Rebecca Amundsen, who was also a former Invercargill city councillor, said recent events and news within the community such as sexist nicknames or inappropriate jokes towards women showed there were still issues to be addressed.
"This has definitely been highlighted this year with various issues raised, especially misogyny, which means having a dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.
"Not even just as a councillor, but as a female who lives in this world, you see and you experience it in various ways, all the time."
She believed women across the globe endured a real period of complacency where they accepted poor behaviour, and with the internet, people were getting even meaner.
It was time to step back and really address the issue, Ms Amundsen said.
"If you don’t talk or challenge them, nothing will change ... people need tools and what to do."
With this in mind, the National Council of Women Southland branch will be hosting a "Countering Misogyny" information and discussion event on Sunday at the Invercargill Library from 1pm.
Ms Amundsen said the event was timely and vital as many people did not know what to do when it happened to them or when it happened to other people.
She hoped the event would not only empower women to address the issue, but also to open the topic for general discussion and understanding.
"Misogyny is a reality for some people, whether in person, or online.
"So I think it's important to talk about it so that we can develop some ideas and tools around how to deal with it in a way that's safe, because sometimes responding is not safe."
- Countering Misogyny (part two) webinar and discussion, Invercargill Public Library upstairs, Sunday, August 20, 1pm — free entry.
