Julia Gillard believes there has been ‘progress’ for women in politics since she was Prime Minister 

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has revealed that she feels there has been ‘progress’ for women in politics in the years since she was PM. 

Speaking to this week’s Stellar Magazine, the 58-year-old said:  ‘I think there was framing done around a woman and power that was also driven by gender assumptions and the stereotypes in the back of our brain. 

‘That we expect men to seek power, but we don’t expect women to do it. So I think there was a whole lot about the reaction to me that was incredibly gendered.’ 

The respected politician added that things are changing for the better.  

‘But I think we are having a completely different conversation about gender and politics now than we were having then. And for me that’s progress, that’s a good thing,’ Gillard added.   

In 2012, the-then Australian Prime Minister was praised for her strong stance on sexism and misogyny in government.

Gillard spent 15 minutes attacking leader of the opposition Tony Abbott before the Australian House of Representatives during a debate over a motion to sack the Speaker of the House, Peter Slipper after a series of text messages he sent to his male assistant referring to women in a derogatory way were made public.     

Gillard was sworn in as Australia’s 27th Prime Minister in 2010 after beating sitting Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a party room vote.  

Ms Gillard then won the 2010 election after the first hung parliament since 1940 meant they had to form a minority government.

She survived two more leadership votes in 2012 and 2013 before failing to win a third in late 2013.

Kevin Rudd was reinstated as leader of the party before Ms Gillard tendered her resignation.

Since leaving politics Ms Gillard has been involved in a host of projects including most recently being named the inaugural chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership in London.