Julia Eileen Gillard and “The Curious Question of Gender” in Australian Politics

Abstract

While women's equitable participation in public politics and ascension to leadership roles are globally acknowledged as necessary for achieving sustainable development goals, their representation remains disproportionately low. In contemporary Australia, despite women actively generating discourses advocating for their increased political presence, men continue to dominate the nation's political public. This critical gap elicits several concerns: To what extent does gender influence political participation and leadership in Australia? What socio-political challenges entail this entrenched bias? What kind of gender preconceptions and stereotypes prevail? How far do they deter women from pursuing active politics? This study seeks to address these questions by investigating the complex relationship existing between political leadership and gender in contemporary Australia vis-a-vis the specific case of Julia Eileen Gillard, Australia's first and only woman Prime Minister to date. To this end, the study critically analyses various narratives by and on Gillard, highlighting the nuanced interplay of gender and politics. It also examines Gillard's responses to misogyny in Australian politics, her performance of feminist leadership, and its impact on her political career.