March 11, 2014

UOW Alumni asks the question: When will Australia swear in its second female Prime Minster?

Founder and Executive Director of Australian Centre for Leadership for Women (ACLW) and Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Business Well-Being (AIBWB) at UOW Diann Rodgers-Healey celebrated International Women’s Day 2014 with the launch of her latest publication, ‘Considerations for Australia’s Next Woman Prime Minister,’ at Parliament House Sydney. 

The electronic book explores the issues surrounding gender and leadership, specifically within the context of Julia Gillard’s Prime Ministership. Dr Rodgers-Healey's own interpretations of Gillard’s Prime Ministership lay the foundation of the book but its heart is composed of the complete and unedited responses to five questions by 17 high achieving women. 

“Each [contributor] has their own rhythm and their own thought process that flows beautifully through a system of justification for their argument. I really value that intellectual journey and the different points of view and I wanted that to be included in the book”.  

The overriding theme of Dr Rodgers-Healey’s questionnaire was gender and leadership, though each question touched on a specific topic for discussion, which Dr Rodgers-Healey then analysed to distil core issues and recommendations. One of the questions, Dr Rodgers-Healey asks the respondents to consider was when we are likely to see another female rise to the position of Prime Minister in Australia. 

“The responses indicated that we might be waiting for a maximum of fifteen years before that opportunity comes about,” Dr Rodgers-Healey said, adding that there needs to be a conversation around women in Australian politics and what makes it difficult for a woman to rise up through the ranks and excel in leadership roles. 

“It is our responsibility to examine the current context and to change it, to make it a possibility to have female Prime Minister sooner rather than later.” 

‘Considerations for the next Woman Prime Minister’ was launched following an awards ceremony hosted by the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women.

MP Gareth Ward, Minister for Women Pru Goward, Speaker of the House, Shelley Hancock MP and Minister for Citizenship and Communities and Aboriginal Affairs, Victor Dominello were all involved in the event.

Dr Rodgers-Healey’s previous book, Women's Activism - Insights for empowering women from global women activists, was launched on International Women’s Day 2013 at UOW.

More information about the E-book launch can be found at www.leadershipforwomen.com.au.