Julia Gillard Next Generation Internship Inaugural Report 2018 The Glass Labyrinth Increasing female political representation in Australia – lessons from New Zealand by Elise Delpiano EMILY’s List Australia - - Contents Message from the convenors 4 Executive summary 6 Introduction 7 Female political leadership in Australia and New Zealand 8 Why is having greater female political participation important? 10 Factors hindering a higher level of female representation 11 Methodology 13 New Zealand: a case study 14 Challenges faced by women in politics 20 Research recommendations: Increasing female political participation 25 1. Introducing a formal mentoring program for female Labor candidates 26 2. Equipping women with a toolkit for Cabinet 27 3. Consider different mechanisms for selecting Cabinet positions 28 4. Consider the state of electoral funding laws 29 Annexure A 30 Annexure B 30 Glossary 31 Aboriginal acknowledgement EMILY’s List Australia proudly acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first peoples and Traditional Owners and custodians of the land and water on which we rely. We acknowledge and respect that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are steeped in traditions and customs built on an incredibly disciplined social and cultural order. This social and cultural order has sustained up to 50,000 years of existence. We acknowledge the ongoing leadership role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on gender equality. As First Peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are best placed to determine a culturally appropriate path to gender equality in their communities. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. - - “I’m proud to be supporting the next generation of women leaders. I congratulate Elise on her report and I am confident that the internship has made a positive impact on her development as a potential future leader.” Julia Gillard Australia’s 27th Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Elise Delpiano Message from the convenors EMILY’s List Australia is proud to release the Commonwealth Youth Parliament in Canada inaugural report of the Julia Gillard Next in2016. Elise has demonstrated leadership quali- Generation Internship. Developed in ties in male dominated programs and encouraged partnership with our first female Prime Minister, other young women to fulfil their potential. the internship gives life to Ms Gillard’s legacy and fulfils a long-term ambition of EMILY’s List As her internship project, Elise chose to compare Australia to promote and make political life the experience of New Zealand’s female political easier for the next generation of talented leaders with that of Australian women Members progressive women leaders. of Parliament. New Zealand outranks Australia on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap In the 22 years since its inception, EMILY’s List List and has had three women attain the highest Australia has supported the election of 250 office of Prime Minister compared to our one. women to Australia’s state and federal parlia- ments. To continue our success and to ensure As part of her internship, Elise travelled to New our parliaments achieve gender parity, we need Zealand to meet with the inspirational Prime to create a pipeline of talented women leaders Minister Jacinda Arden and other Labour women and nurture them through the labyrinth of Aus- Members of the New Zealand Parliament. There, tralian pollitics, gender policy and the new 24/7 Elise investigated political culture and structural media landscape. and social support for women in New Zealand politics. The Julia Gillard Next Generation Internship Program provides a young or emerging woman For the duration of her internship, Elise was leader with: hosted by The Hon. Penny Sharpe, MLC NSW in her electorate office. Here, Elise was able to • The opportunity to undertake research into benefit greatly from the wisdom and experience best practice gender equality policy and of a pro-choice MP working on an enormous • program initiatives across the world and legislative project - the passage of Safe Access to bring back learnings for the benefit of Zones around abortion clinics. During her time in Australian women. Penny Sharpe’s Office, Elise also had an • To travel overseas and meet with progressive opportunity to meet with Helen Clark, former women leaders Prime Minister of New Zealand and head of the • To work in the office of a progressive Labor United Nations Development Program. And of woman parliamentarian and receive direct course, Elise also had the opportunity to spend mentoring and Support time with Ms Gillard herself, gaining exclusive • To learn about the importance of fundrais- insights into what it is like leading the nation. ing and relationship building for progressive campaigns We acknowledge the tremendous support of the program by our Prime Ministers - Julia, Jacinda After a competitive application process, open to and Helen. We’re thrilled that our first intern had women across Australia, Elise Delpiano was the such an incredible opportunity for mentoring from standout candidate as the recipient of the first leaders on the world stage. Julia Gillard Next Generation Internship. A student at the University of New South Wales, We also thank Penny for her mentoring and she previously participated in the dedication to gendered policy making, which Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians provided Elise with a perfect role model. ‘Stepping Up’ program and was elected as the Opposition Leader of the first female-led 4 | EMILY’s List Australia This project would not be possible without the wonderful support of the Australian Workers Union (AWU). Through their sponsorship and support, we were able to fully fund Elise’s travel component of this internship. This greatly enhanced the scope of the research Elise was able to conduct. The AWU has been at the forefront of the making of Labor leaders. We are proud to be partnering with them to create the next generation of women. Finally, we acknowledge the work of EMILY’s List staff and volunteers, especially CEO Maree Overall and national office staff, intern convenors Katie Whitehead, Meghan Hopper and the NSW EMILY’s List Action Group led by Trish Doyle and Bridget Wardlaw, for the enormous fundraising efforts. We commend this report to you and look forward to watching Elise’s political career flourish into the future. Sharon Claydon and Tanja Kovac National Co-Convenors EMILY’s List Australia Julia Gillard Next Generation Internship Report 2018 | 5 Executive Summary Within Australian state and between Australia and New Leadership progress for women federal parliaments women do Zealand. It also compares dif- is not one simple glass ceiling to not have equality in leadership ferences between structures of break through. Rather, it involves or decision making positions. the Australian Labor Party and a glass labyrinth that needs The fact that the number of the New Zealand Labour Party. to be navigated throughout a women in higher office within While both parties have affir- woman’s career. To achieve and Australian Parliaments is far less mative action in some form to maintain equal representation than the 50% of the population reach 50% representation, in our parliaments, women need they represent demonstrates neither go far enough in support at all stages of their there are institutional and ensuring safe electorate seats career, not just when they run cultural barriers. Women face are equally shared between for parliament. challenges in running for and men and women. New holding public office, and it is Zealanders are more accepting evident that it is not just a glass of women leaders and have a ceiling to break through but a culture of celebrating women to complex labyrinth of gendered a greater extent than Australia biases to be negotiated and in and are world leaders in some instances endured. celebrating their indigenous representatives in Parliament In Australia, women make up with specific Māori electorate only 34% of elected seats. Australian parliaments representatives in parliaments severely lack this cultural across the country. There has diversity. been a slow increase since women were first elected, but The report offers four still face significant structural recommendations for increasing challenges, especially in female political representation: becoming ministers and heads of government. There has only 1. The Australian Labor been one woman prime Party should introduce a minister. New Zealand has formal mentoring program Leadership made more progress towards for women candidates closing the gender gap and has a withformer MPs who are progress for higher proportion of women committed to regular and women is not members in its Parliament ongoing mentoring support (38%). They also have an 2. Women should be equipped one simple glass impressive record of three for cabinet positions by ceiling to break female Prime Ministers in the continuing professional last twenty years. To understand development and allocation through. Rather, it what may be implemented in of committee positions to involves a glass Australia, this report involves a develop further experience case study of the New Zealand 3. Affirmative action for labyrinth that Labour Party and the initiatives cabinet positions needs to be undertaken to improve female 4. Review electoral funding political representation. provisions to allow for cost navigated of childcare and partner throughout a The report compares the elec- travel allowance to assist toral system, the level of sup- women with young children woman’s career. port and the cultural differences during campaigns 6 | EMILY’s List Australia Introduction Women face an extra set of However, the ways in which these challenges in running for and challenges manifest are far more holding public office, especially shocking and widespread than when it changes the status quo. previously thought. When women do break through these barriers, they are seen as On many fronts, New Zealand has having ‘broken through the glass made greater progress towards ceiling’.