Germaine Greer, the outspoken Australian feminist is quite used to her opinions causing public outcry and horror. She has been attacked on numerous occasions in the media and has even been spat on in public for her challenging views. The strident feminist gave an impassioned and rousing talk to a packed house at the Lighthouse Hotel last Sunday, "Who put the Post in Post-feminism", to cap off this year’s Galle Literary Festival.

Greer has a reputation for making statements which frequently catch the headlines for their provocative and challenging nature. She has been quoted as saying that the late Princess Diana was a "devious moron", and when Steve Irwin, The crocodile hunter was killed by a stingray she said that it was the "animal world’s revenge". Most recently she laundered Michelle Obama’s chosen outfit at the presidential launch as a "butcher’s apron ... which resembled a geometrical haemorrhage".

At the Galle Literary Festival however, Greer spoke eloquently of the problems which have surfaced in the feminist movement, her abhorrence of war and the "need to make peace sexy" again. She also discussed the problems emerging from the "biggest industry in the world – pornography" and the ramifications this industry has for how sexuality is learnt and experienced for both men and women.

An issue which she spent much time lamenting was the state of modern girlhood, she sees the growing gender distinction between young girls and boys as rising to ridiculous proportions, as she stated, "masculinity and femininity as concepts are more outrageous, the contrast is pathological!" blaming this growing distinction on young girls demands to only wear clothing that comes in "peptone, chemical Barbie pink" and more seriously the increase of early onset anorexia.

Shihara, an 18 year old student from Colombo noted after the talk that she wasn’t so sure about Greer’s grievances for a Sri Lankan audience. Although she thought Greer "was amazing, I did not agree with everything that she was saying" particularly what she perceived to be the condescending tone used towards men. She believed strongly that anorexia was not a problem for Sri Lankan girls "except some that go to international school".

Romesh Gunesekera, famed Sri Lankan writer, also questioned Greer’s talk in his following address to festival goers "apparently girls won’t look at my website unless it’s pink ... boys won’t look at it unless there are guns and soldiers...".

Although some members of the audience failed to be swept up in the oratorical talents of Greer, her words received a wave of agreeing nodding heads, knowing smiles and a standing ovation at her talk’s completion. Perhaps people flocked to see her talk for the possibility of her making a remark which might shock and awe but the mood which overtook the audience as she spoke with her usual vivacity and charisma was one of hope for the change of the status of women, solidarity and unity.