12 POLITICS 13 unimelb.edu.au/3010

With Australia A POWER IMBALANCE sliding steadily down the world ranks of female political representation, a new University program is preparing to light the path for aspiring women politicians. Gay Alcorn reports.

athy McGowan AO became a politician when she was nearly 60. But the independent C member for Indi was hardly a political novice when she won the north- eastern Victorian seat in 2013. She had spent much of her adult life in politics of one sort or another, especially as founding member and later president of Women in Agriculture – lobbying, networking, pushing to get things done. McGowan (DipEd 1976), now 62, has some advice for women thinking seriously about a political career: you’ve got to learn the skills, preferably before you stand as a candidate. And even before that, you’ve got to work out what you really care about. “Te frst thing I’d want to say is you’ve got to work out yourself what your platform is,” she says. “Tere’s not much point unless you’ve got a bit of vision about what you’ve got to say and that takes a lot of work to refne. “I’m a huge believer in people explaining what the pathway is, because it’s so rarely obvious and it’s not intuitive.” Te University of ’s Pathways Women of influence: Cathy McGowan, , Julie Bishop, Kelly O’Dwyer and Sophie Mirabella to Politics program is designed to “explain what the pathway is” for women considering local, state and federal politics. Te reason Parliament in 1943. In January this year, Julie Bishop pointed out the positives. over time, and will be run through the Fellow at the University in the School a political career. A pilot begins in June, is obvious: while the “gender gap” in such Bureau of Statistics reported Australia has had a female prime minister, University’s School of Government. of Government. Reece was formerly a and is a frst for an Australian university. areas as education and health has been that women made up 30.5 per cent of a female governor-general, and now has its A cohort of 20 to 25 women from senior adviser to prime minister Julia Te idea came from philanthropist largely closed in Australia, we are slipping federal parliamentarians. Tat had risen frst female defence and foreign ministers. all political leanings will receive, free Gillard (LLB 1986, BA 1989) and was Carol Schwartz AM, who in turn was behind other nations in female political just 5.5 percentage points since 2001. Many states, too, have had female leaders. of charge, 12 fortnightly sessions of Labor’s campaign director for the 2010 inspired by a Harvard Kennedy School representation. Women’s success in state politics varies. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk intensive training and discussion. Victorian election. program, From Harvard Square to the In 2013, a comparison of women in As of 2014, about 24 per cent of NSW has a female deputy leader, Jackie Trad, and At each session, a female politician “Tere is something systemically Oval Ofce. It ofers selected graduates national parliaments ranked Australia parliamentarians were women, compared women make up more than half her cabinet. will speak – of the record – and answer that makes it harder for women,” says hands-on, practical skills, mentoring 44th (behind countries such as Cuba, with almost 33 per cent in and a high “It’s important for women to fulfl these questions over dinner. Ten someone Reece. “My personal political experience

and networking. Past speakers include Sweden, South Africa, Mexico and New of more than 41 per cent in the ACT. A survey leadership roles because unless others see a with detailed knowledge of the political having worked for the frst female prime ISSUE 1 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and Zealand). We had slipped from 32nd in of local government councillors in 2011 found woman in that role they don’t imagine that process – campaigning, polling, speech minister was that I saw frsthand the former Republican governor Christie 2008, and 20th in 2001. In a 2016 study, that women comprised nearly 28 per cent of it’s possible,” Bishop said. making and negotiating the media – gender lens that was put across a lot of Todd Whitman. Australia had fallen to 54th. elected representatives. Te frst Pathways to Politics course will will speak and give advice. things that she was engaged in.” , 2016 Te aim of Pathways to Politics is Tere has been slow progress Launching the Pathways to Politics be open only to University of Melbourne One of those will be Nicholas Reece simple: increase female representation in since the frst women entered Federal program late last year, Foreign Minister graduates, although this is expected to change (ExecMPubAdmin 2006), Principal CONTINUED PAGE 14 14 POLITICS COVER STORY 15 unimelb.edu.au/3010 FROM PAGE 13 does not support quotas as a matter of we will be able to then hold ourselves principle, arguing that candidates should accountable for our progress in this Gillard herself famously said when be selected only on merit. Te party once regard,” O’Dwyer told the ABC recently. she lost the leadership to : believed, too, that the number of female “I think that when you measure “Te reaction to being the frst female MPs would gradually increase over time. something, you achieve better outcomes, prime minister does not explain everything But when ’s frst Cabinet and I’d like to think that we can achieve A step into about my prime ministership, nor does afer the 2013 election included just one better outcomes. it explain nothing about my prime woman – Julie Bishop – it was a wake-up “I don’t think there’s one silver bullet

