A former Canadian Prime Minister caused an uproar last month over tweets commenting on ‘sleeveless dresses.’
She clarified her remarks on International Women’s Day.
Kim Campbell further discussed why she made the statement during a speech at the Surrey Board of Trade on Thursday. On Feb. 13, she tweeted, “I am struck by how many women in TV news wear sleeveless dresses, often when sitting with suited men. I have always felt it was demeaning to the women.”
WATCH: Former PM Kim Campbell calls out ‘sleeveless’ anchors
She explained to hundreds at the luncheon that a conversation with a speech coach led to the comments she made. The speech coach told her about the importance of covering one’s self when speaking to maximize credibility. Campbell said it had nothing to do with gender.
“When I saw a women wearing a sleeveless dress sitting next to a man in his suit, it kind of jarred me,” Campbell said. “What I felt was that there was kind of a power imbalance.”
Get breaking National news
Campbell said women have made huge strides in the last 25 years, but she is concerned that leaders like U.S. President Donald Trump threaten the progress women have made.
“I look below the border and I see an American president who’s given permission for people to speak in ways that I thought were not possible to speak,” Campbell said. “Those ways of thinking are always accompanied by losses for women, erosion of women’s social status.”
Once Campbell sent out the tweet, she said the responses from the public differed between her Twitter account and personal website.
“All of the responses I got on my website, the vast majority agreed with me,” Campbell said. “But on Twitter, as you know, people can say all the things they want, and describe me as asinine.”
Comments