At Mamamia, every day is International Women’s Day. But this year, we’re celebrating March 8 by sharing stories from some of Australia’s most influential women, as well as columns from voices spanning 5 generations, on the decade-defining conversations women are having. You can find all our International Women’s Day stories on our hub page.
In the lead up to this International Women’s Day, I have spent time in self-imposed writing solitude, drawing strength from cups of coffee and creative inspiration.
Over the Australian summer, I was completing the manuscript for my upcoming book, which I am co-authoring with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a friend of mine and acclaimed development economist.
We have written what we hope is an inspirational and practical book, sharing the stories, advice and words of some of our most extraordinary women leaders from around the world.
Why do I think we need to be talking about women and leadership in 2020?
The answer may at first seem obvious; I was the first woman Deputy Prime Minister and then Prime Minister of Australia, and of course, my personal experiences inform my interest. But these days, I have moved on to taking a far broader view of women and leadership.
Each year on International Women’s Day I reflect on the progress we are making as a society. I am encouraged by the rapid gains we have made for equality, but I am also motivated by how far we still have to go.
Top Comments
Woman who was Prime Minister of Australia saying women can’t get ahead... check.
Before ardent feminists like Tanya and Penny rolled her for a man, polls showed even Abbott was more popular with women than she was. Let’s not forget how bad that government was and that she blocked SSM when she had the numbers to pass it.
Articles like this confirm a feeling I have. The first female President will be a Republican. The left continues to run militant campaigns that are basically, “vote for me or you’re a sexist” and they continue to fail. Whereas one day a Republican will run on the basis she is a person who happens to be a woman and with the right policies and skills, will win. Just like Thatcher did.
Wow, one per century. Talk about equal rights!
You could have a female PM next election and every election after that if women would just vote for women. Can outnumber men at the ballot box every time. But it’s almost like some women consider more than genitalia when casting their votes.
Nikki Haley will be the first American women President.
And the left will hate her.
Especially all those women empowering women feminists.
Or, they are experiencing internalised misogyny and not considering more than genitalia when casting their votes
A reminder of why women cannot afford to vote Conservative. Not only do they intentionally delay women’s progress, they also try to undo advancements women already made. The battle for control of our bodies will be lost if we vote Conservative. Women need to stop voting the way their husbands do and think and read for themselves, for their daughters’ sake.
Of course 'Conservatives' have won 7 out of the last 9 Australian elections. I suspect that with 50% of the population being women, then most of them don't agree with your belief that 'Conservatives' are out to 'get' women.
A reminder that Australia, UK and USA have conservative governments where women enjoy access to some of the most unrestricted abortion laws in the world, in addition to the vote and extremely generous welfare systems.
Looking at the progressive alternatives, it’s a Conservative party that has delivered not one, but two female PMs in the United Kingdom compared to progressive Labour who has never had a leader who isn’t a male. Speaking of which, I must check who is still in the race for the Democrat Presidential nomination. No doubt it’s a diverse field, reflecting that parties true values.
It’s a bit of a put down to say married women blindly follow their husbands like sheep. Probably the real reason they vote conservative is for lower taxes or possibly because life goes better when their husband still has a job.
Then why is it conservatives who have the most women Prime Ministers?
Thatcher and May to name two.
We just don't vote according to gender, merit baby, merit.
We’ll be waiting a long time in this country for a Conservative female leader. Australian Conservatives are an especially backward bunch of men. And I’m not your baby, dickwad.