ministership.” call that waiting for things to change was that’s going to solve this issue. I think we One of Gillard’s challenges, Reece says, not working. need to put in place a number of strategies was that female politicians “could be either in order to encourage women to have the heavens Margaret Tatcher the Iron Lady or you the confdence to put up their hand for could be the girl next door, and they were Parliament, to make sure that they’re the two archetypes you could choose from supported and set up for success.” Beth Jens had to plot a circuitous as a female politician. Tat’s just bullshit. Lillian Kline, the project co-ordinator route into space. A newly launched Tere are just as many diverse characters of Pathways to Politics, says there is who are women. “enormous goodwill” around the idea, University program should make “Ofen there’s an underlying assumption with most politicians and strategists that women shouldn’t consider a career in approached keen to ofer their time and it easier for the next generation politics until they have children, or have expertise. raised their children. If you follow that Schwartz has been involved in of students. logic through, women wouldn’t enter the promoting women in leadership for many political system until well into their 40s or years and is funding the pilot program 50s, but to get ahead in politics you need through her Trawalla Foundation. to enter a parliamentary role in a relatively Although it is modelled on Harvard’s BY TIM THWAITES early stage in your career so you can do program, this one has a unique element, (BSc(HONS) 1974, TRINITY COLLEGE, JANET CLARKE HALL) your time and be promoted to senior roles.” Schwartz says – a session on political ethics. Male-dominated preselection processes “It gets back to that issue that all y following her dreams, Dr Beth Jens may well also disadvantage women, but they have politicians who enter into politics are really to learn to push themselves forward, very idealistic,” says Schwartz. “What are end up going as far as is humanly possible – says Reece. the ethics around compromising those deep into outer space. It’s an adventure the “Women are ofen not as forward in beliefs and values in order to sort of toe young engineer from Torquay has been chasing these things and in a highly competitive the line with the party? Tat might make B since she decided at of 12 to become an astronaut. area that is full of these overachieving some people think ‘I actually don’t want hyper-ambitious types, they can just get “We definitely want to enter politics because I don’t want to And she’s certainly given herself a good chance to fulfl pushed out.” do that’, or else ‘how can I negotiate those that ambition. Pathways to Politics is non-partisan, people who really aspire to areas?’ Jens (BEng(MechEng)(Hons), BSc 2008) is now and is looking for women of all ages “We defnitely want people who really from any political background. Yet it is entering a political life . . . aspire to entering a political life, who aren’t employed at Caltech’s famous Jet Propulsion undeniable that the conservative side of just curious, but actually have read about Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California – the place politics has struggled with this issue more and are really committed it, worked in it, and are really committed where the Mars rovers and much of NASA’s rocket than Labor and the Greens. to political leadership and political life.” technology were developed. She is working on new “So let this conference declare, by 2025 to political leadership.” Cathy McGowan loves political life. … 50 per cent of Labor’s representatives She is driving home from Canberra when ways of fuelling small space vehicles. CAROL SCHWARTZ will be women,” Labor leader Bill Shorten she takes my phone call. Te woman she Getting this far has taken a lot of hard work, a fair told the party’s national conference last defeated in Indi, Liberal Sophie Mirabella dollop of serendipity and that splash of ambition. year. Labor’s afrmative action rules were A party report last year recommended (BCom/LLB 1994, LLM 1998), a former adopted in 1994 when women comprised setting a 50 per cent target for women in Public Policy Fellow at the University, is “I love space exploration,” she says. “When I was young, just 18.4 per cent of Labor members Parliament, and warned that the party standing again at this year’s election, and one of the Apollo astronauts was out in Australia. Dad – it’s now 45 per cent. By comparison, risked losing relevance if it did not address McGowan is focused on the campaign. happened to sit beside him on an internal fight, and he about 22 per cent of Liberal Party MPs are the issue. It listed various barriers to She is well known for her negotiating invited us to his talk in Geelong. He showed pictures of women, and 15 per cent of National MPs. women seeking to be candidates in the skills, her ability to network, and for “I do not believe that (the increase party, including a “boys’ club” culture and putting people together to achieve things. standing on the moon. And I thought, ‘Why couldn’t in women MPs) would have happened a process designed to “keep outsiders out”. She says that women who want to be anyone who was passionate and worked hard get there?’ without the focus that a target provides,” Te target would be aspirational, rather politicians shouldn’t try to ape the way I think that started it. deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek told than mandatory. men do things. CONTINUED PAGE 16 the launch of Pathways to Power. “Because Assistant treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer “I just think that the blokes have worked in every individual seat there is always (LLB(Hons) 1999, BA 2000) has out their own pathway, and women have an excuse to preselect the bloke, who’s so experienced the difculties of being a got to work out their own pathway.” exceptional. Or they say ‘I’m a supporter female politician frsthand, having last Te Australian political system is

of equality, of course, I believe half our year been advised to express more breast “really biased against women”, McGowan ISSUE 1 parliamentarians should be women, but in milk for her baby Olivia in order to avoid says. Quotas have worked for Labor, but my case in this seat there’s a special reason missing parliamentary business. O’Dwyer they might not work for every party. why that rule shouldn’t apply to me’.” does not support mandatory quotas, but “You’ve got to actually look at the Beth Jens on the beach at Torquay: , 2016 For the conservative side of politics, she believes targets are needed. systemic problems – what’s the barrier “I love space exploration.”

the issue is complex. Te Liberal Party “Tose targets can be measured and and what are you going to do about it?” PICTURE: JULIAN KINGMA