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Julia Gillard's Advice To America: Shame Sexism Against Clinton

'Mrs. Clinton should not have to deal with this alone.'
Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged Americans to condemn sexism in the 2016 US election.
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Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged Americans to condemn sexism in the 2016 US election.

It's official. Hillary Clinton is the US Democratic presidential nominee, and Julia Gillard has already jumped to her defence.

Australia's first female prime minister penned an article in the New York Times on Tuesday urging Americans to condemn sexist attacks against Clinton in the lead up to the US presidential election in November.

"Mrs. Clinton should not have to deal with this alone. Every Democrat, every Republican, every person who believes that women and men are equal should call out any sexism," Gillard wrote.

"In 2016, I hope there are many brave voices naming and shaming any sexism in the presidential contest. The next generation of potential female leaders is watching."

The article comes after Gillard took part in a forum on women and leadership at the Democratic National Convention and is not the first time she has thrown her support behind Clinton to become the United States' first female president.

While there was no mention of her famous 'misogyny speech' in which she called out then Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott for sexism, Gillard touched upon the treatment she received while she was prime minister and the effects it has had on young women looking to venture into politics.

"To my dismay, some of the young women who chat with me are not asking for political insights," Gillard wrote.

"Instead, they tell me that, having seen how I was treated, they have decided politics is too punishing for them. I always try to talk them out of this position. Sometimes I succeed."

Not willing to offer advice to "the most qualified and prepared presidential candidate the United States has ever seen", Gillard encouraged Americans to provide Clinton with the support she was unable to access during her time in Government.

"I have often reflected how powerful it would have been if, at that moment, a male business leader... said, 'I may not support the prime minister politically, but Australia must not conduct its democratic debates this way.'," she said.

"Unfortunately, that never happened."

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