Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister, started her political career in college, where she served as the president of her student union. She later worked as a lawyer, and joined the Australian parliament in 1988. As a politician she is known to put an emphasis on consensus-building and negotiating, and has gained a reputation for persistence and determination, reports the BBC.
However Ms. Gillard, who became prime minister in 2010, has had a rough couple of years in office. In 2010 she deposed her one-time political ally Kevin Rudd in the midst of his plummeting opinion ratings to take the helm as prime minister. However, in early 2012, voter support for Gillard took a turn, sharply decreasing after unpopular policies such as a tax on carbon emissions, and Mr. Rudd challenged her to reclaim Australia’s highest political position.
The fight for prime minister has presented Australia, and Gillard, with a dramatic leadership battle, reports the Monitor. In late February 2012 Gillard maintained her position a prime minister winning 71 votes to Mr. Rudd’s 31 in the Labor Party’s leadership election, however analysts believe she will not be successful in the next election set to take place in late 2013.
Sexism may be playing a role in Gillard’s struggle to retain her position, some say. Simon Benson, the chief political correspondent of a Sydney newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, wrote that the criticism toward Gillard spurred from “a belief that the harder and more personal the attack, the more likely she is to break – because she is a woman,” reports the Monitor.
Despite her tenuous status as prime minister and challenges she has faced, the reported sexism Gillard is confronting as Australia’s most senior politician could help pave the way for future female leaders worldwide.
Andrew Taylor/AP
