Former PM Julia Gillard discusses sexism in politics at Sydney Opera House talk Former Prime Minster Julia Gillard talks about the 'perfect political storm' which encompassed her time in the top job. Courtesy: ABC Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard poses for a photo ahead of the inaugural 'Anne Summers Conversations Session' at the Sydney Opera House. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images Source: Getty Images JULIA Gillard has revealed the disbelief, anger and "murderous rage" she felt over the "violent, ugly sexism" that plagued her prime ministership. And she says it is infantile to say a woman who stands up for herself is starting a gender war. In her first public appearance since losing the prime ministership to Kevin Rudd in June, Ms Gillard told a public forum in Sydney she was surprised at the depth of abuse levelled at her as Australia's first female prime minister. "It just amazes me that we can be having this infantile conversation about gender wars, and ... you just feel like saying: "Well, if it was your daughter and she was putting up with sexist abuse at work, what would you advise her to do?,"" Ms Gillard said. Because apparently if she complains, she is playing the victim, and playing gender wars, and if she doesn't complain, then she really is a victim. She said women and girls had "a right to an environment that treats you with respect, treats you as an equal and raising your voice about that isn't starting a war, it isn't playing the victim, it's just asking for what simply is right." As a guest of author Anne Summers at a public forum at the Sydney Opera House, with former deputy Wayne Swan watching from the crowd, Ms Gillard said she had thought Australia was beyond that kind of thinking. "And it's kind of depressing that we're not, but at least we know exactly where the balance of it is now and what more remains to be done for women to be truly equal," she told the crowd, adding it would be easier for the country's second woman PM. Asked how she felt seeing the kinds of sexist cartoons and comments online about her, she said "murderous rage" best described it. "And so for my personal liberty, it's probably a good thing that I didn't focus on them," she said. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard answers a poignant question from an audience member. Recent incorrect reporting that she and long-term partner Tim Mathieson had split showed another case point in the "foibles" of the media, she said. Ms Gillard will soon take up an honorary professorship at Adelaide University and revealed she will also work on global education as a senior fellow at Washington think tank Brookings. After keeping a low profile since losing her job, apart from writing a column in which she described the gut-wrenching feeling of losing power, she said she and Mr Swan knew she would lose the vote against Kevin Rudd on going into the Caucus vote. "When I was getting myself together to go out and give my final speech as PM, I certainly did say to myself that I wouldn't give those ... people ... the satisfaction of seeing me shed a tear, I wouldn't do that," she said. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard reveals what she said to herself moments before giving her concession speech. In a subtle dig at Mr Rudd, she said the difference between the two was that she had always worked for Labor. "So I quickly concluded after the meeting that the best thing I could do is accept that that was the judgment that had been made and to give a gift of silence to the Labor Party during the course of the campaign, to do absolutely nothing," she said. Ms Gillard, who will front a second Conversations forum in Melbourne on Tuesday, also had some advice for Prime Minister Tony Abbott. "It is a big step from criticising what you think is wrong to working out and implementing what you think is right," she said. On current indications, PM Abbott is intending to take that step slowly.