This was published 6 years ago
Women's minister Yvette Berry blasts Geocon for risque graphic design
The ACT's minister for women Yvette Berry tried to deflect criticism of her government's low safety targets by accusing developer Geocon of making women feel unsafe through its use of sexualised imagery.
Canberra Liberals' spokeswoman for women Nicole Lawder accused the Barr government of placing women's safety as a low priority, after it included a target of 38 per cent of women feeling safe by themselves in public at night as one of its strategic indicators for the Community Services Directorate in the recent budget.
The target comes from the ‘Community Satisfaction with Policing’ survey, a national measure of how safe women feel at night.
Ms Lawder pointed to proposed changes to the bus timetable that could force women to walk farther and changes buses more often, and the need for better lighting in some areas as ways the territory government could make a practical difference to how safe women felt.
Ms Berry said while she was open to suggestions, changing women's perceptions of their safety required a shift in culture that started at the top.
She took aim at Canberra Liberal Senator Zed Seselja, who on Tuesday joined a group of conservative MPs condemning new NSW laws making it illegal for people to communicate, film or intimidate patients near abortion clinics.
"It takes leadership from officials, it takes leadership from elected members of parliament both here and federally and sadly today we saw a lack of leadership from the most senior leader of the [Canberra] Liberal party in supporting a motion federally that would put women when they're feeling their most vulnerable and least safe in a very difficult position by supporting some sort of alleged right that people have an opportunity to harass people while they're seeking a legal health service," Ms Berry said.
Ms Berry also pulled out an invitation for the launch of the High Society apartment towers from Geocon featuring a scantily-clad woman, saying it was emblematic of the "unconscious bias" that undermined the work the government was doing.
The event is at the Canberra Casino, and is cabaret-themed.
"You might have all received an invitation ... from this organisation Geocon who are a major developer in this town who have unnecessarily sexualised their invitation with an image of a woman to an event," Ms Berry said.
"They have form on this issue so when you ask what's the government doing on this issue, we're doing everything we can but every day it's up against things like this and comments from Zed Seselja."
The Canberra development company, who once celebrated the completion of Canberra's tallest residential tower with topless women serving beer, has come under fire in the past for using sexual images of women to sell its apartments.
The Advertising Standards Board last year dismissed a case against the developer for a large billboard in Woden picturing a woman in a leotard, dark sunglassess and stylised hair and make-up on a bicycle, as it believed the woman was exercising.
A spokeswoman for Geocon said the image "in context" was appropriate for the theme and venue.
"Geocon committed to safety has exemplary record in this regard, including for the many women working across our diverse organisation," she said.