Wendy McCarthy, a leading feminist and former chancellor of the University of Canberra, said Katy Gallagher may be escaping personal abuse because she is the third woman to occupy the position.

She also said the Prime Minister's speech on abortion was clumsy politics, as a poll suggests the decision by Ms Gillard to play the gender card has backfired.

Ms McCarthy said Ms Gallagher was not receiving the type of ''vitriolic personal abuse'' being levelled at the Prime Minister. ''Canberra seems to be much more relaxed about the face of leadership in terms of gender than maybe the rest of Australia,'' she said on Monday.

''Katy has never copped anything like other women leaders, she doesn't get this slagging. But everyone feels they're entitled to slag Julia Gillard.

''In the past, with Kate Carnell, there wasn't this vitriolic, personal abuse, nor with Rosemary Follett.

''As a feminist, I know I would have seen it but it wasn't like that then. So, what is it about Canberra that makes it different?''

Ms McCarthy said it took longer for women to be accepted in authority.

''During the time Julia Gillard has been Prime Minister, I've just looked in awe at her gutsiness in putting up with what she puts up with in terms of language and innuendo,'' she said.

''Then I began thinking, when it all became concentrated in the last couple of weeks, is this the fate of every woman leader? I was thinking, how is it that Kay Gallagher is the third? And I thought, maybe you have to be the third woman leader to show there's a legitimacy.''

Ms McCarthy questioned the timing of the Prime Minister's speech on abortion.

''Did she think it was time to bring out the women's card because we haven't really heard anything of it since the misogyny speech?'' she said. ''The 'Women for Gillard' platform, did she think that was a good thing to do? Did she think that would help with her survival, to remind people that she is a feminist although she happens to be Prime Minister?

''I don't know. But that's what it felt like to me and it didn't feel like a very thought-through strategy.

"It seemed to land clumsily in the political arena and I know abortion can be a federal issue because of funding, but I couldn't see where it was starting or ending and I'm just wondering, why did she do it then?

''I do know that the instinct of a woman escalated into a high-profile job is to smooth out any suggestions that she's a token.''