'If you spread your legs for Weinstein' - Germaine Greer hits out at the #MeToo movement

'It's too late now to start whingeing about that'

Germaine Greer has set out her stall on the #MeToo movement, arguing that many actresses are 'too late' in speaking out.

During an interview at an event where she was honoured as Australian Of The Year, Greer said actresses who hadn't rejected Weinstein's advances at the time had effectively consented.

'In the old days, there were movies - the Carry On comedies, for example - which always had a man leering after women. And the women always outwitted him - he was a fool' she said.

'If you spread your legs [for Weinstein] because he said "be nice to me and I'll give you a job in a movie" then I'm afraid that's tantamount to consent, and it's too late now to start whingeing about that' she said.

'I want, I've always wanted, to see women react [to sexual harassment] immediately' she added, saying women need to make 'direct and immediate action' against their attackers.

Greer did concede that this wasn't always easy when a man has the financial upper hand, and said she was disappointed that the #MeToo movement hadn't tackled the causes of ordinary women without large platforms.

She also commented on the outcry over Woody Allen's continued protection by Hollywood after claims by his daughter Dylan Farrow that he sexually assaulted her in 1992. 'It was 20 years ago, so you want him to stop making movies now? It might be a good idea because he's probably no good any more.'

Inevitably, Germaine Greer's comments didn't go down well on Twitter, with some accusing her of being 'a female misogynist'

But the backlash will likely be water off a duck's back for the 78-year-old feminist campaigner and author, who once said of Caitlyn Jenner, 'just because you lop off your penis it doesn’t make you a woman.'

At Monday night's event, she joked 'I'm accepting this award on behalf of old women everywhere, because we're not very good at getting awards - have you noticed?'