Prime Minister Julia Gillard had never complained of sexism to seek sympathy and would never do so, Labor frontbencher Penny Wong says.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused Australia's first female prime minister of playing the "sexism card" to boost her voter support.
Ms Gillard said in an interview with the Seven Network on Sunday many voters imagined the prime minister to be "a bloke in a suit".
She added that she was not surprised it was "taking a bit of time for that to settle with the Australian public".
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown says much of the criticism of the prime minister in the media is "sexist, unfair and unrelenting".
Senator Wong told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday she had known Ms Gillard for 20 years.
"I don't think ever in that time have I seen her do a `poor me'," she said.
"She is not that sort of person and she isn't doing it now."
Men and women were judged by what they achieved, Senator Wong said.
"That is the way she approaches her job and the way I approach mine," she said.
"I hope we see more and more women come into parliament and ... in positions of senior leadership."
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