a stand and help further equality. You can call out sexism when you see it. If you’re in a leadership role you can offer mentoring to those who maybe feel the numbers are stacked against them. Managers can provide better flexibility for men and women so they can raise a family while climbing the ladder. And executives can ask themselves why they don’t have a more diverse group of thinkers in the boardroom – and actually do something about it. And it doesn’t matter what shoes you are wearing.