Julia Gillard's speech on misogyny goes viral

Following months of parliamentary name-calling and mockery between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, the PM struck back on October 9, calling Mr Abbott a misogynist.

Ms Gillard said she'd been "offended by the sexism, by the misogyny of the Leader of the Opposition catcalling across this table at me as I sit here as Prime Minister."

The Prime Minister's attack was an unprepared response to a motion made by Mr Abbott in regards to the removal of Peter Slipper as Speaker of the House, following a series of inappropriate text messages sent by Mr Slipper to a former colleague.

Mr Abbott stated that each day the PM continued to support Mr Slipper was "another day of shame for a Government, which should already have died of shame." The loaded comment was taken by many to be a direct reference to the speech made by Alan Jones at a Liberal fundraiser dinner in September, where Jones said Ms Gillard's father had died of shame because his daughter was a liar.

This was the first time that the Prime Minister acknowledged the remarks made by Jones.

"Can I indicate to the Leader of the Opposition the Government is not dying of shame, my father did not die of shame," Ms Gillard said.

"What the Leader of the Opposition should be ashamed of is his performance in this Parliament and the sexism he brings with it."

The Prime Minister also said that she had been personally offended by Mr Abbott after he stood next to signs displaying "ditch the witch" outside Parliament during an anti-Carbon Tax rally.

The fifteen minute speech took place during Question Time and has since had over two million views on YouTube, making international headlines.

While there were mixed reactions to the speech in Australia, it caused a major uproar overseas. Foreign websites and world leaders praised Ms Gillard for her boldness in standing up for gender equality and one feminist website even labeled the Prime Minister a "badass".

As well as being acknowledged globally for its controversial nature, the Prime Minister's speech prompted the Macquarie Dictionary to change their definition of the word 'misogyny'.

"Entrenched prejudice against women" now stands beside the old definition of "hatred of women" in light of Ms Gillard's address.