It was the revelation that rocked Australia, sending shockwaves through society and bringing Parliament House to a standstill. As the Liberal Party quickly went into damage control, the rest of Australia could only watch on in mounting anger as Brittany Higgins and her harrowing story were turned into something to be dealt with efficiently, like any other political scandal, rather than something to be addressed with empathy and compassion.
Higgins, a former Liberal Party staffer, alleged she was raped in Parliament House by a colleague. Since coming forward, countless other women have expressed their own turmoil experienced at the hands of politicians and people in power, cementing just how widespread violence and harassment towards women is. Higgins, alongside Australian of the Year Grace Tame and activist Chanel Contos, has become the voice of a revolution, the Australian #MeToo movement that is only now beginning to gain momentum.
Addressing protesters at the March 4 Justice rally held last month, Higgins said: “This isn’t a political problem. This is a human problem. We’ve all learnt over the past few weeks just how common gendered violence is in this country. It’s time our leaders on both sides of politics stop avoiding the subject and side-stepping accountability. It’s time we actually address the problem.”
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As she continues to give voice to women across the nation who refuse to be silenced any longer, Higgins has become a figurehead for change and now she plans to publish a memoir to share her own experiences working inside the “halls of power”, with half of the profits going to a rape crisis centre in Canberra.
“It is an absolute honour to sign with @penguinbooksaus and join the ranks of their many esteemed writers,” Higgins shared to her social media. “I’m proud to commit half of the royalties for each book sold to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre who were a lifeline for me in the wake of my experience.”
Higgins went on to add: “I feel privileged to be afforded the opportunity to share the story of my time inside Parliament House to readers. This book will shine a light on the toxic workplace culture inside the corridors of power and provide a firsthand account of what it was like surviving a media storm that turned into a movement.”
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According to Penguin Random House Australia, Higgins’ memoir will be published next year. In a statement released to SBS, the publisher said: “This is the personal account of a young woman who took on the most formidable institution in the country, spoke truth to power and sparked a reckoning with systemic abuse that will be felt for years to come.”
“Brittany’s story, in her own words, will be a call for desperately needed reform, and a watershed moment for Australian women in public life.”
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If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732v or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au
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